Safer practice of dermatosurgery.

The demand for dermatosurgery, especially cosmetic procedures, has increased because of various factors that include greater awareness about aesthetic procedures, the importance given by society to beauty, the availability of safe and simple procedures, increasing affluence of the population seeking surgery and affordability of the surgery.[1-6] Simultaneously, patients’ expectations from such procedures have increased, often to unrealistic levels, mainly because of exaggerated and misleading advertisements and false claims appearing in the media. Frustration and litigation are likely to arise from mismatches between expectations and results. Patients desire to get procedures done by “safe” hands and dermatosurgeons desire to practice “safer” surgery. Such a balance is achievable provided certain key issues are kept in mind. The guidelines presented in this article seek to present a safe and realistic approach for the practice of dermatosurgery.