Taking a holistic approach to your cosmetic medicine treatments

Whether it’s your first consultation or you’re an experienced enjoyer of all things cosmetic, there will certainly come a time that you ‘sort of know’ the area you want to address in your cosmetic medicine consultation, but you don’t know how, what or why to do it.

Every patient I treat, I treat holistically, whether they know it or not! I look at every concern brought to me from 360 degrees, ensuring we’re not missing any opportunities to treat in a manner that enhances further than the patient thought possible or with modalities that provide longer lasting or more budget-friendly results.  

Generally, when a patient visits me for the first time, they will come with an idea of what they’d like to address or the types of things that may bother them about their face – and interestingly – they’re often not the things I’m drawn to about their features. 

An example of this may be a more mature patient who is seeking advice for anti-aging options in the lip line area. But when they present to the consultation, I notice their skin is quite sun damaged and has also become dry and crepey. For me the aging effects around the lip line are more indicative of a larger concern for the patient.  

With their consent, we’ll talk about aging processes and skin care and a skin care regimen. And when we start talking about skin care and aging as a holistic process, suddenly we have so many more options and interventions to treat the concern at hand.  

Those interventions could range from bespoke skincare and cosmeceuticals – on one end of the scale – to surgical intervention or laser therapies on the other end and then anti-aging injectables in the middle.

But you can see that we have a range of options to choose from when we devise a treatment plan, and all of these options can be informed by lifestyle, budget and timeframes.

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I can also propose cross-referrals to other specialist practitioners. If a patient is wanting to treat something such as pigmentation alongside fine lines and wrinkles, then I know we can achieve a certain amount through skin care and injectables, but we might also want to consider a referral to a specialist dermatologist for laser therapy. 

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Similarly, for a patient with quite advanced skin laxity in the neck or eye area, I might discuss a cross-referral to a plastic and reconstructive surgeon. 

I also find that many of my patients have a thirst for more.

We start out with a small refresh via anti-aging injectables and they’re excited by the results. Next, they want to invest in great skincare and develop a consistent self-care routine. It’s wonderful to see how that confidence grows through both results and education. 

The bottom line for me is ensuring my patients have the tools and education at their disposal to make an informed decision for the best outcome. 

Ready to start a conversation?
Get in touch for a friendly chat with Dr Edwina.