Talking to your cosmetic clinician

When you first approach cosmetic service providers, you may meet or speak to a patient adviser. You should receive advice about surgery only from doctors and nurses, as they have the qualifications and expertise to give you high-quality advice. Check whether your adviser is a doctor or nurse, and whether they are registered with a relevant professional organisation (e.g. Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australasia (CPSA)).

It is important to be honest when you meet the cosmetic clinician. Being clear about your expectations of the procedure will make sure that they can give you the correct advice about whether the procedure will achieve the results you want. Be truthful about any health or lifestyle issues that the clinician may ask you about, as these could affect the results of your procedure. It is essential that you should tell the clinician if you have any existing allergies, medical conditions or are taking any medications.

Make sure that you feel confident about the clinician's ability to perform the procedure. Ask him or her about the qualifications they hold, how many procedures they have carried out, and how many patients needed a corrective procedure. Asking for 'before and after' photographs of other patients who have had your chosen procedure will also give you information about the surgeon's work.

The clinician should provide full details of the procedure itself, including what will happen, how long it will take, the type of anaesthesia that will be used, the level of pain you may experience, how long the results of the procedure will last, whether there will be any scars and any risks the procedure may carry. All procedures contain a certain element of risk and your clinician should provide a full explanation of the general risks of surgery and any particular risks associated with your procedure.

The clinician should also talk to you about any preparation you need to follow before and after the procedure. As the success of your procedure may depend on following this advice, make sure that you understand it fully and are prepared and able to follow it. Your clinician should give you written information to take away with you after the consultation so that you can refer back to it if you need to.