What you need to know before a cosmetic consultation

Maria’s Story
Names have been changed for privacy.

 

 

The following is good general advice before you talk to a service provider, be it a spa, an esthetician or a doctor. For simplicity we will assume you are visiting a "clinic".

Common sense and being a very, very cautious consumer are the elements that will help make your consultation a success.

1. Find out exactly who you will be consulting with.

• Always know who you will be consulting with–a patient coordinator, nurse, the doctor, the provider who will treat you, one, all or none of these people. If you are not primarily meeting with the person who will treat you, be concerned. Make sure you find out who exactly will be treating you. In many cases, you may infact speak to a doctor but it will be a nurse or even a technician or esthetician who will be treating you. At our clinic, we do not have any technicians or estheticians and we always clearly outline which procedures the doctor does* and which are delegated to the nurse.
• Find out in advance how much time will be scheduled for your consultation. Take your time and ask questions, and be wary of an office or individual who rushes you through your consultation.

2. Get all the details

Learn what the treatment options are for your desired results. Discuss your life style and what impact the surgery will have on how you spend your time..ie people who work 6 days a week cannot afford 3 days of downtime.

• Learn the positive and negative potential outcomes for every treatment option presented to you. Ask about your role in achieving the desired results.
• Ask specifically about the clinic's experience and success with the options recommended for you. If any one guarantees you results, they are not being honest, because in the real world there are no guarantees. This is science not make up. One should expect realistic outcome promises.
• Ask specifically which option the clinic recommends and why
• Ask specifically why the clinic may not suggest other options you may have considered
• Ask specifically if the clinic has dealt with your skin type before. If relevant, ask if the procedures are safe for dark/pigmented skin.

3. Ask specifically about your investment

It's important to learn the total cost of treatment. Some procedures achieve results with one treatment, others require multiple treatments. Know specifically the course recommended for you, and what it will cost in money, time and patience.

• In addition to the money you will spend, how much time will treatment require? What must you do to prepare? How long will it take to recover? The time you invest has value to you. A one-time week away from daily social life may be a fair trade-off to permanent and really positive results.
• Know your personal limits. Don't finance more than you can afford. Don't commit to a procedure expecting you’ll recover more quickly than recommended; plan to take all the time you need to recover. Don’t ignore the real possibilities of discomfort, potential adverse events or even the potential that you won’t achieve your goals.

4. Look for full transparency

• Don’t hide anything–your medical history, personal history, past procedures, goals or motivations.
• Expect and even ask for full disclosure. You have the right to ask if you have been told you everything you need to know.
• Be careful of the sale. If they are agreeing with everything you say and can promise to fix anything and everything... be wary. In reality, many conditions cannot be fixed perfectly and it is perfectly acceptable if the clinic suggests another provider or specialist or simply tells you that you have to live with it.

5. Trust your intuition

If you don’t feel totally comfortable, appreciated, safe and secure, you should not elect treatment. Consult with someone else.

* At our clinic, botox, fillers, excisions and higher end lasers and peels are carried out by the doctor and Laser Hair Removal, Tattoo removal and lunch time peels and weight loss care is carried out by the fully trained nurses.

 

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