Sending photos before your plastic surgery consultation: how to take them and what happens next

For most international patients, the first contact with the practice is a set of photos sent from home. Done well, this saves time on both sides: you get a general idea of your options early, and the visit to Istanbul can be planned around what is actually needed. Done badly, with dim selfies and filters, it tells nobody very much.

What photos sent from home can and cannot do

They can give you a general idea of the options worth discussing, show which records or tests are still needed, help estimate how long to plan in Istanbul and give you a clear picture of how the process works.

They cannot replace an examination. Skin thickness, tissue elasticity, the inside of the nose and how you breathe, the exact amount of loose skin or fat, and many other details can only be judged in person. That is why the medical assessment and the plan, including any implant size, are made at the examination in Nişantaşı, and why the plan may differ from what you had in mind before you travelled.

General rules for all photos

• Ask someone else to take them, using the rear camera, from about one and a half to two metres away. Selfies taken at arm's length distort the face; the nose in particular looks larger than it is.
• Use daylight. Stand facing a window, and avoid overhead lights, flash and strong shadows.
• Choose a plain, light background and keep clutter out of the frame.
• No filters, beauty modes or editing. For facial photos, no make-up, hair tied back, glasses and earrings off.
• Keep the camera level with the area being photographed, and use the same distance for every view.
• Send the original images. If your messaging app compresses photos, sending them as files keeps the detail.

Face and nose

For rhinoplasty, facial surgery and chin surgery, take:

1. the front view, looking straight ahead with a relaxed face;
2. both side profiles, with the whole head in the frame;
3. both three-quarter views, turned halfway between front and side;
4. a view from below, with the head tilted back so that the nostrils can be seen;
5. one smiling front view, which shows how the nose tip moves.

For eyelid surgery, add close-ups with the eyes open, looking up and gently closed. For a facelift or neck lift, keep the head level rather than tilted up or down, since tilting changes the jawline. The rhinoplasty page explains what the examination adds to these photos.

Breasts

Stand upright with your arms relaxed by your sides, and frame the photos from the base of the neck to the waist. Take the front view, both sides and both three-quarter views. Your face does not need to be in the picture. Make sure any existing scars are visible. Add your height, weight, current bra size and whether you have had children or plan to. The breast augmentation page describes how size and shape are then planned at the consultation.

Abdomen and body

Stand relaxed, in plain underwear, without holding your breath in. Take the front, both sides, both three-quarter views and the back. For the abdomen, add a side view leaning slightly forward, which shows loose skin. For an arm lift, add photos with your arms raised out to the side. Include your height, weight, whether your weight has been stable for the last few months, pregnancies and any caesarean or other scars. See the tummy tuck page for how candidacy is assessed.

Common mistakes

• Mirror photos. They are reversed, usually taken from above, and the phone hides part of the face or body.
• Cropping too tightly. A nose photographed without the forehead and chin loses the proportions that matter for planning.
• Changing the set-up between views. Different light or distance makes two sides look more different than they are.
• Old photos, or photos with contouring make-up, which can change how the nose and cheeks look.
• Sending only the angle you dislike. Send every view, even if your concern is one feature.

What to send with your photos

• your age and, for body procedures, your height and weight;
• what you would like to change, and what you would like to keep;
• your health conditions, regular medicines and allergies, and whether you smoke;
• any previous surgery or non-surgical treatment on the area, such as filler, with dates and reports if you have them;
• where you are travelling from and the dates you are considering.

What happens next

The practice replies with general information about the options, any questions it has and what else is needed, together with an idea of how long to plan your stay in Istanbul. You can also call the practice to talk through the process, the timing and the recovery. When you are ready, the dates of the examination and surgery are planned together. In Istanbul, Prof. Dr. İlker Yazıcı examines you at the practice in Nişantaşı; the medical assessment is made there, and the plan is confirmed only after that examination. The International Patients page sets out each step.

How your photos are handled

Your photos are health information. They are used only to plan your visit and your treatment, kept confidential and not published without your explicit consent. How information you send is processed is explained in the Privacy Policy.

Sending your photos

When you are ready, send your photos and a short description by WhatsApp to +90 533 460 77 36 or call the practice with any questions first; the contact page lists all the ways to get in touch. Photos and messages are for information and planning; the medical assessment and the decision take place at the examination in Nişantaşı.