Thousands of people all over the UK make the decision to undergo plastic surgery. For many, it is a personal choice influenced by wanting to feel good about themselves. Others have other reasons. The patient is likely to be feeling nervous about the operation, and the surgeon performing the surgery needs to ensure that they receive the highest level of care. Prior to 2002 the plastic surgery industry was largely unregulated. However, this changed when the National Care Standards Commission introduced regulations. Under this scheme, the clinics and surgeons are under the responsibility to ‘ensure the safety and well-being of individuals having treatment’. This means that all the doctors registering after April 1st 2002 cannot perform plastic surgery without first completing specialist surgical training. It should however be noted that this only applies to doctors registering after this date, not before.