NL Clinic, Katowice
Start with what you see, not with the name of a treatment
Twenty-one situations that patients most often come to the clinic with. Each one set out by cause, because changes that look similar require different management.
The pages in this section do not sell a method. They help you establish what you are actually dealing with, and indicate what belongs to an aesthetic clinic and what belongs to a doctor of another speciality.
How to use this section
1
Find your situation
The categories describe what is visible, not the name of a treatment. If two of them fit, read both: co-occurrence is more common than a single cause.
2
Check what it actually is
Each page separates the causes, because management depends on them. It also points out situations in which an aesthetic treatment is not the right tool.
3
Only then the method
The problem pages refer you to the treatment descriptions, where you will find the course of the treatment, preparation, contraindications and aftercare recommendations.
Face and skin
Changes on the face most often have more than one cause at once, which is why each of these pages begins by separating out what is visible.
Acne
Active inflammatory lesions, comedones, adult acne. When a dermatologist is needed and when management in the clinic is appropriate.
See the page
Scars
Post-acne, postoperative, after injuries and burns. They differ in structure, and therefore in management.
See the page
Pigmentation
Sun-induced, post-inflammatory, hormonal. The type of discolouration determines the method and the risk of recurrence.
See the page
Couperose skin
Erythema, individual capillaries, skin hyperreactivity. The distinction determines the choice of light.
See the page
Haemangiomas and vascular lesions
Lesions requiring assessment before treatment, including those that are not treated in an aesthetic clinic.
See the page
Photoageing of the skin
The effects of sun exposure: roughness, discolouration, loss of elasticity, fine capillaries.
See the page
Wrinkles
Dynamic, static and those resulting from volume loss. Three different mechanisms, three different approaches to management.
See the page
Dark circles
Vascular, pigmentary, shadow-related and mixed. The most common reason for a lack of results is treating the wrong cause.
See the page
Sagging facial contour
A blurred jawline and sagging cheeks. Skin, fat tissue and the underlying bone in varying proportions.
See the page
Lip fillers: enhancement, shaping, asymmetry
A blurred outline, asymmetry, loss of volume, downturned corners. Also correction and complications after earlier treatments.
See the page
Body and figure
Three different things are most often confused here: excess skin, excess fat tissue and changes within the abdominal wall. Each of them requires something different.
Stretch marks
Fresh and mature ones respond differently. When treatment begins matters more than which device is chosen.
See the page
A caesarean scar
It keeps changing for many months after surgery. That determines when to begin.
See the page
Body after pregnancy
Several separate conditions under a single heading, with different timing and different management.
See the page
Loose skin after weight loss
When the skin will still retract, and when the excess is permanent and calls for a different approach.
See the page
Cellulite
It occurs regardless of body weight. What actually changes the appearance of the skin, and what does not.
See the page
Double chin
Fat tissue, skin laxity, the position of the jaw or the tension of the platysma muscle.
See the page
Hair and scalp
Hair loss can be a symptom rather than a condition in itself. Identifying the cause comes before choosing a treatment.
Skin health and symptoms that need assessment
Two situations in which the question is first “is this healthy”, and only then “what can be done about it”.
Traces left by earlier procedures
Situations in which the problem is the result of someone else's earlier work. Management starts with establishing exactly what is in the skin.
When this is not an aesthetic matter
The situations below require medical assessment and take precedence over any treatment plans. Do not put them off until an aesthetic consultation.
A mole that is growing, changing shape or colour, has an irregular border, itches or bleeds.
A new skin lesion in an adult that persists and does not heal.
A wound, erosion or ulcer persisting for more than a few weeks, whatever its location.
Sudden, heavy hair loss, especially with clear patches of baldness or with scarring in the scalp.
Sweating that has appeared suddenly, occurs at night or is accompanied by fever, weight loss or weakness.
Persistent itching, swelling, nodules or discharge within a tattoo or permanent make-up.
Sudden and severe symptoms, including extensive swelling, breathlessness, high fever or rapidly spreading redness with pain, require urgent medical help rather than booking an appointment.
You are not sure which category you fall into
Naming the change is part of the diagnosis, not a condition for booking a visit. Situations that fall into several categories at once are the rule: discolouration coexists with photoageing, post-acne scars with active acne, skin laxity with excess fatty tissue.
During the consultation we establish what the cause is, in what order to address it and which part of that we do at the clinic. If the right place to go is another specialist, we say so plainly.
Method overviews
Questions about this section
How does a problem page differ from a treatment page?
A problem page starts from what is visible and leads to identifying the cause. It explains why similar-looking changes require different management, and says what does not belong in an aesthetic clinic. A treatment page describes one method: the mechanism, the course of the procedure, preparation, contraindications and aftercare advice. The Start here section leads from the first to the second, not the other way round.
I do not know which category my problem belongs to. What then?
Book a consultation and describe it in your own words. Naming the change is part of the diagnosis, not a precondition for the visit. Situations that fall into several categories at once are the rule, not the exception: discolouration coexists with photoageing, post-acne scars with active acne, skin laxity with excess fatty tissue.
Which situations call for a doctor before any treatment is considered?
A pigmented lesion that is growing, changing shape or colour, itches or bleeds. A new skin lesion in an adult that does not heal. A wound or ulcer persisting for more than a few weeks. Sudden, heavy hair loss, especially in patches. Sweating that has appeared suddenly, occurs at night or is accompanied by weight loss. A persistent skin reaction within a tattoo or permanent make-up. In these situations the first place to go is a doctor, not an aesthetic clinic.
Do you have to start with a medical consultation?
Not always. Some cosmetology procedures, such as skincare or superficial peels, start with a cosmetology consultation. Medical treatments, laser therapy and all situations that require identifying the cause call for a doctor's consultation. If it is not clear which route is the right one, a medical consultation is the safer starting point.
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NL Clinic, Katowice
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Last updated
15 August 2026
This material is informational in nature and does not replace a consultation or qualification.
The content is for information. It does not replace a consultation, an examination or an individual assessment.