Booked an aesthetic consultation and wondering what you’ll be asked? Alongside your goals, your practitioner will want to know about your health: the medicines you take, any allergies, treatments you’ve had before, and anything that’s changed recently. It can feel like a lot to remember on the spot, so a little preparation goes a long way. This guide covers what to bring, why each part matters, and how your information is looked after.
Nobody expects you to know which details are clinically important. Your job is simply to share what you know, honestly, and let the practitioner decide what’s relevant.
- Bring a list of every medicine you take, including supplements, herbal remedies, and anything bought over the counter.
- Note any allergies and past reactions, with what happened and roughly when.
- List previous aesthetic treatments with dates, areas, and product details if you have them.
- Mention health conditions, recent illness, and whether you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning a pregnancy.
- Your health information is private and protected, and being open about it helps you get advice that fits you.
Why your history matters
An aesthetic treatment is still a treatment, and your health affects whether it’s suitable, how it’s planned, and how your skin is likely to heal. A medicine that increases bruising, a past reaction to an ingredient, or filler from years ago can all change what’s recommended, or whether anything is recommended at all.
Our description of the consultation journey at Skinox includes a review of your medical history alongside a discussion of your goals. The more accurate that picture is, the more useful the conversation becomes, and the less likely you are to hear a generic answer.
Sometimes the outcome of this part of the consultation is a delay or a different plan. That isn’t a failure. It means your history has done its job.
Medicines and supplements
Write down everything you currently take, with the name and the dose if you know it. Include prescribed medicines, medicines bought from a pharmacy or supermarket, contraception, inhalers, creams, and injections. Weight-loss medicines, including injections, belong on the list too.
Supplements and herbal remedies are easy to forget, but some of them can affect bruising or healing, so include vitamins, fish oils, and anything you take occasionally. The same goes for skincare with active ingredients, such as retinoids or acids, and any prescribed acne or skin treatment, because these can make skin more sensitive before a peel or microneedling.
If a medicine has changed recently, mention the old one and the new one. A photo of the labels on your phone or your repeat prescription slip can save guesswork.
Please don’t stop or change a prescribed medicine to prepare for an aesthetic appointment. If a medicine does affect timing, your practitioner will talk it through with you, and any change should only ever be agreed with the person who prescribed it.
Allergies and past reactions
List any allergies you know about, including to medicines, local anaesthetics, latex, plasters, or skincare ingredients. Some injectable products contain a local anaesthetic, so this detail matters more than you might expect.
For past reactions, describe what happened rather than labelling it. “My lips swelled for two days after a product in 2023” gives a practitioner far more to work with than “I’m sensitive”. Include roughly when it happened, what treatment or product was involved if you know, and whether you needed any medical help.
If you’ve been told you have a serious allergy, or you carry an adrenaline auto-injector, say so at the start of the appointment.
Previous treatments
Aesthetic treatments you’ve had before are part of your medical history, even when they were a long time ago or at another clinic. Make a simple list with the treatment, the area, the date or approximate date, and where you had it.
Product details are especially useful for injectable treatments, because different products behave differently and some last longer than people expect. If you still have an aftercare card, a treatment record, or a confirmation email, bring it. If you don’t know what was used, just say so; an honest gap is more useful than a guess.
Include anything that didn’t go to plan, such as a lump, a prolonged reaction, or a treatment you had corrected. This isn’t about judging another provider. It helps your practitioner understand how your skin has responded before.
Health conditions and recent changes
Mention any ongoing health conditions and anything you’re being investigated for, even if it seems unrelated to your skin. Conditions affecting your immune system, blood clotting, healing, or skin, and a history of cold sores if you’re considering lip treatment, are all examples a practitioner may ask about.
Recent illness, dental treatment, surgery, or a planned operation can affect timing, so include those too. If you’re a returning client, don’t assume nothing has changed since your last visit. Our guide to what to expect from consultation to completion explains how each plan is built around you, and that starts with an up-to-date history.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Tell your practitioner if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive. Many aesthetic treatments aren’t offered during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, largely because there isn’t enough evidence about their safety at those times.
That doesn’t mean you can’t discuss your plans. It may simply mean choosing a gentler option for now, or agreeing a sensible time to come back.
Keeping your information private
Health details are sensitive, and it’s reasonable to want to know how they’re handled. Under UK data protection law, information about your health is treated as special category data, which needs extra protection. Our privacy policy explains how we look after personal information.
The Information Commissioner’s Office has clear guidance on your data protection rights, including how to ask an organisation what it holds about you. It’s there if you ever need it.
Share medical details through the route the clinic gives you, such as the consultation form or at the appointment itself, rather than in public comments or open social media messages.
Being honest helps you
It can feel awkward to mention a condition, a medicine, or a treatment you’d rather forget, but practitioners ask these questions every day and aren’t there to judge. Leaving something out doesn’t make a treatment more suitable; it just means advice is based on an incomplete picture.
The NHS advice on what to consider before a cosmetic procedure encourages you to ask questions and take time to decide. A full, honest history gives you better answers to those questions.
A quick checklist
Before your appointment, gather these five things in one place, on paper or on your phone.
- Medicines list. Names and doses of everything you take, including supplements and creams.
- Allergies. What you’re allergic to and what happened.
- Treatment timeline. Previous aesthetic treatments with dates, areas, and product details.
- Health update. Conditions, recent illness, planned operations, and pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Your questions. Anything you’d like to ask about how your history affects your options.
Questions about your medical history
Do I need a letter from my GP?
Usually not. For most consultations, your own list is enough. If your practitioner feels more information would help, they’ll explain what’s needed and why before any treatment goes ahead.
What if I can’t remember the name of a medicine?
Bring the box, a photo of the label, or your repeat prescription slip. If you use the NHS App, you may be able to see your current medicines there. Failing that, describe what it’s for and your practitioner can ask the right follow-up questions.
Should I stop any medicines before my appointment?
No, not unless the person who prescribed them has told you to. Stopping some medicines suddenly can be harmful. If timing matters, it’ll be discussed at your consultation and any change agreed with your prescriber.
Do I need to mention treatments I had years ago?
Yes. Some products last longer than expected, and older treatments can still affect how an area looks and responds. If you’re not sure what was used, give the date and the clinic’s name if you know it.
Do I need to mention weight-loss injections?
Yes, list them like any other medicine. Changes in weight can also affect volume in the face, which matters when planning treatments such as dermal fillers or skin boosters.
What if I’m planning a pregnancy?
Mention it at your consultation. It may affect which treatments are suggested and when, and your practitioner can help you plan around it.
What if my health changes before treatment day?
Let the clinic know before your appointment. A new medicine, an illness, a cold sore, or a pregnancy can all affect whether treatment should go ahead that day, and it’s much better to rearrange than to find out on arrival.
Get ready for your consultation
If you’re unsure whether something is relevant, include it anyway and let your practitioner decide. When you’re ready to book, or if you’d like to check anything before you come in, send our team a message and we’ll help you prepare.