How do you choose the best and right cosmetic clinic for your needs? With so many clinics now open throughout the UK, it can be hard to know where to start. In our experience, it’s worth asking the following questions about any clinic or practitioner you’re considering for your cosmetic medical treatment:

• Does its website provide details of each procedure?

In the UK, cosmetic clinics need to be aware of strict guidelines around marketing and advertising cosmetic treatments. If the clinic you are considering is offering ‘Buy one, get one free’ or time-limited offers, then this should be a red flag telling you to look elsewhere. It’s also important to be wary of clinics that promise you will feel happier after a treatment or omit the mention of potential side effects.

The best cosmetic clinics will explain what each procedure is for, give an overview of what it entails, as well as highlighting potential side effects. The website should encourage you to want to learn more about any procedure you’re considering and pave the way for a face-to-face consultation.

• Is the clinic medically-led?

Although many of the procedures offered by cosmetic clinics don’t have to be performed by a trained medical professional, such as a doctor, nurse or dentist, we would always recommend that you choose a medically-led cosmetic clinic. This is because the treatments offered will be underpinned by medical knowledge and professional registration. Here at Aesthetics Lab, for example, our award-winning doctor is Dr Sangita Singh.

• What qualifications does your practitioner have?

Before you have a cosmetic procedure, ask your practitioner what qualifications and training they have in the specific treatment area. This will help to give you some valuable insight into their background and whether they are the right practitioner for your needs.

• How experienced is your practitioner?

It’s also important to ask how experienced your practitioner is at delivering a particular treatment. Are they able to show you before and after results for recent cases? Also they may not have carte blanche to show you every case they have done because of patient confidentiality, an experienced cosmetic professional is likely to have some cases that they can discuss with you to demonstrate their approach.

• What professional bodies does your practitioner belong to?

This is another important question. Although it isn’t compulsory to belong to specific professional bodies, it is often a testament to the practitioner’s commitment to ongoing professional development and best practice.

• Do you have friends or family who would recommend the clinic?

We think word of mouth recommendations are particularly important. These days most of us are savvy enough to realise that businesses are unlikely to feature bad reviews on their own website so, although reviews do have some merit (see below), a personal recommendation from someone you trust is a stronger vote of confidence. Is there a clinic that one of your friends raves about?

• Does the clinic have good reviews on Google/Facebook?

When checking out a clinic’s reviews, it’s a good idea to go to Facebook and Google to see what people are saying. This is because you’re more likely to see unedited reviews, rather than the ones that have been handpicked by the clinic to be featured on their website. How a clinic handles their reviews is also a good indication of their attitude to patients. Do they acknowledge the reviews? Are they engaging with their customers on social media?

You can check out Aesthetics Lab’s reviews on Facebook here and our Google reviews.

• Do they offer a free initial consultation?

If a clinic offers a free initial consultation with no commitment to buy, this is a great opportunity to see what the atmosphere of the clinic is like and whether you ‘click’ with the staff. Often, this is a deciding factor when it comes to choosing the best cosmetic clinic for your needs, as it’s important for you to feel relaxed and that you trust the advice you’re given. A free consultation shouldn’t involve a hard sell – instead, look for a clinic that respects you as an individual and that seeks to give you recommendations based on your unique needs.

Looking for the right cosmetic clinic in Hampstead or the surrounding areas? Simply fill out our contact form or call us at Aesthetics Lab.