Safety is absolutely at the heart of carrying out a responsible and trusted aesthetic surgery business or practice. Whilst professional training means that aesthetic practitioners are knowledgeable experts, no medical or cosmetic procedure is completely without risk. But as a professional it’s crucial to building a clinic’s reputation and ensuring patient trust in order to build long term patient-practitioner relationships. 

In this article we’ll consider how you can maximise your knowledge surrounding safety and give you actionable guidelines regarding conducting aesthetic procedures safely and minimising risks in aesthetics.

Understanding the Risks

So, what are the most common risks that can be associated with patient safety in aesthetics? Botox and fillers are some of the most popular cosmetic treatments in the UK, it’s estimated that there are 900,000 Botox injections administered each year and Botox or dermal fillers now account for nine out of ten cosmetic treatments in the UK. But there are a number of risks that can come with the treatments. This can include bruising, swelling, migraines, facial freezing or eye irritation. Invasive procedures such as augmentation, facial lifts or Rhinoplasty bring higher risks, such as scarring, bruising, surgical wounds and all the risks that are associated with taking general anaesthetic such as nausea, pneumonia or blood clots. 

There are a number of factors that increase and minimise patient risk. For example, this can include general patient health and health history, which is why it is important for practitioners to be aware of a patient’s medical history and any illnesses or injuries they have. Similarly, lifestyle factors such as smoking or diet can be a factor in recovering from any surgical or cosmetic procedure. Some procedures are inherently more risky than others (such as invasive ones). Practitioner knowledge and experience also play a huge part in carrying out safe aesthetic procedures. One of the major risks of treatments such as fillers- when carried out by inexperienced or unqualified practitioners- is facial migration or build up of badly injected or old fillers. So it is very important for practitioners to understand their work and carry out all due diligence. 

Comprehensive Patient Assessment

Consequently one of the best steps that any responsible practitioner can take is to ensure that they carry out a thorough patient assessment in aesthetic consultation. It’s important to take a full and comprehensive medical history, this will mitigate many of the more extreme health risks particularly when consulting for invasive and surgical procedures. When considering facial or filler type treatments it’s important to carry out a skin analysis and consultation as this will reduce the risk of reactions such as irritation, bruising or swelling. Mental health is often an under considered aspect of patient care and risk, but it is an essential part of patient care. Mental health concerns and feelings around appearance can be a huge motivating factor in seeking out cosmetic procedures so it is important to understand the motivations of patients. And then to consider what impact those procedures may have – if they do not work out quite as anticipated or meet expectations. So discussing these hopes and expectations are an important part of patient care.

Selecting the Right Treatment Options

Professional integrity and trust is critical so practitioners need to understand that sometimes not all treatments are suitable for all patients. It’s important to look out for red flags or unrealistic expectations when initially consulting with patients. In fact many clinicians will often say no or refuse to carry out procedures, whilst this can of course be challenging in the short term financially it is more important to think of the long term trust and reputation of a practice. So understanding a patient’s desired outcome will help you match appropriate treatments to patients. 

Training and Certification 

One way that practitioners can ensure that they are providing the best, safest services is to keep on top of training and education and consistently add to their education and knowledge around the risk management in aesthetic treatment protocols and safe practice in aesthetic medicine. Acquisition Aesthetics provides ongoing training and support to professionals in order to maintain their understanding of the best practices in cosmetic enhancements. Through our various aesthetics training courses, we offer an opportunity to continue building your experience and knowledge, as well as staying up to date with new treatments, technologies and regulations. 

Implementing Safe Procedure Protocols 

There are a number of standard safety procedures that should be maintained for all aesthetic enhancements. Equipment sterilisation or emergency preparedness should always be considered and an integral part of building any successful aesthetic practice. The cosmetic industry is constantly updating its forms of regulation and re-considering industry standards so it is important for practitioners to stay up to date with organisations and industry regulators. Currently the Royal College of Surgeons England recommends that all cosmetic practitioners become registered and certified, not only for patient safety and professional reputation but also to push the industry into the safest place it can be. Each particular treatment will also have certain guidelines to consider. For example, implants are not advisable for those with sagging or excess skin. Lip augmentation is not suitable for those who may experience allergies or illnesses such as diabetes, herpes or an autoimmune disease. Practitioners can stay on top of regulations and safety procedures by continuing to invest in their education as well as becoming registered with industry bodies and continuing to monitor evolving rules and regulations. 

Managing Complications Effectively

One of the best ways that practitioners and surgeons can effectively manage any complications is to have a detailed care plan in place should problems arise. Open discussion is key to this and this is something that should be created during the consultation process. This should include details of when the situation should be escalated to another medical care specialist.

Communicating Risks and Aftercare to Patients 

One of the most important aspects of any good relationship between patients and practitioners- and an important aspect of increasing healthy and positive outcomes- is communication. This will increase patient safety and satisfaction. Whilst different treatments will have different aftercare pathways there are some basic post treatment care rules which can be applied to al patients. These include getting rest and sleep, eating a healthy diet, and abstaining from smoking or excessive alcohol consumption. More invasive procedures may require the use of compression garments or wound dressing changes and cleaning. Bruising and swelling are a common side effect, staying hydrated or elevating body parts can be a good way to manage this side effect.

Building a Safety-First Culture

By placing safety at the centre of a practice’s culture it is possible to build a safer practice. Regular training sessions, safety audits and feedback processes can help build a safe culture from the ground up and imbed aesthetic safety guidelines. Focusing on safety practices and training all staff in ongoing and evolving safety practices and guidelines help to build a practice that is responsible and focuses on patient trust and well being. 

FAQs 

Who is a good candidate for cosmetic surgery?

A patient who is good candidate for cosmetic surgery typically exhibits the following:

• Realistic and achievable expectations. Patients need to understand that cosmetic procedures can enhance appearance but not completely change a patient’s life.
• Good general health history and healthy lifestyle.
• Emotional well being and mental health.
• Specific concerns and targeted aims from their surgery. 

Will patients need to take medication after surgery?

Many patients will need antibiotics and painkillers to manage recovery and  comfort during the post surgical period.

How important is the post surgical follow up process?

One of the most important aspects of mitigating post surgical risk and negative side effects is having a clear care pathway. Follow up appointments do vary but check ups generally happen at one week, three weeks, eight weeks and six months. Some patients may need more appointments and care plans should be consistently re-evaluated as recovery continues.

Will patients be in pain after cosmetic surgery?

Typically most patients will experience some pain or discomfort. Painkillers are a way of dealing with post treatment pain management. However there are also other recommendations that you can make to patients, these include detailed wound care advice and lifestyle changes such as avoiding strenuous activities or exercise.

Call to Action

Maintaining a safe practice and a responsible career means that it is vital that you continue to re-educate, retrain and build on your knowledge of changing safety protocols. There are a number of training courses with Acquisition Aesthetics that allow professionals to continue to build up their safety practices and expand on their professional knowledge. 

Conclusion

Overall it is important to ensure that you are offering a clear and communicative style of consulting and treatment. This is central to providing care that is safe and responsible and minimises risk. Additionally, staying up to date on safety protocols and seeing education as a continued project will mean that you are always building on your practices. There are safety concerns specific to particular practices as well as ones that are broadly applicable to all types of cosmetic surgery. 

Realising that safety is critical to your work as a practitioner is the first step in building a successful and trustworthy practice. Seeing safety as a cultural and evolving issue will mean that you are able to build a practice that is both responsible and successful.

Understanding how to deal with complications following on from an aesthetic treatment is crucial for any aesthetic practitioner. Check out our online Complications Masterclass to learn how to avoid complications, and what to do when they occur.