How to tell who is a good aesthetics practitioner

Aesthetics treatments such as Botox and lip fillers are more popular than ever with a whopping 900,000 Botox treatments estimated to be carried out in the UK every year. With that in mind, it's hardly surprising that the high streets are full of practitioners and clinics all promising to help you turn back time, and look years younger. So how do you decide who to hand over your hard-earned cash to? Read on to find out.

1. Do you like their style?

Different people desire different outcomes. Check out any potential practitioners before and after photos to see if you like the results they achieve. This is especially important with dermal filler treatments. Do you want, big, bold, keyhole lips or a more natural and sympathetic result? Choose an injector who prefers to deliver the look you are going for.

2. What products do they use?

Costs of treatments can vary a lot depending upon the practitioner and the products they use. Cheaper in aesthetics is definitely not better. An experienced injector using high-quality products will charge more but will lead to fewer complications and undesirable results. Sadly, it is extremely easy to get hold of cheap, unlicensed products, and Botox is often watered down and shared between multiple patients (illegally). It's also not uncommon for practitioners to use less than the recommended doses to save costs on products. The recommended dose for standard 3 areas of Botox is 63 units (obviously this may vary slightly for each individual), some injectors though will use one 50-unit vial of Botox for 3 areas, which will result in effects wearing off sooner than expected. My advice is that if a practitioner is much cheaper than others in the area, simply walk away.

3. Are they able to manage complications?

The quality of training varies hugely due to aesthetics being unregulated. A good practitioner will be committed to safety and will regularly attend courses to keep themselves up-to-date. All Botox and filler treatments come with risks and it is important that your practitioner not only holds an emergency kit; but is able to spot potential complications early and is competent to manage them independently.

What is most important to you when choosing an injector?

• Price
• Before and after photos
• Qualifications
• Being a medical practitioner

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