How to pick a good aesthetics clinic

By Fez Mannan

So you’ve decided to get an aesthetics treatment, but where do you go from here? 

I think everyone would agree that the only thing more important than a good clinic, is a good practitioner. 

If you’re anything like me, the thought of trying to find the right practitioner at the right clinic is actually more daunting than getting injected in the face. I’ll admit, I’m a little obsessive about research. Similar to going down a Wikipedia rabbit hole, I’m slightly embarrassed to say I’ve spent hours just trying to find a decent pair of socks. 

It’s estimated that from fleeting thought to actual injection, the journey of a typical person seeking aesthetic treatment is about 18 months!

As an avid researcher, I thought it might be worth sharing some thoughts on what to look for when you do your own research.

Quality of staff

You should be looking to see how qualified and experienced the practitioner is, unlike the rest of the aesthetics space, in this instance: more is better! It goes without saying that you are least likely to experience a complication if you are being treated by someone who is both very well qualified and very experienced.

Qualifications

Let’s face the harsh reality of this space: it is highly unregulated. Which means that anyone could pick up an injection and administer filler or Botox. Of course it would be incredibly reckless to do anything like that without some proper training, but it’s not illegal!

So coming back to our ideal practitioner, the wish list would include someone who…

  • has experience and skill with injections
  • is knowledgeable about human anatomy and pharmaceuticals

This is why doctors, dentists, pharmacists and nurses are at such an advantage in the space – they already have a lot of the important traits needed to excel.

Training

Being a doctor or nurse isn’t enough on its own, you really need to have undergone specific training for fillers and Botox. And there are levels to this training! Ranging from foundation level techniques for the lips going up to a full face rejuvenation involving multiple areas of the face and highly advanced techniques.

So don’t feel rude to ask your practitioner what kind of training they’ve completed and even what they’re looking to do next!

Quality of information provided

A good clinic and practitioner will be able to provide you with ample amounts of information about every aspect of any procedure that is on offer.

Questions to ask yourself:

  • Is there an extensive portfolio of work on display?
  • Am I made aware of all the potential risks and side effects?
  • What information am I provided before, during and after any procedure?

Industry specific accreditations

Even though we touched on the fact that the industry is unregulated, there are organisations out there who are working hard to increase standards within the space. Save Face is leading the charge on this front. They have a register of clinicians, which is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority and is recognised by the Government, The Department of Health, NHS England and The Care Quality Commission.

To gain entry to the register the clinicians need to be inspected against a robust set of standards and pass a number of checks covering:

  • training
  • insurance
  • product suppliers
  • treatment environment.

Consequently, if you use the Save Face register to find a clinic or practitioner – you’re saving yourself a lot of time and effort because they have already been vetted!

Reviews/recommendations

Some of the most compelling and strongest convictions you can get about a service or product is a personal recommendation or a review. Don’t believe me? When was the last time you purchased something on Amazon without looking at the rating?

While doing your research you should look to find genuine reviews about the clinic you wish to use. Trustpilot, Google and Save Face can all display reviews so make sure you give them a read!

(Note: Trustpilot is probably the widest ranging option here as patients can submit reviews for almost any clinic, even if the clinic hasn’t created a profile!).

  • Red flags

To finish off there are some simple sanity checks anyone should be doing when researching their potential aesthetics clinic:

  • If someone is offering treatments noticeably cheaper than standard – are they cutting corners?
  • Are the profiles (and qualifications) of practitioners transparent?
    If something were to go wrong, are you confident in their ability to fix it?

Here at Carriages of Harley Street we are Save Face accredited. We only employ fully qualified doctors who have undergone rigorous training, adhering to the strictest standards of excellence in aesthetic medicine. If you are thinking about getting an aesthetic treatment, why not try us and book in for a consultation? Get ready to experience the ultimate in convenience with no compromise on quality or safety.