Questions worth asking at a first consultation

Before you go

A consultation goes better with a little homework. Write the questions from this page into your phone, or simply bring it along.

List any medicines and supplements you take, and the products on the bathroom shelf. Photos of the labels are fine. Add the dates that matter over the coming months: a wedding, a trip, a stretch of exams or long working hours. Anything that would make a session hard to keep is worth mentioning.

Think back, too, over what you’ve tried before and how it went. A cream that stung, a facial that suited. That history is often more useful than it seems.

For a skin consultation, come without make-up if you can, so the skin can be seen as it is.

If you started somewhere else

It’s common to arrive partway through something. A laser course begun at another clinic, or a cream prescribed a year ago and never finished. Bring what you know: how many sessions there were, roughly when the last one was, and any notes or bills from the other clinic.

None of this commits you to anything. It simply means the conversation starts from where you are, and nothing gets repeated by accident. It also opens up a fair question for the new clinic: would it continue the same plan, and if not, why not?

Who does the work

The first questions are about people.

• Who will carry out my treatment?
• What qualification do they hold?
• Will I see the same person each time?

These are ordinary questions, and any clinic should answer them without fuss. At Leevora Aesthetics, every clinical treatment is carried out by a qualified doctor. Ask about the doctor’s qualification and registration at your consultation.

Whether it suits you

This is the question a consultation exists to answer, so ask it directly.

• Is this suitable for my skin or hair? If not, why not?
• What else could I do, including nothing for now?
• What is likely to change, and what probably won’t?
• What side effects should I know about, for my skin in particular?

A good answer is specific to the person in the chair. Be wary of one that sounds as if it came from a brochure. If a treatment isn’t right for you, we’ll say so and explain why, and that answer is as useful as a yes.

The plan and the price

Ask how many sessions are likely and how far apart they’ll be. Then ask what the price includes. A “package” on one price list can mean a set number of sessions for one area; on another, something quite different. The only way to know is to ask what’s in it.

It’s also worth asking what happens if a session has to move. Ask, too, whether the whole plan can be written down to take home.

The day of the treatment

Some questions only matter once you’ve decided to go ahead. What will the first session feel like? How long will it take? Is there anything to stop or start beforehand, and can you go straight back to work afterwards?

Then ask what might be noticeable in the days after, and who to call with a worry. The answers depend on the treatment and on the person. We give them at the consultation, face to face.

Photos and notes

Some consultations include photographs of the skin. Ask whether photos will be taken, who can see them and how long they’re kept. Ask as well whether they could ever be used for anything else.

At Leevora Aesthetics, photos are taken only with written permission. They stay in the clinic’s own records and are never used for marketing without a separate written yes.

Taking it home

The practical side of the day, from arriving to how long to set aside, is on your first visit. When you’re ready, reserve a skin consultation or a consultation for laser hair reduction.