Thinking of getting some ‘work’ done? These are the questions to ask your doctor…

In your initial consultation, ask your doctor what they think you need. Their answer is unlikely to be the hot new treatment you read about online, saw on Instagram or your best friend/celebrity has raved about. “People can be very blinkered in what they think they want, or reactive to the latest thing they have read about, and it’s the job of a good doctor to assess what they really need,” says Dr. Mountford of The Cosmetic Skin Clinic, who has more 20 years of experience, two clinics and a medical team of 13 under her belt to ensure that she’s perfectly placed to give expert advice. “Often, someone books in for something specific, such as Botox, but what they ultimately have is not what they originally came in for.” It’s about “having a very open mind and a broad discussion,” Dr. Mountford adds. “Then, it’s my job to give them a plan on how to achieve what they are looking for.”

This is one thing that too many clinics fail to offer and too few women ask for, but, according to Dr. Mountford, a detailed consultation appointment is “where you put the time in to discuss what a patient wants – and how the doctor feels that’s best achieved. You need to look at the face – and assess it from every angle. It’s about building up trust, because the best results come from a long-term relationship,” she says. As with any successful relationship, that includes being faithful – and not nipping off to someone else for a touch-up of filler. “It certainly doesn’t help. Subtle changes make such a difference to a face but, if the work is slightly off, you can see it as soon as that person walks into the room.”

If you want to change or improve something – whether that’s your skin tone, texture or firmness – accept that it takes time, not a quick, one-off shot of filler. “We have the quick fixes, like Botox and some strategic filler that you can maintain as and when needed. But when you’re tackling something like pigmentation or skin firmness, then you need to think long-term and invest in a rollout of ultrasound and laser treatments that will treat collagen and skin quality over time,” explains Dr. Mountford. “It’s my job to devise the right strategy and program of treatments to get you to where you want to be – and then maintain it. Within about one to three months, you should be seeing results. But faces change and age differently, and no doctor can predict this beyond a couple of years, so we need to fine-tune and reassess over time.”

No matter how tempting something new can sound, this is one area where it’s the ever-evolving tried-and-trusted treatments that safely deliver. Technologies constantly advance and brand names may differ, so, for the majority of women, it is the same treatments and machines that matter. “These are the mainstay of excellent medicine and you want to ensure any clinic is offering them all. There’s no one miracle that does it all, and most people need a menu of treatments to get the best outcome,” says Dr. Mountford. “There are the injectables, the toxins (including Botox) and the fillers; plus lasers, to treat the skin and the skin surface, and ultrasound and radio-frequency (often combined with needling) machines, which work deeper to repair damage and boost collagen for the future. With these, we can work deeper or more superficially on the skin – whatever is needed. And we know they work.” Dr. Mountford’s final piece of advice? “Don’t be swayed by what sounds very ‘of the moment’ – and never be the first person to be treated with something completely new.”

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