By Dr Tim Pearce, MBChB BSc (Hons) MRCGP
I’ve noticed a few of my clients get off the bed, look in the mirror to appreciate the result, and then look a little lost, and say something like “is that it?”.
Consent, payment, explanation of what I was going to do was all done before we did the procedure, but there seemed to be something missing.
This moment ties in well with another bit of feedback I had from our customer service team- clients occasionally would ring back and ask things that I always include in the pre-treatment consultation. They just don’t remember it.
Pre-Treatment Advice is not enoughThe problem is, most clients are not able to absorb much information before the treatment. What you say is lost forever in the tension of the pre-treatment state of mind, which is usually more concerned with ‘danger’ than the nuances of the post treatment experiences.
A post treatment Summary is a useful extra to the process to drive home the salient points around expectation, safety netting and what you’ve actually done for them.
The issue is particularly salient with 1st time Botox clients, who have to wait for a result. In my early days of aesthetics we would get lots of calls after a week complaining lack of effect, or needing a top-up (see my other blog on this topic).
My personal spiel after a procedure is
“You should see the effects from Botox starting in the next 3-7 days. The improvements in wrinkles will start in the next two weeks, but the full effect of your treatment will build with every day that you are not using those muscles.”
“You may need a follow up only if the muscles we have treated are still causing the lines to get deeper during expression after 14 days, but if you are in any doubt, please come back.”
If I have done dermal fillers, I will use the last few minutes to recap on what I did and why, and safety net by telling them the signs and symptoms of important complications and what to do about them.
There is a lot of data on doctor consultations that supports the idea that we only remember the first and the last thing that was said. It’s therefore vital to put some effort into refining your post treatment consult, and it can significantly increase client satisfaction and safety.
Botox and Fillers Training
SkinViva Training Academy was established by Dr Tim Pearce MBChB BSc (Hons) MRCGP and offer a range of medical training courses for cosmetic and medical skin treatments.
The SkinViva Training team upholds high standards of clinical training providing a combination of fully-supervised practical experience together with essential theory for safe injection techniques.
For further information, to discuss which course is right for you, to enquire about availability or to book a training course please call 0161 850 2491, or email info@skinvivatraining.com.