Below are some commonly asked questions we get about the way we do things at Skin Essentials

Why do you charge a consultation fee for aesthetic consultations and why is it not redeemable towards treatment on the day?

At Skin Essentials, medical aesthetics is not just another beauty treatment where you simply order what you want off a menu.

We are a medical clinic run by a highly experienced doctor and our service like any other medical service, is about assessing your problems and concerns, educating you on the causes and talking to you about your treatment options and the associated investment from you in terms of time and money so you can make an informed decision about proceeding or not. 

Dr Imaan, as a Specialist GP, is one of the few cosmetic doctors in NSW with qualifications in primary care dermatology as well as skin cancer medicine and surgery; as such, the initial consultation focuses on helping you with many of your common skin and ageing related concerns except one - sagging skin that would be better treated with surgery. If this is the case, Dr Imaan will refer you to a plastic surgeon, otherwise Dr Imaan’s focus is on beautiful healthy skin as well as improving lines and wrinkles and restoring youthful contours to the face. Please note the exception to this- we cannot prescribe Roaccutane, you’d need to see a dermatologist for this. 

We operate differently from many other clinics which have complimentary consultations but focus more on upselling as we do not feel this is ethical. Medical aesthetics involve medical procedures with rare but real risks and it is important that none of our patients feels rushed into treatment simply to redeem a fee paid; equally, we are transparent about a fee for our service and time so you can decide if you want to proceed.

Our patients mostly want help with longterm management of skin and aesthetics concerns having tried many DIY options and failed. Dr Imaan offers a personalised-to-you system that she devises with you at your consultation which is what your consultation fee covers even if you decide not to proceed any further. 

If you decide to proceed, medical aesthetics done well and especially full face rejuvenation is an investment of several months and thousands of dollars and the consultation fee acts as a one-off treatment planning fee with Dr Imaan that will guide the next steps in helping you achieve your aesthetic goals. It also ensures that you understand what investment is required of you if you decide to proceed with the suggested treatment plan and what you can expect to spend over the coming weeks and months. This is not a decision that should be made on impulse or lightly so we take the time to ensure these safety nets are in place before continuing to avoid buyer’s remorse. 

Why can’t I book in for what I want eg just frown anti wrinkle treatment or lip filler?

We understand that this is a very common way that aesthetic treatments are sold to the public, but this is not how we work at Skin Essentials.

Medical aesthetics has been cheapened so much many people think you can simply order what you want off a menu, but this isn’t the best way if you’re aiming for best results. The many odd looking faces we see all around us are perfect examples of what happens when medical aesthetics is treated this way with patients designing their own treatments as opposed to a carefully thought out and executed plan with the whole face in mind over several months.

Even when we are young and all we want is a bit of enhancement eg lip filler or to have some preventive anti wrinkle treatment, it is important to have a thorough assessment by an experienced doctor like Dr Imaan and a comprehensive plan not only for now, but also the coming weeks, months and years as the ageing process is inescapable. 

In choosing just one area to treat, there’s also a real risk of ending up with an imbalanced face over time.

For this reason, and for best outcomes, Dr Imaan is firm on a treatment approach that respects your whole face to maintain or restore it in a harmonious manner so that you can look fresh, rested and well. 

At Skin Essentials we want patients who are in it with us for the long haul so we are very upfront about who we are NOT for. 

Why do I need a consultation when I know what I want?

Many people who book in believe they know what their problem is and what the solution is. While they are absolutely right at correctly picking the problem they have, they are usually incorrect about what the ideal solution is and grossly underestimate what is involved.

This being the case, it would be wrong, if not a disaster, to do what they wanted, only to have bad results.

It is for this reason Dr Imaan starts on the same page with every single patient, regardless of whether they’ve ever had aesthetic treatments, or believe they know what they want and why. Even if she ends up agreeing with you, as a medical practitioner she has a duty of care to understand why you want a particular treatment and whether it is right for you. It is also her responsibility to clarify that you understand the small risks involved and the associated downtime and common side effects. It’s also important that she screens you for unrealistic expectations as well as signs of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and that she says no if any of the above criteria are not green flags. 

Lastly, it is important to her, given the costs of medical aesthetics especially for restoration which is neither cheap nor fast, that you understand that it takes time, discipline, a healthy budget and investment from you for best results.

Dr Imaan believes that if you’re unlikely to be all in, then it is often better not to start until that changes. 

What happens after treatment or consultation if I have a further questions or a problem?

We do not offer ongoing email support support following consultations if you have further questions and advise you book in another appointment to address these prior to commencing treatment. If a skin concern was addressed, Dr Imaan will discuss it in clinic with you and follow it up with a written treatment plan emailed to you - please refer to it as needed to refresh your memory around common questions such as eyebrow waxing and laser hair removal.

Following treatment, Dr Imaan will discuss aftercare with you in specific detail. You will also be emailed an aftercare form with advice of what to expect and when to contact us in the first 24 hours post treatment when emergencies may commonly occur.

Thereafter, if you have any concerns, please contact us and we will organise a complimentary review as needed.

We do not provide non urgent medical advice via email or text for medicolegal reasons.