I'm about 9 months out from having liposuction (belly, flanks, and neck) with Dr. Sowder…read more
I interviewed several surgeons in the Seattle area, and unfortunately there still seems to be something of a suspicion of men as cosmetic surgery patients. Most surgeons' web sites don't mention men at all. Many sites are vaguely suggestive of ads for feminine hygiene products and feature photographs of creamy-skinned women loping through spring fields and bonding chummily over coffee. It's like a big "keep out" sign for men.
So, Dr. Sowder's blog and office page were a real breath of fresh air. The material is down to earth and informative, and she talks about men in a number of different contexts. In person, she's pretty much exactly who you'd expect her to be from reading her blog: friendly, pragmatic, and clear with her recommendations.
A lot of folks do cosmetic procedures of one sort or another, but I wanted someone who 1) was board certified in plastic surgery, 2) had a background in academic medicine, 3) did face and neck procedures, and 4) seemed comfortable working on men. Those criteria narrowed the field down to just 2 or 3 people in the Seattle metro area. (Actually, that's true even if you consider #1 and #2 alone - people enter this industry through a lot of different paths, and board certification is not as common as you might assume.)
Of course, credentials and demeanor don't mean diddly-squat if you're not happy with the actual work. Like other reviewers, I can only relate my own experience, and it's important to keep in mind that a variety of accessory factors affect the outcome. I think I was a particularly good candidate for the procedures I had, and I've been pretty good about exercising and eating well over the last couple of years, too.
I'm hedging not because my results are equivocal but because they're actually absurdly good. Each area looks better than I had imagined possible. Of course, it's subjective: if you saw me on the street, you'd probably think, "Yeah, he looks OK for a middle-aged man." But from the inside, the experience has been really gratifying and transformative. It's surreal to find yourself suddenly living in a much nicer body.
Just, please, don't go into Dr. Sowder's office and say, "I'm here because this random guy on Yelp said you'd make me look better than I ever imagined possible!"
Two minor points:
1) I don't have the impression that pricing varies too much among providers, at least for the procedures I had. So don't be put off by Sowder's credentials. Her pricing seems quite competitive.
2) Sowder's office staff are excellent, and the office runs like a Swiss watch. All appointments were handled promptly, and the procedure itself was pretty much right on schedule. Again, this isn't necessarily a factor you'd put too much weight on a priori, but it's reflective of good management. And it does make the whole experience a lot smoother.
