RealSelf

Please reply if you're starting a class action against RealSelf. Their blatant false advertising cost me hundreds of thousands in medical and cosmetic complications that I could have avoided had they not false advertised their Doctors by silencing real negative reviews and uploading fake positive reviews. There are about 10 women I know who had the exact same happen to them who would join any legal action happening.

This website is the bible for doing your research on plastic surgery procedures. It has personal accounts, with pictures, of various types of surgeries and also experiences with particular doctors. You can't put a price on being able to read first hand accounts from others who have already gotten the procedures you are considering. Also, it is an incredibly supportive community, where people post updates on their recovery and others give advice and support. It lets people know they are not alone and gives them a place to share what they are going through with other people who understand. I love that a website like this exists!

RealSelf has responded to my review with false information. I never created multiple profiles and post multiple reviews for the same doctor. That is a brazen lie that you are publishing online to attempt to destroy a patient's credibility. I contacted you saying that your website perpetuates fraud by not authenticating users as real patients. Your response and retaliation to me inquiring about the safety of consumer information on your website -- when in fact you are clearly perpetuating fraud related to dangerous medical procedures so that you can profit -- is, like, super gross and super pathetic.

You guys are liars and your business model is inherently unethical. It is my hope that the FTC will come after you.

This company is trying to take over internet reviews of facial plastic surgeons and body plastic surgeons. They only promote the doctors that pay to belong to the group and provide untrustworthy content.
If you're not aware of them, it is difficult to distinguish when doing an internet search to get honest reviews of surgeons.

I based my decision to use a Beverly Hills ocular surgeon based on the hundreds of mostly positive reviews on this site. As the scheduled surgery drew near I began to look also at his negative reviews which included lack of communication, poor results and even hostile behavior. I ended up following through with the surgery feeling very uneasy. Well, I did experience all of those negative consequences.I had a less than optimal result and when I criticized his work, legitimately and respectfully, he became stunningly hostile and evasive. It was exactly as one reviewer had described. When I went back to look again at the reviews, the reviews by this patient had disappeared from the site. I also noticed a pattern in the positive review of questionable legitimacy. I think the model is corrupt. Doctors pay for sponsored ads and they are able to have negative reviews removed by convincing RealSelf's that the negative reviews are fake and "violate the terms of the agreement ". Consumers are being harmed here, and they are mostly women.

I paid 20,000 pounds to a surgeon based on the 5 start reviews I read on RealSelf. Just a few days before my procedure, I came across a thread of comments on RealSelf itself which were not posted under the surgeon's reviews but posted separately elsewhere of patients whose operations were botched by this surgeon, two of whom I contacted and met in person, who said that their negative reviews of the surgeon were deleted. I cancelled my surgery but of course did not get my money back. Realself can be a useful research too for potential patients but it is largely and mostly a PR tool for cosmetic surgeons. You will hardly find any surgeon with reviews that put a practitioner in bad enough light to deter would be patients. It is obvious that there are unhealthy links between RealSelf and cosmetic surgery practitioners whose real costs are being paid by unsuspecting vulnerable people. Sooner or later they will be caught but many people and households will be ruined till we get to this point.

As a phyisican in Aesthetics, I signed on to get some additional exposure to potential clients in my area. What a racket and was of time. Heavy monthly fees and extensive time answering questions with no leads in my area. We had calls from other states (not even reasonable clients 400 miles away) Definitely not worth the money.

RealSelf is an amazing online source comprised of professional and consumer knowledge of cosmetic/plastic surgical and non-surgical procedures. The reviews provide numerous sources of information, from doctors' answers to questions posed by members to reviews and pictures that are really essential in forming educated decisions on treatments from injections to surgery. I love RS!

If you are interested in exploring cosmetic procedures or plastic surgery, RealSelf is a must visit site! I have used it to look into several procedures; and the real person reviews are invaluable. The before and after photos have helped me to choose the procedure that is best for me. I have looked for the best Doctors, and actually used the site to make an appointment! RealSelf is a must use tool for self research!

I had my account blocked after posting negative review of a doctor that they elected as their CMO- i used the site to help research reconstructive surgery after ill-advised surgery by a Dr Lara Devgan whose surgery has since caused me many health problems & eye problems. They have blocked me after joining discussions with other users who questioned our rspecitive drs recommendations & how realself endorses these Drs even if they are not at the top of their feild. I was blocked hours later.

This is the best place to get real reviews by real people. This website offers not only a community to reach out to other people but a way to reach out to surgeons. Real self is the best place to read information on several cosmetic options, they even have photo galleries that you can look at in the privacy of your own home. The community is absolutely amazing I've spoke with real people and I've received real feedback.

10 years ago this site was somewhat useful. Now its a huge scam. 99% of the positive reviews are FAKE and made by employees, friends, family and paid for. Do NOt take advise from Real Self! Even here you see fake reviews for DR's. The laws need to catch up to technology. It should be a CRIME to post fake reviews. Realself is nothing but a paid advertisement for Dr's... FRAUD!

I first found RealSelf years ago when I was looking into a tummy tuck. It was very difficult finding prices, real reviews, doctor information, photos, etc and this site has it all! Since then, I've used this site for other cosmetic options ranging from non surgical to surgical. I'm back on again documenting and gathering information for another procedure I'm having done. It is very comforting to see real reviews on the doctors you're considering opposed to just what they want you to see. It has saved me a ton of time and money in consults alone by being able to narrow my selection down to a few doctors and feel comfortable with doing so. I highly recommend this site to every single person I come across that is researching something such as cosmetic surgery. It's a serious lifesaver!

It seems impossible to save login details so it was annoying having to almost create a new account each time. Was hoping for better answers to my questions

Dr. Aldea is the best plastic surgeon in Memphis TN. He was very through and listened carefully to all of my questions about my procedure. My BBL turned out amazing! Lilly his assistant was sooo very kind and helpful. She really put me at ease. I can't say enough about how fabulous Dr Aldea's work really is. I would highly recommend for all of your plastic surgery needs.

When you use this site to ask questions, you must not forget that the people who will answer the questions are plastic surgeons.
So, if you are considering alternative methods to surgery, you may not get a truthful answer.

One example is a question about the effectiveness of Volufiline in creams to increase the size or firmness of breasts.
Every answer that was given claimed that no creams exist that do this, but that only surgery will accomplish increase in size or firmness of breasts. Some even claim that there has been no research that proves it.
Those answers were entirely misleading, because there are studies and cases where Volufiline has caused an increase in adipocytes which lead to increase in breast size, notably one published on the web by Sederma.

As ever, it is important to note that medical practitioners are not immune from recommending only the kind of work they do, and denying the efficacy of alternative methods that are aimed at achieving the same thing.
The moral is: Read the answers, do your research. Then make up your mind.
The only benefit of surgery is that it is quick.

This site reminds me of the Sneetches story about Sylvester McMonkey McBean. For enough money, he's going to solve all your problems. This site has plastic surgeons paying for memberships & it can get costly but the more they pay the higher thier ratings go as a skilled surgeon. The site allows bogus reviews from employees, family, friends as long as the surgeon pays his dues. This is very unfortunate for the consumer looking for highly skilled surgeons & specialists. Furthermore, it's very unethical.

I am a surgical nurse with 45 yrs of experience and have assisted many plastic surgeons in the Dallas area.
Dr. Ho at Beyond Beautiful/Beautiful Faces was recommended to me by an anesthesiologist. He made me look
10 yrs younger! Thank God I listened to his advice. I thought I wanted a facelift to get rid of my sagging cheeks and lip lines. But at 66 yrs old what I needed was fullness! He saved me the cost and pain of surgery and injected Bellafill in my laugh lines, under my eyes, filled in my lip lines, and gave me fuller cheeks. It was all done in his office in about an hour and I could drive home! The Bellafill lasts at least 5 yrs, unlike the other fillers that need redone every year, if not sooner. I would definitely recommend this procedure.

Real Self is a dishonest organization whose sales person did not follow through on what was promised and the Free Trial turned into a 3 month non refundable contract around $350/month with no leads.

I have had the fortune to find this website a While back and I have to say it's been life changing. Not only do I find new treatments but I have been able to find amazing doctors / providers in my area. RealSelf has become my go to for any cosmetic procedure I want to try or find out about. Real people with real honest reviews. Best of all its free and very user friendly. I would recommend this to anyone looking for real honest reviews and resources. Can't say enough good things about the site or its moderators.

The problem is that doctors put up tons of their own glowing reviews, written by everybody in the office, but negative reviews get removed if the doctor pays for "premium" listings. Realself a huge scam. Just like Yelp is, but at least Yelp is no longer so obvious about it.

I reached out to a few review writers when I was trying to select between a couple of doctors, and the responses I got were NOT from happy former patients, as their reviews wanted you to believe, but from office coordinators in the doctors' own office! Shady, shady, shady.

Also, RealSeld lets basic MD's call themselves plastic surgeons, even when they don't even have ANY specialty skills in surgery, let alone plastic surgery credentials. You can be a dentist and still advertise your Liposuction business on RealSelf - they don't require any kind of actual plastic surgery board certification.

This is a very unreliable site for researching potential plastic surgery procedures. They post the top rated reviews and you really have to dig for the truth. Just do NOT use or rely on them ever!

Having just had a procedure a couple weeks ago and dealing with a rude, unresponsive practitioner, I posted a question last night, looking forward to getting some feedback today. Instead, I get a response from a moderator telling me to contact my doctor. Apparently, my question wasn't good enough to make the cut. The moderator lied to me and told me that they were not accepting post-op questions anymore. As someone else mentioned, this looks more like an advertising website for doctors than a forum designed to help patients..