Treatments: 10 Mistakes that Most People Make
How to Pick a Cosmetic Beauty Clinic
Before the rise of the Internet age, people who wanted cosmetic treatments relied on the recommendations of their GPs. Today, of course, it’s all a matter of Googling. While it’s the easiest route to a cosmetic beauty clinic, it’s not always the right one.
The problem with the web is that even the flashiest beauty clinic website does not indicate the level of expertise and experience that the cosmetic professionals behind it have. You have to look beyond the web design and copy to know more about the practitioner you’re planning to see.
As you might expect, research is a must. But when doing your research online, take everything with a grain of salt. For example, community-based forums can be helpful, but sometimes, they can be biased for or against a certain practitioner. Therefore, you have to stick to reputable consumer websites when reading about people’s comments or reviews on the different clinics you may be considering. And keep in mind that while other people’s experiences can help you come up with a good decision, you should never decide based solely on them.
So if aimlessly wandering around the web isn’t such a good idea, what is a better way of finding a cosmetic beauty clinic? If you look around, you will find that there are so many online cosmetic surgery directories, all claiming to find you a clinic that best suits your needs. That sounds fantastic, but the issue with these directories is that they don’t actually check their listed practitioners and clinics for regulatory compliance. So before taking any directory’s recommendations, be sure that they only list practitioners with verified qualifications and, if applicable, national regulatory certification.
If you’re planning on a face lift, tummy tuck or any surgical procedure, the practitioner should have “FRCS(Plast)” after their name, indicating they are qualified to perform plastic surgery. Ideally, they should also be on the General Medical Council (GMC) specialist register. You can also search on the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons’ website and find a specialized in your desired procedure. Private cosmetic beauty clinics in England must be inspected by and registered with the Care Quality Commission, so check out your prospective clinic’s certification and inspection reports on the CQC website.
On the other hand, if you’re aiming for a non-surgical procedure, like dermal fillers, laser treatments, etc. the variety of options you have is much bigger. Note that these procedures should only be performed by certain medical professionals, such as a nurse or even a doctor, and there are others that require trained staff such as an aesthetician or beauty therapist. In the end, you want a clinic that has the right professionals for the treatment you need.