Ask who is responsible for your assessment and follow-up, how to verify their registration, what shaped the recommendation, which risks matter to you, what would make them wait or refer, what the full cost and review include, and whether you can take the answers home before deciding.
A good consultation makes room for your questions
You are not expected to know clinical language or arrive with a cosmetic pathway chosen. A short written list can help you hear the reasoning, compare the answers later and remember who will remain responsible if you need support.
The seven questions below focus on accountability, individual assessment, risk, cost, follow-up and decision time. They complement the broader practitioner selection guide, which helps you compare the person before booking.
Save these seven questions
| Ask this | A clear answer should include |
|---|---|
| Who is responsible for my assessment and follow-up? | A named person and a clear handover if anyone else is involved. |
| How can I verify your current registration and role? | A full name, profession and registration detail you can check independently. |
| What did you consider before suggesting this path? | Your health context, previous care, goals, alternatives and any uncertainty. |
| Which risk matters most in my circumstances? | An individual explanation, warning signs and the support route. |
| What would make you wait, decline or refer me? | Real stopping points, not an assumption that the visit must lead to treatment. |
| What will the complete plan cost and what does review include? | Known fees, possible later costs and the review arrangement before you decide. |
| Can I take the answers home? | A straightforward yes, with no pressure to commit during the appointment. |
1. Who owns the decision and follow-up?
Ask who will take your history, assess you, provide any agreed care and answer a concern afterwards. If more than one person is involved, ask how your information and responsibility move between them.
You should leave able to name the practitioner responsible for the clinical decision and know how to contact the service if something changes. If the role is unclear, use the Ahpra registration check before deciding.
2. What shaped the recommendation?
What was considered
Listen for your health history, medicines, allergies, previous care, timing, priorities and relevant examination findings.
What else could make sense
A clear answer can include waiting, another opinion, a different form of care or no cosmetic treatment.
What is not known yet
A careful practitioner can explain what still needs assessment instead of presenting an early idea as a settled plan.
3. Which risk matters most for me?
A general list is only the beginning. Ask which material risks are most relevant to your circumstances, which warning signs need action and who you would contact during and outside clinic hours.
The goal is not a promise of certainty. It is an explanation you can understand and a practical support pathway. Ahpra’s non-surgical cosmetic procedure guidance provides official context for consultation and informed consent.
4. What would make you wait or refer?
This question shows how the practitioner handles limits. A clear answer may include unresolved symptoms, missing records, recent care elsewhere, a health issue, expectations that need more discussion, limited decision time or a concern outside their scope.
Waiting, referral and no treatment should remain genuine possibilities. If the response assumes the appointment must proceed, ask what a responsible stopping point would look like in your case.
5. What help is available afterwards?
Know what is included
Ask when review is useful, who you will see and whether it is included in the agreed plan.
Save the contact route
Know which phone or message channel to use and how urgent and non-urgent questions are separated.
Understand the next step
Ask what to do when the clinic is closed and when broader or urgent health care is more appropriate.
6. What does the full cost include?
Ask for the known cost before deciding, what review includes and what could create a later fee. If the plan may happen in stages, separate what is being considered now from what is only a future possibility.
Price is practical information, but it cannot answer who is accountable, how suitability is assessed or what happens if the plan changes. Do not let a limited offer or same-day incentive shorten the time you need to decide.
7. Can I take the answers home?
Yes. At Core Aesthetics, you can bring a written list, meet directly with Corey and use the appointment for information and questions before choosing any next step.
Before leaving, note the reasoning you heard, the most relevant risk, any reason to wait and the review contact. If an option is suitable, costs and material risks are discussed before you decide.
You can test an answer without becoming an expert
Ask for the explanation in ordinary language, then repeat back what you understood. A careful practitioner should correct a misunderstanding without making you feel difficult. You can also check registration and public guidance independently rather than relying only on a clinic’s description.
Warmth matters, but it should sit alongside a checkable identity, an individual assessment, clear limits and a workable follow-up plan. If an answer still feels vague, take it home and decide what you need clarified.
Keep four answers before you leave
| Write down | Why it helps later |
|---|---|
| The practitioner’s full name and role | You can match responsibility with an independent registration check. |
| The reason for the recommendation | You can decide whether the explanation connects clearly to your circumstances. |
| The main risk and any stopping point | You know what could change the decision and which warning signs matter. |
| The follow-up contact and review plan | You know where questions go after the appointment and what review includes. |
Continue with the question still on your mind
If the person’s identity or role is unclear, follow the Ahpra registration check. If an answer felt evasive or pressuring, compare it with the practitioner red flags guide. For decision time and withdrawal, read how informed consent works.
For the appointment sequence itself, see what happens in a Core Aesthetics consultation. This page keeps the narrower role of helping you ask and record useful questions in the room.
Official sources for the checklist
This checklist draws on the Ahpra non-surgical cosmetic procedure guidelines, the corresponding advertising guidance, the Ahpra public register and TGA health-service advertising guidance.
These official sources set professional and public-information expectations. They cannot decide whether an individual cosmetic option is suitable for you.
Bring the questions that matter to you
Meet Corey, hear the reasoning in plain language and take the answers home before choosing any next step.
Is this for you?
Consider booking a consultation if
- You want practical questions before an aesthetic consultation
- You want to understand registration, consent, risk and follow-up
- You are comparing practitioners and want a calmer decision framework
- You are comfortable with waiting or no treatment if assessment supports that recommendation
This may not be for you if
- You want one universal script for choosing treatment
- You want treatment without assessment and consent
- You need personal medical advice without consultation
- You want certainty about a specific appearance outcome
Suitability is confirmed at consultation. This list is general guidance, not a substitute for clinical assessment.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important question to ask an aesthetic practitioner?
Ask what would make them recommend waiting, referral or no treatment. The answer helps show whether the practitioner treats suitability, risk, consent and patient readiness as more important than simply proceeding.
Should I ask about Ahpra registration?
Yes. Ask for the practitioner name, role and Ahpra registration details where relevant, then check them through the public register. Current registration should be easy to verify and should match the person responsible for your care.
What should I ask about risks?
Ask which risks are relevant to your situation, what warning signs matter, how aftercare is handled and who to contact if you are concerned after treatment. Risk discussion should be specific enough to support informed consent.
Can I ask about price before deciding?
Yes. Pricing should be clear before any decision, but it should sit inside the consultation discussion. Cost should not replace suitability, risk, alternatives, consent or the option to wait.
Is it awkward to bring written questions?
No. A written list can help you remember what matters. A careful practitioner should be comfortable with questions about registration, scope, risks, suitability, cost, consent, aftercare and reasons not to proceed.
What if the practitioner does not answer clearly?
You do not have to proceed. Vague or dismissive answers about registration, suitability, risks, consent, cost or follow-up are a valid reason to pause and seek clarification or another opinion.
Can same-day treatment still be discussed?
Some adults may be suitable for same-day treatment discussion, but only after assessment and informed consent. A good practitioner should make clear that same-day treatment is conditional and not promised before consultation.
How does Core Aesthetics handle practitioner questions?
Corey Anderson RN conducts consultation, provides Ahpra registration details, discusses suitability and risk, and may recommend treatment discussion, waiting, referral, review or no treatment depending on the assessment.