What actually happens at a cosmetic consultation

The single most common thing I hear in a first appointment is a version of “I have been meaning to do this for ages, but I kept putting it off.” Usually the reason is not cost or time. It is not knowing what will happen once you sit down.

So here is exactly what happens.

We talk before anything else

You will not be asked to change, lie down, or fill in a treatment consent form the moment you arrive. We sit down and talk. I will ask what you have noticed, how long you have noticed it, and what you would like to feel like. Not look like, necessarily. Feel like.

Some people arrive with a very specific concern. Others arrive knowing only that something feels different and they cannot name it. Both are completely normal starting points.

Then I assess

This part is clinical. I look at your face at rest and in movement, because the two tell very different stories. I look at your skin quality, which underpins everything else. I ask about your health history, medications, allergies, and any previous treatments.

This is also where I will tell you if something you have raised is not going to be helped by a cosmetic treatment. That happens reasonably often, and it is genuinely useful information.

We discuss options honestly

If something is suitable, we talk it through properly: what is involved, what the recovery looks like, what it costs, and what the risks are. Every procedure carries risk, and you deserve to hear about it before you decide, not after.

I will also tell you when I think the answer is to do nothing yet, or to work on skin health first and revisit in a few months. That is advice, not a sales tactic.

You are allowed to leave and think

There is no expectation that you book a treatment on the day. There is no discount that expires if you walk out. Plenty of people come in, get their questions answered, and decide the timing is not right. That is a perfectly good outcome.

What to bring

• A list of medications and supplements
• Details of any previous cosmetic treatments and roughly when
• Any allergies or medical conditions
• Your questions, written down if that helps

That last one matters more than people expect. It is very easy to get home and realise you forgot to ask the thing you were most worried about.