How Providers Are Selected

Peer Nomination Process

Every provider in our guide begins with a peer nomination. We ask board-certified aesthetic professionals across the country a simple question: "If a loved one needed this procedure, who would you refer them to?" This approach surfaces the practitioners that other experts trust most — the ones whose skill, judgment, and outcomes have earned genuine respect within the medical community.

Nominations are collected on a rolling basis from a verified network of physicians, surgeons, and advanced practice providers. We cross-reference nominations across specialties and regions to identify consistent patterns of recognition.

The WTDSC Evaluation Framework

Once a provider is nominated, they enter our proprietary WTDSC evaluation — a multi-dimensional assessment that examines five critical pillars of practice excellence:

• WWork Quality — Clinical outcomes, before-and-after documentation, complication rates, and aesthetic consistency.
• TTraining & Credentials — Board certifications, fellowship training, continuing education, and institutional affiliations.
• DDistinction — Peer recognition, published research, speaking engagements, and industry leadership.
• SSafety & Standards — Accredited facilities, safety protocols, patient follow-up practices, and regulatory compliance.
• CCare Experience — Patient satisfaction, communication quality, accessibility, and overall practice environment.

Each pillar is scored independently by our review panel and weighted to produce a composite evaluation score. Only providers who meet our threshold across all five dimensions earn the Elite designation.

Editorial Independence

No provider can pay to be listed, ranked, or favorably reviewed. Elite Aesthetics Guide is fully editorially independent — our evaluation process is separate from any commercial relationships. We do not accept sponsorships that influence rankings, and all evaluators operate under a strict conflict-of-interest policy.

This independence is what makes our guide trustworthy. When you see a provider featured on Elite Aesthetics Guide, you can be confident that their inclusion is based on merit alone.