3 Things to Consider When Viewing Before and After Photos

You’re considering a procedure to make some cosmetic changes to your (insert area of your body here), and you want to get a visual idea about what you might expect in terms of outcome. If you haven’t already done so, researching before-and-after photos is certainly a great way to do this, but they also represent rabbit holes where you can get very lost.

Each year in the United States, millions of people undergo plastic surgery. There were more than 1 million surgeries and 25 million minimally invasive procedures in 2023 alone. This means there’s no shortage of pictures to look at.

To get the most out of before-and-after photo galleries, Dr. Thomas McHugh and the staff here at McHugh plastic Surgery want to suggest a few rules of engagement that are important to keep in mind. 

1. Consistency is key

The first thing we suggest is to look for consistency in the before-and-after photos of whatever procedure you’re looking at. 

For example, let’s say that you want to look at results of a typical breast lift or facelift. Understand that people can have very different starting points, so you want to look at a wide range of before-and-after photos to get a broader, more consistent feel for what you might expect in terms of results.

Also, be sure to check that the photos are taken from the same angle, both before and after, with the same lighting. 

2. Find similar subjects and focus on only one area

No two patients are alike and, as we mentioned, their baselines vary greatly. When looking at before-and-after pictures, try to find ones that are closest to your starting point and your goals.

In other words, if you’re in your 40s, look for people in the same age range — checking out a 20-something’s before-and-after pictures won’t be very helpful for someone who’s 20 years older.

You also want to be sure that you focus on what you’re attempting to change rather than the overall package. So, if you’re contemplating a tummy tuck, focus only on that area and not other parts of the person’s body.

3. Look only to reputable resources

In the world of filters, digital manipulation, and artificial intelligence, figuring out what’s real in photography is getting more challenging.

This is why we highly recommend that you use only reputable resources for before-and-after photos. You should start with our own here, which we’re happy to share with you during your consultation.

Until then, you might visit the before-and-after gallery on the American Society of Plastic Surgeons website, which you can check out here. Or, you might take a look at this gallery from Cleveland Clinic.

The bottom line is that before-and-after pictures can be helpful in giving you a more visual idea about what to expect, as long as you consider them wisely.

A great idea is to sit down with us to review these pictures together as we can point out how your results might be different. To get that set up, please contact our office in The Woodlands, Texas, to schedule a consultation.