You could be. That’s the opinion of one cosmetic surgeon, who recently said that the public are spending a record $10 billion each year in the USA to have cosmetic work done. However, many of the procedures can and do cost more, as corrective surgery is often needed when things go wrong.

According to Dr. Palmer who runs his own practice in California, worldwide this figure is nearer to $30 – $40 billion per year. As such he advises members of the public to think very carefully before embarking on any procedure, as it could cost more in the long run.

In order to help patients get a better deal, Dr. Palmer recently published a do it yourself guide to plastic surgery and its costs. Called ‘The Palmer Code’ the book aims to help patients understand the procedures carried out by plastic surgeons, along with how much they are likely to cost. He believes arming the general public with this information will help them to make better decisions.

As part of this education, Dr. Palmer created what he calls the Palmer Code, which gives information about a person’s beauty features. The components of the code are based on the shape, proportion and angle of the face and body. A person’s code ranges from 1 to 100. The figure 100 represents ideal beauty, as considered by the outside world.

While beauty is generally considered to be in the eye of the beholder, nevertheless Dr. Palmer believes he can quantify this objectively. He also suggests that knowing what code you are can help if things go awry.

Whether this new idea becomes part of the standard armoury of the cosmetic and plastic surgeon is hard to say. However, as cosmetic procedures are costly, coupled with the fact that that patients often want something completely unattainable, the Palmer Code could prove invaluable as an educational tool.