It’s natural to want to look your best and nowadays there are treatments galore that can help improve your appearance. Non-surgical procedures that minimise the signs of ageing are growing in popularity with both women and men and are readily available. But how do you know that your practitioner has the experience and expertise to treat you safely and give you the results you want? Our new aesthetic nurse practitioner, Rachel Hubble, has some advice.
Check the practitioner’s background and qualifications – Because the aesthetics profession is unregulated, anyone can set up as a practitioner after doing a short course. I would recommend that you choose a practitioner who is a health professional – either a doctor, nurse or dentist who has specialist training in medical injectables. Products such as wrinkle relaxing injections and dermal fillers can produce amazing results in the right hands but if used by someone lacking in skills or experience, things can go very wrong.
Visit the clinic – It’s important that you feel comfortable and confident with the surroundings as well as the practitioner who will be doing the procedure. The clinic should look clean, clinical and well ordered. Talk to the staff – you will soon get a feeling about the place if people are friendly and professional. Many clinics put on open events where you can find out more about the treatments and to talk to the medical practitioners about the procedures. They may also show before and after pictures of patients who have consented to their photos being shared.
Ask as many questions as you like – Good practitioners will welcome your questions and endeavour to provide you with satisfactory answers. You might want to ask about how the procedure is done, how long it takes and what the results might look like. It’s also a good idea to find out about aftercare and ask what recourse you might have if you are unhappy with the results or if something goes wrong.
Be concerned if your practitioner doesn’t do the following:
- Listen carefully to you so that they fully understand what you would like to change about your appearance
- Ask you about your medical history and general health, including allergies and your smoking and drinking habits
- Take photos of you before the treatment
- Ask you to sign a consent form
Beware the practitioner who promises the earth – Competent practitioners will be honest and realistic about the results they can achieve. It’s much better that you know what to expect before you commit to a procedure rather than be bitterly disappointed afterwards.
Don’t be pressured – Reputable clinics and practitioners will insist on a cooling off period after your initial consultation, especially if you are a new patient or you are having a new treatment. It’s important that you go away and digest all the information and perhaps talk it over with someone you trust. If you have further questions then you should be able to call the clinic and speak to a practitioner.
