With the popularity of aesthetic treatments continuing to soar, more and more practitioners are entering the lucrative industry. Following years of minimal governance and a lack of regulation, a range of practices have emerged which range from downright dangerous to the pinnacle of excellence.
When considering undergoing an anaesthetic treatment, it can be a minefield in regards to choosing the right practitioner for you. It is especially difficult for first-time patients who do not necessarily know what to look for in a clinic or practitioner. It’s likely that the things that you would consider would be the practical elements, such as location and pricing. However there are a lot of other factors that you should consider when choosing your aesthetic practitioner.
Many aesthetic treatments continue to be poorly regulated or entirely unregulated, for example, dermal fillers. The dangers of choosing an inexperienced or poorly qualified practitioner are clear – as this recent article outlines, unqualified practitioners are unaccountable to any registered public body and therefore should something go wrong, there is no accountability.
The most important thing to be aware of when choosing an aesthetic practitioner is that they should be fully qualified and a registered medical profession. The key regulatory bodies for medical practitioners are the NMC for nurses and the GMC for doctors. Using their websites, you can check the registration status of your practitioner.
Furthermore, there are a number of bodies whose members must be qualified and experienced practitioners, such as BACN (cosmetic nurses) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC). At Skin Medical, all of aesthetic treatments are performed my medical nurse practitioners, who are NMC-registered and also members of the BACN. Our clinics are CQC registered and therefore subject to independent checks.
Another key point to note is that a practitioner should never go for the hard sell – it should always be an option to have a consultation first before making the decision to go ahead with treatment. A reputable clinic will always allow you to have an initial consultation and give you time to make an informed decision. You can then have treatment at a later date if you decide to go ahead.
Medical practitioners will always offer a consultation first of all. Alarm bells should sound if there is no thorough consultation, in which the practitioner discusses your medical history and what results you want to achieve. The practitioner should then explain the treatment in full to you and explain your suitability for treatment, before giving you the change to ask any questions.
Consultations also provide an opportunity to see the clinic itself. Aesthetic treatments should always be performed in a sterile environment for hygiene reasons. The consultation gives you the opportunity to see the clinic for yourself. You should be very wary of ‘clinics’ which offer treatments at home.
At Skin Medical, you will always have an initial consultation with one of our medical practitioners at our clinic. You will be provided with a written copy of all of the information regarding your treatment, and you are under no obligation to have treatment. All of our medical practitioners are registered with the appropriate medical bodies, and their full registration status and qualification record is available. We are a CQC registered clinic and therefore we are routinely independently assessed to ensure we are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. You can view our most recent CQC inspection report online.
For information regarding any of our treatments, or to book in for a free consultation at our Manchester clinic with one of our medical practitioners, please contact the clinic on 0161 839 7663 or submit an online enquiry.
