Many patients arrive at a first consultation without knowing exactly what to expect from it. This post describes how that appointment goes at our clinic.
The consultation is not just a prelude to treatment; it is a professional step in its own right. Every treatment at the clinic begins with a consultation, and the purpose of that is to understand first what is bothering you, and what part of it is medically warranted.
The first question is almost always the same: what would you like to achieve. It is worth answering that in your own words. Naming the goal matters more than naming the treatment, because more than one route can lead to the same goal, and sometimes the best route is that nothing happens at all.
The examination follows. At the clinic the anatomical view is the starting point: we do not look at a single feature, we look at the proportions of the face as a whole. That is why it happens that someone arrives because of one specific treatment, and at the consultation it turns out that what is bothering them is worth looking for somewhere else.
Your state of health comes up as well. We ask about earlier procedures, about medication taken regularly, about known allergies, and about whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding. These are not formal questions: there are times when it is precisely these that cause a treatment to be dropped or postponed.
You do not have to bring anything by way of preparation, but it helps if you think through in advance what has been on your mind for a longer time, and what you have already tried. If you have had a procedure elsewhere before, tell us what you had and when. If you have documentation about it, bring it with you. These are not formalities: often it is exactly these that decide what can be considered and what cannot.
At the end of the consultation we tell you what can be considered, what comes with it, and what we will not take on. If the procedure you ask for has no proper medical indication, is anatomically risky, or would lead to a disproportionate result, we say so. And if the problem falls outside the clinic’s scope of care, we tell you which specialist would be the right one to see.
There is one question many people are ashamed to ask: “Do I really need this, or am I making too much of it?” We answer it honestly, and if no treatment is needed, we say that too.
That sentence is not a courtesy. One of the clinic’s founding principles is that we do not treat someone simply because they are willing to pay for it.
Prices, too, are something we discuss at the consultation. The published price list is indicative; the final amount depends on which product we use and in what quantity.
You do not have to decide on the spot. The consultation is worth just as much if you go home afterwards, think it over, and come back only weeks later. And if you do not come back at all, that is fine too.
This post is general information, and does not replace a medical consultation.