Things to Consider When Choosing an Aesthetic Clinic

Estimated reading time 6 minutes

Things to Consider When Choosing an Aesthetic Clinic

When looking for an aesthetic clinic you want them to be outstanding for the treatments they offer. Therefore, it is important you follow these important tips.

When it comes to your facial treatments, body sculpting and laser hair removal treatments you want to make sure you are doing your best when choosing an aesthetic clinic that will work with you to develop an outstanding care approach. Unfortunately, aesthetics is not a regulated field, but it is very popular across the UK. This combination can often mean some clinics may not have the right training, knowledge and follow-up care for the services they offer. We want to help you with a few simple tips and tricks to ensure that you make the best choice when choosing an aesthetics clinic.

Look For An Outstanding Aesthetics Clinic

Although aesthetics is not a regulated field (we think it should be!), there are several professions within it that are regulated. What this means is that regulated health care professions, such as Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, and Physicians, are licensed and regulated by a College that protects the public (that’s you!). These Colleges have standards of education, training, and exams that must be passed in order to legally practice.

It also means that the standard of care you will be receiving is elevated. This is especially important if you are thinking of a more aggressive treatment that may have downtime and potential complications. Skin resurfacing treatments (such as Fractora or Fractional CO2 laser), dermal filler treatments, Botox, and even some chemical peels all have risks associated with them. These risks could lead to the need for antibiotics or medicated creams. The extra breadth and depth of knowledge of a registered and licensed professional allows them to distinguish the difference between a normal reaction and one that may require a medical intervention.

Many reputable clinics offer a no obligation face-to-face consultation appointment as a stand-alone service. This is a great way to check in with the staff and view the clinic, and this can be especially helpful if you are unsure of what you are looking for. Come with lots of questions and pay attention to whether the staff is able to answer them. From then you can choose weather or not you feel safe in their hands.

The consultation should not be focused on hard-selling, and you should not feel pressured into booking any treatment or package. Be mindful of your ‘gut feeling’ toward the staff- how comfortable you are is very important when you are placing your trust in someone.

Be wary of any clinic that skims over possible side effects, complications, downtime, and cost of services. You want to be as informed as possible and make sure you understand the risks and benefits of each treatment and more importantly the cost of the treatment. Always ask if the person you are meeting will be performing the treatment. If they are not ask why this is and if you can meet with the practitioner that is doing the treatment. A true consultation should start with you answering a lot of questions and end with you asking a lot of questions.

Questions To Ask At My Consultation

Here are some of the questions the aesthetic practitioner should ask you:

• Your current skincare routine
• What products you currently use
• What procedures, if any, you have had done
• Current medications including supplements
• Health conditions both current and in the past, including surgeries and dental work
• Budget
• What you are comfortable with non-invasive vs invasive procedures
• Your comfort level with any downtime required
• Diet and lifestyle questions
• If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to become pregnant
• Any special events coming up
• Your story of what has brought you into the clinic.

In return, you can develop a comprehensive treatment plan for your goals and needs with the practitioner. After the consultation the should make you feel comfortable and you shouldn’t have lots of unanswered questions or worries. A good consultation will always give you the ideal option and then allow you to tailor your comfort level and budget.

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Before & After Photos

In this day and age, most clinics will have an Instagram feed, Facebook page or a website showcasing their work. Take some time to review the pictures and make sure you like what you see. If you are looking for a natural lip enhancement and all you see are giant duck lips, that might be an indication you may end up like that too.

You want to see a variety of looks, including the one you may be interested in. If you are looking at a more intensive procedure, see if you can find a glimpse of what you may look like during your ‘downtime’ so you can judge if you need to take time off work or hide out from friends and family. You might be able to find a video of the procedure you’re considering, which would give you another idea of what to expect. Here’s a little secret… look at the staff during your consultation. Do they look frozen or overdone? How is their skin? That can also give you an indication of what kind of outcome you can expect.

Cheapest Is Not Always Best

Aesthetic services can be pricey- that’s a fact. You have to ensure that your results will be worth the monetary investment you make, as well as the time and emotions that go along with the whole procedure. Look for a clinic that is upfront about the cost of treatment. They should also be able to give you different options in different price ranges. That being said, understanding that some things may cost more to achieve your desired result is important. It may be tempting to compromise and go for the cheapest treatment, however, in doing so you may find yourself in the hands of an inexperienced, unqualified or uninsured practitioner. The best aesthetic clinics focus on an ethical, results driven approach.

Reviews

Any reputable aesthetic clinic will have reviews on Google, Yell, Trustpilot and more. If they do not have many reviews or do not have any at all it might be worth asking why this is and if you want to attend that clinic. Most good clinic will use platforms such as Trustpilot, to collect independent reviews from clients after they have had treatment, rather than social media pages that may not be so genuine. It has been in recent news that social media platform reviews aren’t as genuine as it is easy to buy reviews for these sites. Platforms such as Trustpilot are very trustworthy and do not allow reviews to be bought or taken down if a negative review is left.

Summary To Finding A Good Aesthetic Clinic

Overall, the best way to ensure you are finding a reputable clinic that fits your needs is to do some independent research. That includes looking through their website, social media feeds, having a consultation and asking around. Always make sure you feel comfortable with the staff and all your questions have been answered.