The short answer
What matters most
- A proper consultation explores goals, health history, alternatives and the option of no treatment.
- Ask who assesses, prescribes where relevant, performs the procedure and manages complications.
- You should understand benefits, limitations, material risks, costs and aftercare before consenting.
What a good consultation includes
A good aesthetic consultation is a clinical conversation before it is a cosmetic one. Relevant conditions, medicines, allergies, previous procedures and complications should be reviewed before options are discussed.
The NHS advises people considering cosmetic procedures to research the procedure and practitioner, understand risks and avoid being rushed into a decision.
Ten questions worth asking
- Who will assess me and what professional registration applies?
- Who will perform the procedure?
- Who prescribes if a prescription-only medicine is discussed?
- What is realistic for my anatomy?
- What are common and serious risks?
- What alternatives include doing nothing?
- Which product would be used and how is it traced?
- What aftercare and review are included?
- How is a complication managed?
- What is the complete cost?
Consent should feel unhurried
Consent is more than signing a form. You should be able to explain the proposed option, material risks, recovery and alternatives in your own words. A responsible practitioner welcomes questions and avoids creating urgency.
Prescription-only medicines
A prescription-only option requires an appropriate prescribing assessment. A booking is not a guarantee that any medicine will be suitable or supplied.
Common questions
Frequently asked
Do I have to proceed after a consultation?
No. A consultation should help you understand your choices and creates no obligation to have a procedure.
Can an aesthetic result be guaranteed?
No. Outcomes vary with anatomy, health, technique and healing.
Should I check professional registration?
Yes. Check the applicable register independently and ask about procedure-specific training, experience and insurance.
Sources checked
Authoritative UK guidance
Prepared by Pharmacillin for general education. Sources were checked on 26 August 2026. This article does not replace an individual medical assessment.
