Expert Spotlight

Dr Anoop Rastogi
Cosmetic Surgeon

What to expect when you first visit a cosmetic clinic

Have you been thinking about visiting a cosmetic clinic to find out about how you can look younger or more rejuvenated? Dr Anoop Rastogi shares some tips about making the most of your initial consultation in the following series of Q&As.

How should I prepare myself for my first consultation?

Before you visit a clinic, have a look at your face in the mirror and see if you can identify what it is that you are not happy with. Ask yourself, “What are the things that bother me?” And then, if you have a few concerns, try to determine which bothers you the most. This will help in your conversation with your clinician.

Also, try to determine your budget for treatment. We are very mindful that our patients have a budget. We not only look at what can be done, but also come up with a treatment plan within your budget that will help you look your best and walk away happy.

You should also be prepared to be flexible during the consultation. There is often a difference between what patients are initially concerned about and what we decide together to address. This could be due to:

• being focused on a particular feature commented upon by a friend or family member, even though addressing that feature may not result in the most improvement in your looks.
• not being aware a certain concern can be easily treated to give great improvement in your appearance.

What questions should I ask the clinician?

If you don’t know the clinician either personally or by reputation, it is important to ask about the clinician’s experience and expertise. Good questions to ask include:

• How long have you been doing these treatments?
• How many of these treatments have you done?
• Could I look at ‘before and after’ photos of your patients who have had these treatments?

The most important thing is knowing a clinician’s reputation through word of mouth, i.e., knowing people who have been very happy with their treatment from that clinician.

Find out about your treatment options because there are usually a few ways to address a certain concern. The clinician will also discuss the procedure’s side effects, any downtime and any risks of serious complications – but ask if this information has not been offered to you.

Besides talking about the procedure, what other questions can I expect to be asked?

The usual questions we ask include age, budget and medical history. Some patients may be surprised to be asked about medical history when they come in for a cosmetic procedure, but it is important for us to know about medications, allergies, general health, etc. We also ask about experience with any previous cosmetic treatment, and about your emotional state – which is part of taking a psychological history – and things such as smoking and drinking.

What are your tips for communicating with the clinician?

• Don’t be frightened; sit back and relax. Be empowered to know that this is your time. You are right to explain what you want.
• Have a little bit of thought before you come in about the things that bother you so that you can share this with the clinician in your visit.
• Bring in aids such as photographs or pictures that depict the sort of changes you would like, to make it easier to share your thoughts with your clinician. However, you need to be realistic and not expect to look like someone else!
• Write down questions you would like to ask to help you remember when you’re in the consultation.
• Finally, make sure you are comfortable with your clinician. A good clinician-patient relationship is key to achieving a good result.