When it comes to injectables, what are patients actually seeking? That is the million-dollar question. Over the last two decades of practicing aesthetic medicine, I have observed my patients and learned a few things.
Firstly, they want to look younger and more attractive. Do they verbalize those words at the time of consultation or when they are sitting in my exam chair? Well, no, but that is exactly what they want.
Perhaps they are trying to keep up in the workforce with their millennial or Gen Z colleagues. Or there is a child’s wedding or a 65th birthday just around the corner. Or maybe there is not a specific reason other than when they look in the mirror, they see a slow and steady decline away from the face of youth they remember as “self” and feel as “me” and they yearn to see that version of themselves again. Yes, the aesthetic patient most definitely wants to look younger and more attractive.
In consultation, the patient may not verbalize these goals, but this exactly what they want. And the second item on the list? They want a qualified injector whom they trust to achieve this very goal. I have always said my best aesthetic patients are my existing medical patients. A sacred relationship already exists and the trust has been established between us. New aesthetic patients can have that as well, but it must develop at a more rapid pace.
The aesthetic patient assumes, and rightly so, the treating injector will give them a procedure in a safe, professional environment. They assume the injector is well-versed in anatomy. They assume the injector completely understands and is well-trained on the procedure being offered. They assume the injector is properly educated and credentialed. They assume the product being injected has been manufactured by a trusted company and is approved by the Federal Drug Administration. All of these items are all silent assumptions by a trusting patient, but in today’s world, perhaps their trust should not be so blind. Levels of skill and education vary widely from injector to injector depending on state regulations.
Informed consent should be obtained prior to every injection, and photographs should be taken as memories can be short. Patients quickly forget that one eyebrow has always rested higher than another or that particular facial line was always present and was never injected during the procedure in question. Plus, informed consent is an opportunity to educated patients, and review possible side effects, complications and desired outcomes.
How much money will this treatment cost the patient? This is the ultimate question which must be answered before the consultation is complete, but this is not what drives the decision of injector selection. No, that originates back to the sacred relationship that is built upon trust, and the value the patient perceives from the reversal of aging, akin to the fountain of youth.
It is quite interesting to me that as an injector for two decades, patients do not request filler brands. Patients rely on a provider’s expertise for quantity of product injected, and this leads inevitably to cost.
If a patient has been diligent in the use of quality skincare and began her aesthetic journey of injectables earlier in life before the aging process ensued, the quantity of filler will be less and the effect on the pocketbook more moderate. In contrast, the patient who takes her first foray into the aesthetic arena on the same day she blows out 80 candles on her birthday cake will likely pay a higher price for those injectable treatments. And that makes sense. She showed up late to the aesthetic party. But late is better than never! And there is always something for everyone.
Because as long as I am blowing out my birthday candles, I still want to look younger and more attractive. And that is also what I want for each and every aesthetic patient.
If you would like to schedule a consultation with the Dermatology Office to receive an aesthetic injection with Dr. Ellen Turner, please call our office at 214-373-7546 or visit our website at www.dermofficedallas.com.