When someone comes into the clinic and tells us they would like Botox, dermal filler or another aesthetic treatment, the first thing we do isn’t reach for a treatment plan.
We look at their face.
Not just the area they have come in to treat, but how their features work together, how their face moves and what has changed over time.
This is an important part of creating natural-looking results. The treatment that someone asks for isn’t always necessarily the treatment that will give them the result they’re hoping to achieve.
Every face is different, which is why we believe an aesthetic treatment plan should be too.
We look at your face as a whole
It’s very easy to focus on one particular feature.
Perhaps you’re noticing lines around your eyes, feel that your cheeks have lost some definition or aren’t happy with the way your lips have changed over time.
But the face doesn’t work in isolation.
The cheeks can influence the appearance of the under-eye area. The shape of the chin can affect the balance of the lower face. The position of the eyebrows can change the way the forehead and eyes appear.
When assessing someone, we therefore look at the overall balance and proportions of the face rather than focusing solely on the area they’re concerned about.
Sometimes a small change somewhere else can have a greater impact than treating the area that initially brought you into the clinic.
We look at your facial movement
If you’re considering anti-wrinkle treatment, how your face moves is particularly important.
We want to see your natural expressions rather than simply looking at your face while it’s still.
We’ll look at things such as how you raise your eyebrows, how you frown, how you smile and how your muscles move when you’re talking.
This helps me understand which muscles are contributing to the lines you’re concerned about and how active those muscles are.
Two people can have very similar-looking wrinkles but completely different muscle movement underneath them.
That’s one of the reasons why a standard treatment plan doesn’t work for everyone.
We consider your natural anatomy
Your facial anatomy has a huge influence on how an aesthetic treatment should be approached.
The position and strength of your facial muscles, the structure beneath the skin, your natural proportions and the amount of soft tissue you have can all affect the way a treatment looks.
This is particularly important when considering dermal filler.
For example, adding volume to the cheeks, chin or lips isn’t simply about deciding how much filler to use. Where that filler is placed and how it works with the rest of your face are just as important.
The aim isn’t to recreate someone else’s features.
It’s to work with your own.
We look at your skin quality
Skin quality is another part of the assessment that can easily be overlooked.
Two people with the same concern may have very different skin.
We’ll consider things such as skin elasticity, texture, hydration and the condition of the skin itself.
This matters because not every concern is caused by a lack of volume or muscle movement.
For example, if someone is primarily concerned with pigmentation, texture or sun damage, adding filler or using anti-wrinkle treatment isn’t necessarily going to address the underlying issue.
Sometimes a skin-focused treatment or skincare plan may be more appropriate.
We consider what has changed over time
Ageing isn’t simply about developing wrinkles.
The skin changes, facial volume changes, collagen production decreases and the underlying structures of the face gradually change too.
When assessing someone, we’ll consider these changes rather than simply looking at individual lines.
You may come into the clinic because you’re noticing deeper lines around your mouth, for example, but the reason those lines have become more noticeable may involve changes elsewhere in the face.
Understanding what’s contributing to the concern is important before deciding how to treat it.
We listen to what you actually want
Perhaps the most important part of the assessment is the conversation.
You might know exactly what you want to change, or you might simply know that something about your appearance has changed and you’re not quite sure what it is.
Both are completely fine.
We’ll ask questions about what you’re noticing, what you’d like to achieve and, just as importantly, what you don’t want.
For some people, a completely smooth forehead is the goal. Others want to retain plenty of movement and simply soften their lines.
Some patients want a little more definition in their lips, while others want to restore lost volume without anyone being able to tell they’ve had treatment.
There isn’t a single definition of a good aesthetic result.
We consider whether your expectations are realistic
Having a clear idea of what treatment can and can’t achieve is an important part of the consultation.
Aesthetic treatments can create meaningful improvements, but they can’t completely change the way your face ages or reproduce the face you may have had years ago.
If someone is expecting a treatment to do something it simply cannot do, we’d rather explain that honestly before treatment.
Sometimes we can adjust the treatment plan to achieve a more realistic outcome.
Sometimes a different treatment may be more appropriate.
And sometimes the right answer is not to treat the concern at all.
We consider your previous treatments
If you’ve had Botox, dermal filler or other aesthetic treatments elsewhere, it’s useful for us to know.
Previous treatment can affect how we approach your next appointment.
For example, if you’ve had dermal filler in the past, we will want to understand what has been treated and when. If you’ve had anti-wrinkle treatment previously, knowing how you responded can also help when considering future treatment.
If you’ve moved clinics, don’t worry if you don’t have every detail of your previous treatment history. Just tell us what you know.
The more information we have, the better we can understand where you’re starting from.
We consider your lifestyle and skin habits
Your lifestyle can also influence your skin and the way it changes over time.
Sun exposure is particularly important when we’re talking about skin ageing, while factors such as your skincare routine can influence skin quality.
We will also want to understand what you’re already doing to look after your skin and whether there are areas where a skincare routine or lifestyle changes could help.
Aesthetic treatment is only one part of looking after your skin.
We consider whether you actually need treatment
This is something we think is particularly important.
Just because someone has booked a consultation doesn’t mean they automatically need treatment.
If we don’t think a treatment will provide a worthwhile improvement, we’ll say so.
There may be a skincare change that would be more appropriate. Another treatment might address the concern better. Or you may simply not need to do anything at all.
We don’t believe in treating someone for the sake of treating them.
The goal should always be to do what is appropriate for you.
Sometimes the treatment you ask for isn’t the treatment you need
This can sound strange, but it’s actually quite common.
You may come into the clinic asking for Botox because you’ve noticed lines on your forehead, but after assessing your face, we may decide that a different approach would be more suitable.
Or you may ask about filler because you’re concerned about a particular line, when the underlying issue is actually related to changes in facial volume elsewhere.
This isn’t about talking you into a different treatment.
It’s about making sure we’re treating the underlying concern rather than simply putting a treatment where you can see a line.
What happens after the assessment?
Once we’ve talked through your concerns and I’ve assessed your face, we’ll discuss your options.
This might be a single treatment, a combination of treatments or, in some cases, no treatment at all.
We’ll explain what we think would be appropriate, what you can realistically expect and any relevant risks or considerations.
You should never feel pressured to make a decision during your consultation.
It’s important that you have enough information to decide whether treatment is right for you.
Why this approach matters
Aesthetic treatment is often talked about in terms of products, doses and treatment areas.
But for us, the most important part is the person sitting in front of us.
Your face isn’t a template.
Your anatomy is different. Your expressions are different. Your skin is different. Your expectations are different.
That’s why we believe the assessment should come before the treatment plan.
Your face, your treatment plan
At Rebecca Taylor Aesthetics, we take a personalised approach to aesthetic treatment. Whether you’re considering Botox, dermal fillers or skin treatments in Suffolk, we’ll take the time to understand what you’d like to achieve before recommending anything.
The aim isn’t to change your features or make you look like someone else.
It’s about understanding your face, identifying what may be contributing to your concerns and, where appropriate, making subtle changes that work with your natural features.
If you’re considering aesthetic treatment but aren’t sure what you need, you don’t have to have all the answers before you book a consultation.
That’s what the consultation is for.