Questions to Ask
Does the medical practice have pictures of patients they have personally injected?
And by this, I mean personally and not by a nurse or PA in their employ. Typically, the best injectors are those who practice their art and don’t farm it off to an underling. The problem with nurse or PA injectors is that some are OK and others are not so good.
Injections should be done by a person who has photos of good results. There are many opportunities to obtain great photos (with a patient’s permission) for viewing in a ‘scrapbook’ or on the computer. If you are only provided a brochure of someone else’s work, chances are the person doing the work is either inexperienced or doesn’t have good enough technique to allow for quality pictures. Whatever the case, stay away.
Will they be numbing up the area or not?
In our office, we supply a topical anesthetic before the procedure, which makes it significantly more tolerable. Even with the newer fillers that have anesthetic built in, there is still a huge benefit to having a topical anesthetic applied in advance.
How many procedures does the office perform?
Ask how often the individual does the fillers in their office. If they only offer Botox or Dysport on one day a month, chances are they have very few patients and their skills aren’t polished. Additionally, familiarity with the newer form of botulinum toxin, Dysport, is a great example of staying ‘fresh’ and knowing the territory. Most of the higher volume users have both products available.
Do they have a patient coordinator, or someone who will go over the issues and any rebates, filling out the forms to help if needed?
If an office has a patient coordinator, it is a good indication that they are experienced with many patients. This doesn’t always correlate with quality, but if the doctor is the one that does the injections, it is one of a few good signs that they not only care, but have enough experience and volume to offer the best for their patients.
Above all, word of mouth and the ability to see good results is a must.
Joel Schlessinger, MD, President Emeritus of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery, is a Board Certified Dermatologist and board certified in General Cosmetic Surgery. Dr. Schlessinger is in private practice in Omaha, Nebraska and is President of LovelySkin.com. Dr Schlessinger is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, American Society for Moh’s Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and the Laser Institute of America.
Cosmetic Dermatology Consult is supported by an educational grant from sanofi aventis U.S.
The information contained on this site is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice relative to your specific medical condition or question.
