Seven questions to ask any clinic before you book

You are allowed to interview a clinic. Most people do not, because the room is designed to make you feel like the decision has already been made. Here is what to ask, and what a good answer sounds like.

1. Who will actually perform the treatment?

Not who owns the clinic, not who did your consultation. The person holding the device. Ask for their registration number and their training on that specific machine. A good clinic answers this in one sentence without checking.

2. What device are you using, and why that one?

"A laser" is not an answer. Pigment, vessels, hair and water absorb light differently, and a device tuned for one is close to useless for another. If the answer is vague, the treatment plan is too.

3. What is the total cost, in writing, today?

Per session and for the whole course. The most common complaint in aesthetics is not a bad result — it is a bill that grew. Clear, itemised pricing and a written quote before booking should be the minimum.

4. What happens if it does not work?

Ask what the review point is, how many sessions in, and what the clinic does if you reach it without change. A plan with no review point is not a plan.

5. What are the side effects, and what is rare but serious?

Every real treatment has both. A clinic that only lists the mild ones has either not thought about it or has decided not to tell you.

6. Who do I call at 9pm if something goes wrong?

Complications are uncommon and almost all of them resolve quickly when treated early. The clinics worth trusting have a number and an answer.

7. Is there a reason I should not have this?

The most useful question on the list. If a clinic cannot name a single person they would turn away for this treatment, they are not assessing anyone.

What a no sounds like

"That will not fix what is bothering you" is the most valuable sentence a clinician can say to you. It costs them the booking. If you never hear it from a clinic, that tells you something about how they decide.