If you have never been to an aesthetic clinic before, the consultation can feel like the intimidating part — the point at which you have to explain what is bothering you to a stranger, without really knowing the vocabulary. It should not be like that, and at a good clinic it is not. This is what actually happens, so you can arrive knowing what to expect.

Why we always start with a consultation

Every treatment at ELM begins with a proper conversation, before anything is decided. For prescription-only medicines it is also a legal requirement: they can only be provided after a face-to-face assessment with a prescriber. But the real reason is simpler — nobody can give you sensible advice about your face without looking at it.

What actually happens

Expect roughly this shape, without being rushed through any of it:

  • A conversation first. Melody will ask what has brought you in and what you would like to change. There is no need to arrive with the correct terminology — describing it in your own words is genuinely fine, and often more useful.
  • Your medical history. Conditions, medications, allergies, previous treatments elsewhere, and anything relevant such as pregnancy or breastfeeding. This is not box-ticking; it directly affects what is safe and appropriate.
  • An assessment. Melody will look at your face at rest and in movement, and at your skin quality — often noticing things that turn out to be the actual cause of what is bothering you.
  • An honest recommendation. What would help, what would not, what it involves, what it costs, and what is realistic. Sometimes that means recommending something different from what you came in for, or nothing at all.
  • Risks and aftercare. Explained properly, along with what to expect afterwards and how to reach us if you have any concerns.
  • Time to decide. For dermal fillers and skin treatments, treatment on the same day is sometimes possible — but never assumed. For prescription-only treatments such as anti-wrinkle injections, Melody prescribes at your consultation and treatment is always booked for a separate day; she cannot legally prescribe and treat in the same appointment.

What to think about beforehand

You do not need to prepare, but two things help. First, think about what actually bothers you rather than what you think you should ask for — “I look tired even when I’m not” is far more useful than a treatment name. Second, have a rough idea of your medications and any past treatments, including roughly when and where.

It is also worth arriving with a clean face if you can, or at least being happy to remove makeup for the assessment.

Good questions to ask

  • What is causing the thing I have noticed?
  • What would you recommend, and why that rather than the alternatives?
  • What results are realistic, and how long will they last?
  • What are the risks, and what happens if I am not happy?
  • What will I look like immediately afterwards, and what is the downtime?
  • What will this cost, in total, including any follow-up?

If you would like to go further, our guide to checking your practitioner is qualified sets out the questions worth asking any clinic, anywhere.

There is never any pressure

You will not be sold to, hurried, or made to feel awkward for deciding to think about it. Leaving a consultation having decided not to proceed is a perfectly good outcome — and being told honestly that a treatment is not right for you is worth far more than being told what you hoped to hear.