RealSelf has a rating of 2.39 stars from 104 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about RealSelf most frequently mention plastic surgeons problems. RealSelf ranks 5th among Doctor Reviews sites.
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Hi, I am a RealSelf insider and I have had many procedures done. Before I had one thing done, I was a member for 3 years doing research and talking with other Real Self'ers about their procedures, surgeries, outcomes and aftercare. I learned a lot before I started. It is a friendly place where people help each other and doctors answer any questions you may have. It has been the most supportive place for me and I value the connections I have made there. A great place!
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.
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.
Hi, I am a RealSelf insider and I have had many procedures done. Before I had one thing done, I was a member for 3 years doing research and talking with other Real Self'ers about their procedures, surgeries, outcomes and aftercare. I learned a lot before I started. It is a friendly place where people help each other and doctors answer any questions you may have. It has been the most supportive place for me and I value the connections I have made there. A great place!
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.
Shady, shady, shady. This website receives paid promotions and then manipulates and skews the review process. When i confronted them about the lack of authentication mechanisms to prevent dummy accounts from posting reviews, as well as the prevalence of blatantly fraudulent reviews on their site, they deleted my genuine patient experience and banned me from the website. If you have witnessed fraud or experienced fraudulent behavior associated with information that was misrepresented to you on this website, PLEASE file a report with the Federal Trade Commission.
Tip for consumers:
Report fraud and misrepresentation found on realself to the FTC.
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!
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.
Tip for consumers:
Shady organization /cult
Thank you for sharing your feedback. RealSelf was created as a resource for our community to research cosmetic treatments and procedures. We provide the space for real patients to share their experiences; we don’t endorse any particular doctors, and all of the ratings are provided by consumers, like you.
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.
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!
We love you too! Thank you for sharing your feedback — we really appreciate it — and we’re so pleased that your procedures have gone well.
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 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.
Thank you for sharing your concerns. We are truly sorry to hear about your negative experience with your doctor. In regards to reviews on RealSelf: Reviews, whether positive or negative, are only removed if the community member that posted it requests for it to be removed, or if it is in violation of our Terms of Service. Community members can request to have their reviews removed at any time.
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.
Thanks for the kind words! We’re thrilled to hear the doctors and community helped you in your journey.
Had numerous honest reviews from patients' deleted at the whim of realself. Patients go to realself to post reviews hoping to express themselves and help others. It seems as though Realself will delete any reviews they want, either positive or negative, depending on how much doctors pay them. That is wrong.
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!
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.
When I first started looking at realself I found it on accident from searching on google. I made an account and started researching other women's reviews about breast augmentations the good and the bad. Overall it took me about 5 years of building up the courtesy to get a consultation then surgery. I love the realself community. I would have given it five stars but some of the website can be frustrating to search and I wish they had more emojis and an option to edit your post after it's been posted. Other then that I absolutely love this site! I always recommend this website to anyone looking to get any work done.
We’re so glad RealSelf helped you make a confident decision!
We appreciate you sharing your ideas about how we can improve. Our community is the reason we’re here and we’re always improving the site in response to feedback. Thank you!
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.
Thanks for sharing your experience and we’re so happy you found a doctor you love!
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.
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.
Hi Cristina -- Thank you for getting in touch.
All opinions, whether positive or negative, are welcome on the site. We treat consumers and doctors equally under our Terms of Service. Posts are only removed if they violate the Terms of Service, and registered accounts blocked for repeated violations of these terms. An example of why someone might be blocked is if they're using obscene language directed at another RealSelf community member.
We hope this helps to clarify, and please feel free to get in touch with us directly if you'd like more information.
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.
We’re so happy you’re enjoying your time with us! Although we love what we do, getting to know community members and follow their journeys is quite the gift too.
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!
Thanks for your feedback. Consumer trust is important to us too and everyone’s opinions help us improve.
We make sure providers are following FTC regulations around who can endorse them online and what must be disclosed about their relationship. That means we don’t allow reviews from anyone connected to the doctor, including employees, friends and family. We only want to hear from real patients who have unbiased experiences with the doctors they’re reviewing.
We put every review through moderation (where reviews are checked by both humans and proprietary technology) to ensure they meet those standards.
Trust is the backbone of what we do and we’re glad to hear that consumers are taking it seriously too. If you have other questions, please reach out: contactus@realself.com We’re here to help.
I recently had a neck lift, eyelid surgery and partial facelift. The results are amazing and I feel and look 20 years younger. For years I have had "11's" between my eyes and deep lines on my forehead. She injected Xeomin and the results are unbelievable. I no longer have the lines and I receive compliments daily and it is totally natural looking. That hasn't happened in years and I will never use anyone else for my needs.
Glad to hear you’re happy with your experience. We’d love to know more (and see your lovely results) so please consider writing a review on RealSelf too.
Thank you for your feedback!
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.
Doctors can’t buy ratings -- they’re only based on consumer reviews. (Even Dr. Seuss can’t buy stars!) The rating calculation is shown on the doctor’s profile page. It’s an average of all ratings from consumers.
We also don’t allow reviews from anyone connected to the doctor, including friends and family, since this is bad for consumers. We only want to hear from real patients who have unbiased experiences with the doctors they’re reviewing.
We understand that all online trust is earned, so we hope this information is helpful. Transparency is very important to us and we welcome all conversations if you have further questions: contactus@realself.com
The RealSelf site is the first I place I look when I'm considering any type of cosmetic or surgical procedure. There's a ton of incredibly useful information about products, new procedures and, most importantly to me, the Doctors or clinicians that perform them.
The reviews (good AND bad) are by REAL people who have had them performed. The pictures of their results are invaluable.
Thanks for the kind words. It warms our hearts when we hear that many parts of the site have been useful in your journey!
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.
Real Self truly believes in its mission and it shows through every employee. The thoughtfulness they have from the encouragement of new members to the design and layout of the website is unmatched. Real Self truly cares about modern beauty and remove the stigma of plastic surgery. I can't say enough about the amazing experience I've had.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We love to help people make informed, confident decisions and we’re so happy to hear that RealSelf has been helpful to you.
RealSelf is the leading and most trusted source for people considering an elective cosmetic treatment. More than ten years ago, we built RealSelf as the destination for people to learn about cosmetic procedures, share their experiences, and connect with top providers.
Today there are more cosmetic treatment options than ever before—from Botox to laser hair removal, microneedling to CoolSculpting. That’s why RealSelf provides unbiased information about cosmetic procedures and the doctors and clinicians who perform them.
Thank you for writing a review and we’re so happy to hear you’ve connected with other community members for support. That’s what we’re all about!