Your First Aesthetics Consultation: What to Expect

A thoughtful aesthetics consultation should leave you better informed, never pressured. It is a clinical conversation about your goals, health, options and whether treatment is genuinely appropriate for you.

Is it a sales appointment?

No. A good consultation may lead to a treatment plan, a recommendation to wait, a different option, or no treatment at all. Paying for a consultation does not guarantee that a treatment or prescription will be offered.

What we will usually cover

• What you would like to change, why it matters to you and what a proportionate result would look like.

• Relevant medical history, medicines, allergies, pregnancy or breastfeeding, previous procedures and any complications.

• An assessment of the proposed treatment area and, where appropriate, clinical photographs with separate consent.

• Reasonable options, including no treatment, together with expected benefits, limitations, material risks and alternatives.

• Likely recovery, written aftercare, review arrangements, total cost and any future maintenance.

Questions worth asking

• Who will perform the procedure, and what training, experience and insurance do they have?

• What product or device would be used, and why is it appropriate for me?

• What are the common and serious complications, and how are they managed?

• Who do I contact after treatment, including outside normal hours?

• What is included in the price, and could review or further treatment cost extra?

Who this approach may suit

It is useful for anyone considering a first treatment, anyone uncertain about the right option, and people whose health, medicines, goals or previous treatment experience have changed. It is especially important if you have experienced a previous complication or feel under pressure to make a quick decision.

After the consultation

You should have time to think. You are not obliged to proceed, and you can withdraw consent at any point before treatment. If the clinician believes treatment is unsafe, unlikely to meet your goals or not in your best interests, it may be deferred or declined.

A recommendation to wait—or not to treat—is a valid clinical outcome.

Independent patient guidance

The NHS guide to choosing who will carry out a cosmetic procedure explains the questions to ask about qualifications, complications, aftercare and costs.

Book a consultation

This article provides general information only. It does not replace an individual assessment, treatment-specific consent or personalised aftercare.