21
Jul
2011
21
Jul
2011
How do you prove to yourself and clients that what you are recommending to them and treating them with actually works?
With treatments like dermal fillers and botulinum toxins results are often obvious, but what about “complexion improving” light based treatments, peels and those expensive topical products you recommend, how do you demonstrate their effectiveness?
We have all seen before and after pictures supporting various miracle products in the press, where the lighting is different, the angles changed, the “before” photo without make- up and the after the client is fully made up, with new hairstyle and even new teeth!. The worst cases may even be of different people (yes, we’ve seen this happen). Even at various medical conferences presenters often use poor quality, non-standardised images to support their case.
Occasionally we need to remind ourselves that we are working in the medical aesthetic industry. The reality is not that often put forward by the media where a client can be transformed in 10 days and be voted 20 years younger looking than she was before.
Often many of the popular non-surgical treatments offered produce subtle results that appear and improve over time, giving the opportunity for the client/patient to forget what they were like before.
In some cases this may lead clients to claim that the treatment or product used does not work. In addition, an increase in litigation linked to the media actively searching for cosmetic “horror stories” plus a client's right to complain (supported by Care Quality Commission regulation and other industry guidelines) has meant that clinical treatment records need to be more carefully completed than ever before.
The Consulting Room™ has long supported the need for practitioners to at least take photographs of all of their clients before and after any treatment. It protects you, the client, and importantly gives you a baseline level to compare with, and show progression over time. If you intend to use these for marketing or presenting purposes, please remember to get their written permission for this.
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