Q: I am going to have cosmetic surgery in a few weeks. I had my exams and my consultation with my doctor. He asked me to tell him about any drugs that I am taking. Do I need to tell him everything? I did take some diet pills. I’m afraid if I tell him about the diet pills, he’ll cancel my surgery and I already made my plans. What do you think I should do?

A: Spill the beans! It’s important to tell your physician everything, including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs and recreational drugs. Some diet pills may cause cardiac or pulmonary problems that can cause fatal reactions during surgery. Many everyday drugs can cause bleeding, which can be harmful to you and can compromise your surgical results. Vitamins may cause your healing to be delayed. Recreational drugs can cause reactions that could affect your heart and circulatory system.

In addition to discussing the drugs you take, tell your physician about all the surgeries you have had, as they may be impacted by the surgery you are about to have. Remember, you and your physician are on the same team. To optimize your results, you want everyone working together toward that goal.

Q: I am a 25-year-old woman with very small lips. I have always wanted to have bigger lips but am afraid to look like some people, whose lips have been enlarged too much. What can you tell me that would make me feel better about pursuing my dreams?

A: You have to trust your doctor, and don’t get injected with anything permanent that can continue to grow.

Here are three temptations to resist:

• A physician who injects lips with silicone that is “safe but off-label.” (Ask them when they last injected a family member with it.)

• A “fabulous” doctor, or maybe a doctor who flies into Miami from somewhere else, to do you a “favor” and inject you with a magical solution that is “cheaper, safer and longer lasting” than anything local doctors are willing to use.

• A cosmetologist who is willing to inject you with a “wonderful substance” in the back of some salon or warehouse to make your lips “look beautiful — forever!”

There is a way to make your lips look wonderful in a safe and predictable fashion. I call it “custom lips.” They can be created by having any of the hyaluronic solutions such as Restylane, Perlane or Juvederm injected in small increments. The makers of these fillers have come out with solutions of the anesthetic lidocaine, which makes getting your lips the perfect size less painful.

If you have a detailed discussion first and look at photos of different-size lips, your doctor should be able to “size” you up as you see the change. Hyaluronic fillers give you instant gratification so you can inject as you go, and stop when you like what you see.

Q. I am getting divorced and can’t wait to take care of myself. What are your suggestions as to what I should do first and what my time frame should be? I’m ready to go!

A. My first suggestion: Slow down! It’s great that you want to take care of yourself, but if you don’t watch out you may get a little ahead of yourself. Plastic surgery is something you have to be both physically and mentally ready to do. If you are not ready in both ways, surgery often doesn’t go as well as it should.

I often see patients who come to me with an unnatural rush to have “everything” done. While it would be in my best interest to do it all, I often tell my patients to slow down. Having seen many divorced patients, I am keenly aware of some of the trials and tribulations they have gone through or will go through once the divorce is finalized. My patients often tell me they feel like they look old and tired and need a face lift. But very often a “plastic surgery time-out” is in order. This time-out is a process during which I offer treatments that temporarily provide a self-confidence boost, and give my patient some time to make a more rational decision.

The “divorce package” that I recommend to my patients includes a hydra-facial to improve skin quality, fillers to improve wrinkles and loss of volume in his or her face and a neuro-modulator (Botox or Dysport) to get rid of wrinkles and provide a chemical forehead lift. This package varies depending on age and physical findings.

By giving my patients the boost they need, they can then make a more rational decision when it comes to surgery.

If you are interested in body surgery in order to feel more attractive, it may be in order sooner than later, as there are not as many temporizing procedures. Naturally, you should pick a physician you feel comfortable with and that you feel has your best interest in mind.