Legal note
The content is for information. It does not replace a consultation, an examination or an individual medical assessment.
The page describes the course of a health service performed in our clinic. Whether an approach is appropriate and what its scope is are decided by the doctor after an examination, on the basis of the interview and an assessment of health.
On this page
What a medical consultation is for
To establish what is causing the thing that bothers you, and whether you need a treatment at all. That sounds obvious, but in practice it is the most often skipped stage: a patient comes for a specific treatment she has read about, while the problem requires something else, or nothing.
A line may result from muscle movement, from loss of volume or from photoageing. Each of these mechanisms requires a different method, and choosing the wrong one is money spent with no result. The diagnosis belongs to the doctor and requires an examination, not a photo sent in a message.
A consultation also serves to rule out contraindications. Some of them, such as autoimmune diseases or anticoagulant treatment, have nothing to do with the state of the skin, yet decide whether a treatment is safe.
What a consultation looks like step by step
The consultation ends with a plan, not a commitment. If you want to think the decision over, the plan stays in your records and you come back to it when you are ready.
What to ask an aesthetic medicine doctor
Seven questions worth asking at the first visit. A good clinic will answer all of them without impatience.
Why are you proposing this particular treatment
The rationale should refer to what the doctor saw during the examination, not to the popularity of the method.
What are the possible complications and what do we do then
The answer should also cover the course of action: who reacts and how when something goes wrong.
How long recovery takes
A specific number of days during which it will be visible that something was done, and whether a follow-up will be needed.
How much the whole plan costs, not a single treatment
If the approach involves a series, it is worth knowing the cost of the whole before the first treatment visit.
What this method will not do
This question distinguishes a conversation from a sale. Every method has limits and a good clinic will tell you about them unprompted.
What home care is needed
With some treatments it is home care that decides how long the result lasts, and its absence shortens it noticeably.
What happens if I do nothing
The honest answer is sometimes: nothing urgent. That is important information before spending money.
How to prepare for the visit
The consultation is all the more valuable the more information you bring. It is worth preparing four things.
A list of medication and supplements
Everything you take regularly and occasionally, with doses. Also vitamins and herbal preparations, because some of them affect clotting.
History of treatments
What, where and when was done, especially in the area you want to talk about. Fillers and threads administered earlier matter for subsequent decisions.
Allergies and reactions
Allergies to medicines, anaesthetics and cosmetics, and all previous adverse reactions, even if they seem minor.
Your questions, written down
In the consulting room it is easy to forget something. A list on your phone works better than memory and shortens the visit.
Come without make-up or with minimal make-up, because the doctor needs to see the skin. If that is not possible, there will be an opportunity to remove make-up in the clinic.
Consent to a treatment, or what you sign
Informed consent is a document confirming that you have received information about the procedure, its possible adverse effects and the recommendations after the treatment. It is not a formality to be signed in a hurry, but a record of the conversation that took place.
Before you sign, the doctor should answer all your questions. If you do not understand something, or the document describes something that was not discussed, say so before you sign. You also have the right to ask for time to read it calmly.
Consent concerns a specific procedure, not a plan for the future. A separate document is signed for each subsequent treatment, also when it is a repeat of the same one.
How to recognise a good clinic
In the event of a complication, which can happen even with a treatment performed correctly, what counts is who is standing next to you. Only a doctor can react quickly, administering the right preparation or referring you for further management.
The treatment is performed by a doctor
For procedures using medicinal products this is a condition, not a preference. You can and should ask about qualifications.
An examination before a proposal
The plan is created after looking at the skin, not after hearing which treatment you are interested in.
A conversation about complications
A clinic that talks only about results leaves out half the information needed for a decision.
No pressure to decide on the same day
A promotion valid only today is a sales technique, not a medical argument.
Time for questions before signing
Informed consent signed in a hurry stops being informed.
Do not hesitate to ask about the education and experience of the person who is to perform the treatment. A clinic that treats such a question as rude answers it best itself.
Contraindications to aesthetic medicine treatments
The following situations rule out most procedures or require postponement. Each treatment additionally has its own, narrower list, and that is precisely why a detailed history is taken.
Report all medication and supplements you take, including those that seem insignificant, and any tendency to bruises and scars. Do not stop anything on your own: any change is decided by your treating doctor, not by the aesthetic medicine doctor.
The questions we are asked most often
Is the medical consultation paid?
Yes, according to the price list. The consultation with a cosmetologist, concerning cosmetology treatments, remains free. The distinction follows from the scope: a medical consultation includes a medical history, an examination and qualification for a medical procedure.
Do I have to decide on a treatment straight away?
No. The consultation ends with a plan, not a commitment. The plan stays in your records, so you can come back to it later. We do not use offers valid only on the day of the visit.
Is the consultation deducted from the price of the treatment?
The settlement rules in force at a given time are in the aesthetic medicine price list. It is worth asking about this when booking, so you know what to expect.
Can I come just for an opinion, without a treatment plan?
Yes, and that is a common situation. Sometimes the answer is that there is no reason for any treatment, and that too is a result of the consultation.
Can I send a photo instead of coming in?
No. The assessment requires an examination: the doctor checks the thickness and firmness of the skin, the distribution of subcutaneous tissue and the facial expression in movement. A photo shows none of these things, and a decision made on its basis would be guesswork.
Should I come without make-up?
Yes, or with minimal make-up. The doctor needs to see the skin. If you are coming straight from work, there will be an opportunity to remove make-up in the clinic, but it will make the visit longer.
What if the doctor advises against the treatment I came for?
That means the consultation worked. Advising against usually goes together with a proposal of a different approach or with the information that nothing is needed at this moment. You do not have to agree straight away; you can also seek a second opinion.
Can I bring someone with me?
Yes. During a longer conversation about the plan a second person is often helpful, because they remember what slips by. Mention it when booking.
How does it differ from a cosmetology consultation?
In scope and qualifications. A cosmetologist assesses the skin and selects cosmetology treatments. A doctor takes a medical history, examines, qualifies for procedures using medicinal products and is responsible for the management of any complication.
The content is for information. It does not replace a consultation, an examination or an individual medical assessment.