Our FFA may not be for you if...

So, you are interested in our signature Full Face Aesthetics approach, aka our FFA, aka our Proactive Ageing. 

You are of the right demographic and think you’re ready to jump in and be transformed! 

You may be someone who’s dabbled in medical aesthetics over the years, as and when you wanted something, or based on an internet search. 

Or you may be someone in your late 30s and up, who’s beginning to see signs of ageing you want to address, but don’t know where to start without losing yourself in the process. 

So, before you apply to work with us, what else might you need to know to help you decide if you might be an ideal candidate? 

As I have discovered working in medical aesthetics for a decade now, not everyone is a good candidate for medical aesthetics and especially my FFA—not just physically, but psychologically and emotionally. 

While my team and I take a lot of care planning your treatment, ensuring you are likely to be a good fit and to help you with time sensitive and urgent problems, especially if you are interstate, it can be an unsettling 3-4 month onboarding experience. 

Not awful, but definitely time consuming and occasionally stressful. 

As I like to say in clinic, ”it is a marathon, not a sprint, and not everyone is therefore suited for what it takes.” 

Of course, most of us like to think we are absolutely suited to the long haul, but the truth is, not everyone is, for some of the reasons listed below. 

As a registered AHPRA health care professional, my first duty is to do no harm, and that means guiding you to what is in your best interest, even if it means losing money for me. 

Equally it means screening for patients who might find the process too stressful and saying no, ideally before we begin, or when the cracks start to show, for your benefit. 

So, have a read to help you decide, honestly, if you are likely to struggle with our FFA. 

Here’s a breakdown of the types of person who might not be well-suited for aesthetic treatments, specifically, our FFA:

1. You have unrealistic expectations

• You are seeking out treatment at key junctures in your life to offset other stresses eg relationship breakup, divorce and similar when you feel low already. 
• You are expecting “a quick fix”,  instant or dramatic results from minimal intervention for problems that have evolved over years, or even decades. 
• You are chasing perfection rather than improvement. No medical intervention, even surgery, can promise 100% improvement. In medical aesthetics, I typically say 60-80% is realistic to help you decide if it’s worth the effort and investment to you.

2. You have traits of Body Dysmorphia 

• You may obsess over perceived flaws others don’t even notice including in selfies and bathroom mirrors.

• You may struggle to be satisfied for long, even after successful treatments before worry and disatisfaction kicks in. 

• You may hop between providers looking for someone to “fix” them.
• You may prefer to follow fads and trends than to have a plan to follow with slow and steady progress.

3. You may have an addictive personality 

• You may be someone who seeks constant tweaking or enhancement or wants to look “filtered” in real life eg “no pores” “no lines” “good in all lighting” 

• You may seek out more treatments, or too frequently.
• YOu may be at risk of developing a distorted sense of normal also known as perception drift.

4. You may have poor self-esteem 

• You may look  to treatments for external validation or to be accepted.
  

• You may lack a secure sense of self and self-worth.
  

• You may crowdsource opinions from others or prioritise their opinions over your own or your in- clinic appointments. 
• You may become dependent on procedures to feel “enough.”

5. You may be impatient or struggle to follow the treatment plan

• You may struggle to follow pre- or post-care instructions.
  
• You may struggle with common side effects of medical aesthetics including normal bruising, swelling, or slow progress.
  
• You may suffer from perception drift and forget what you used to look like, and may struggle to understand that natural, safe results take time ie months

6. You may not be financially ready

• We never encourage you to prioritise the basics over optional luxury, of which medical aesthetics, especially our FFA, is one.
  
• Due to financial constraints, including unexpected outcomes, you may find that you struggle to stay on track for your own FFA and fall out part way.
  
• Maintaining your FFA is a longterm plan, so it is important you understand that you are able to maintain long-term upkeep if you are happy with the results.

7. You have other health conditions 

• You may have uncontrolled medical conditions (e.g., autoimmune issues, poorly controlled diabetes, active infection).

• You are pregnant or breastfeeding or planning to be.
  

You may be on medications that interfere with healing or clotting.

8. You have a history of anxiety/ depression 

• You may have a history of worrying excessively about your health or appearance
• You may need a lot of reassurance that normal aspects of our FFA eg bruising, swelling, are normal and will settle with time. 

9. You may struggle to communicate effectively 

• When we agree to work together, it’s a verbal agreement we enter into together. 
• This involves on your part, showing up when you say you will and doing what you say you will. 
• On our part, it is to work with you to help you achieve the best results possible within the limits of your anatomy. 
• We do expect that if you have concerns, or are unhappy that you will communicate this to us and come in for a reivew of your concerns and give us a chance to address them. In this area of medicine, it is all too common that patient jump from clinic to clinic without adequate communication or resolution, to their own detriment and without giving us the opportunity to address your concerns in person. 
• If this is something you think you will struggle to do, then it is likely we are not the clinic for you as our duty of care would prevent us from working with you.

For best results especially for our FFA, our ideal aesthetic patients tend to be:

• Emotionally mature with a realistic outlook on what medical procedures will involve & the degree of improvement possible. 
• Self-aware with specific, reasonable goals
  
• Interested in enhancement, not unachievable outcomes. 
• Respectful of the provider’s expertise and time as well as policies
• Willing to maintain results with the suggested treatment plan and budget accordingly. 

We say this not to dissuade you, but to help you gain a realistic understanding of what is involved in our FFA to help you prepare to do the necessary work if we agree to work together with minimal disruption. 

This helps you save your money and our time if we are unlikely to be a good fit. 

If this sounds like you, here’s the link to apply for a consultation. 

Would you like a version of this you can give to clients or patients as an educational handout or screening aid?