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Need help with what to ask when you are interested in having a cosmetic procedure?

Having helped many patients achieve their aesthetic goals, I understand the need to obtain the most information possible when searching for treatments. People want to be comfortable with their doctor and with the treatment they are going to receive, that means the more you know about what exactly you are going to have done and what your options are the better your outcome and satisfaction will be. Here are my list of top 7 questions you should ask your doctor about a cosmetic procedure.

  1. Know what your goals are. What is it that you see when you study yourself that you would like to improve or change? Think about how this impacts you, and prioritize what you would like to improve. By setting goals for yourself this will make the process much smoother, and you will be able to take care of each desired improvement, but it may require several different treatment approaches depending upon what your goals are. But knowing yourself, and knowing what your goals are will make your consultation much more productive, and this will put you in better control of what treatments you have.
  2. Ask what your options are. It will be helpful for you to do some reading about your different options depending on whether you plan on having Botox, or Injectables/Fillers, or a laser treatment. This will make you a more educated consumer, and you will be better able to understand what your options are, and you can make the best choice for what your needs are.
  3. Ask if the treatment is lasting. Will the treatment result in permanent improvement? Or, will you need to receive routine maintenance either yearly or several times per year.
  4. Ask if the treatment hurts. You don’t want to be surprised if something is uncomfortable, and if you anticipating that it will be uncomfortable, ask if numbing cream can be applied for at least 20-30 minutes prior to the procedure.
  5. Ask if it is safe. Has the doctor performed many of these treatments? Have there been any adverse reactions, will you have bruising, swelling, redness or pain? If so how long will something like that last? Can I wear make-up? Do you think I will need to take time off work/school to recover after the treatment? These seem very commonsense questions, and they are, but you don’t want to forget to ask these questions and keep yourself unprepared for what to expect.  Will you need to stop anything prior to or after your treatment: whether it be aspirin or medicated creams before a treatment. Is it a bad idea to have a treatment done if you are going to be in the sun on vacation in the next 2 weeks. These are the kinds of questions you want to be asking.
  6. Don’t be shy to ask how much a treatment will cost. And ask how much the different options are that are available for what you are interested in doing. Ask if there are any specials, sometimes there is a cosmetic special, or if a package is purchased there is sometimes a discounted rate that is available if you purchase for example a laser package or a chemical peel package. If the answer is no, it won’t hurt to ask, and you may end up saving some money in the process.
  7. Ask to see if the Doctor has a portfolio of before and after photographs of patient outcomes. This can be helpful in making your decision, and will help you attain realistic goals. Ask how many treatments the patients in the photographs have received.