Before any aesthetic treatment, the key questions to ask are: Can I verify your AHPRA registration. At Core Aesthetics, clinical decisions follow a consultation-first approach and conservative treatment philosophy.
Before committing to any aesthetic treatment, the questions you ask at your consultation reveal as much about the clinic as the answers do. A practitioner who answers clearly, specifically and honestly is giving you an important signal about the kind of care you will receive. A practitioner who is vague, dismissive or evasive is giving you a different kind of signal.
This article lists the questions worth asking, and explains what good answers look like, from the clinical perspective of Corey Anderson at Core Aesthetics in Oakleigh.
“Good information changes the quality of the decision.”
Questions About Practitioner Credentials
Are you AHPRA registered and what is your registration number?
This is the foundational question. Aesthetic treatment products are prescription medicines in Australia and should only be prescribed and administered by practitioners with appropriate AHPRA registration. A straightforward, specific answer is the only acceptable response. If a practitioner cannot or will not provide their AHPRA registration number, you can search the public register yourself at ahpra.gov.au. Corey Anderson’s registration is publicly verifiable, registered since January 1996.
How long have you been registered and what specific training do you have in this procedure?
Registration date and overall nursing experience matter. Under the September 2025 AHPRA guidelines, registered nurses must now have at least 12 months of full time clinical experience before expanding into cosmetic procedures. The specific training relevant to the procedure you are considering is also a fair question. A practitioner with substantive clinical experience and documented ongoing education in aesthetic medicine is in a different position to one who has recently added aesthetic treatments to their practice. For context on what the new training requirements mean, see our overview of the new AHPRA guidelines for 2025.
Questions About the Consultation
Will you conduct a full individual assessment before making any recommendation?
The answer should be an unambiguous yes. A proper consultation involves assessing your facial anatomy, your skin quality, your medical history and your goals before any treatment is discussed. A consultation that begins with a predetermined treatment plan or skips the clinical assessment is not a consultation in any meaningful clinical sense. It is a booking process disguised as a consultation. Our article on what happens at an injectables consultation describes what a genuine assessment looks like.
Will you tell me honestly if treatment is not appropriate for me?
This is a revealing question. A practitioner whose livelihood depends on performing treatment has a financial incentive to recommend it. Ask explicitly whether they will tell you if treatment is not right for your situation. Their answer, and the confidence with which they give it, tells you something important about their clinical values. At Core Aesthetics, a consultation outcome of “not appropriate right now” or “a different approach would work better” is as valid as one that results in a treatment booking.
Questions About Realistic Outcomes
What realistic improvement can I expect for my individual face?
Ask about your face, not about the treatment in general. A practitioner who has genuinely assessed your anatomy may offer a specific, proportionate answer about what is achievable for your individual situation. A practitioner who gives you a generic answer about what the treatment can do is not yet assessing you as an individual. The distinction matters enormously for your expectations and your satisfaction with the outcome.
Are there any reasons treatment might not be appropriate for me?
This question invites the practitioner to think about your individual contraindications, medical history and suitability factors out loud. A practitioner who engages with this question is conducting a proper individual assessment. One who brushes past it is not.
Questions About Safety and Aftercare
What happens if I have a concern after my treatment?
Before any procedure, you should have a clear answer to this question. How do you contact the clinic? What is the process if swelling is more than expected? What happens in the event of a more serious complication? A responsible practice has clear, direct answers. Our articles on wrinkle aftercare and facial volume treatment aftercare give you a sense of what responsible post treatment guidance looks like.
What are the risks of this specific treatment?
All injectable treatments carry risks. A practitioner who explains the risks specific to the procedure being discussed, in plain language and proportionate to the actual risk profile, is giving you genuine informed consent material. A practitioner who minimises or glosses over risks is not. Our patient safety page covers how Core Aesthetics approaches informed consent.
A Final Question Worth Asking Yourself
After the consultation, ask yourself whether the practitioner listened to your concerns, whether their recommendation was clearly based on what they observed in your face rather than a standard protocol, and whether you felt any pressure to proceed. The answer to that last question in particular is informative. For more guidance, see our article on red flags when choosing a cosmetic injector in Melbourne and our guide to choosing a cosmetic clinic in Melbourne.
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Related: Read more about what to expect at a consultation and book a consultation at Core Aesthetics, Oakleigh.
General Information Only. This article is general in nature and does not replace a consultation with a qualified health practitioner. Treatment outcomes, suitability and risks vary by individual. Any medical or prescription treatment options can only be discussed and provided where clinically appropriate following an individual assessment.
Safety, Suitability and Clinical Assessment
All aesthetic treatment procedures carry risk. The suitability assessment at consultation identifies any contraindications or relative risk factors specific to your circumstances, including medical history, current medications, previous procedures, and anatomical features that may affect the risk profile for a given treatment area. This information is reviewed before any treatment is planned.
For certain conditions and medications, injectable treatments are not appropriate, or require modification of technique or timing. For others, the treating practitioner may recommend that you consult with your primary healthcare provider before proceeding. These are clinical judgements that can only be made with accurate, complete medical history information, which is why the consultation history taking process is thorough.
Complication recognition and initial management are part of the clinical competency required of practitioners performing injectable treatments under AHPRA’s September 2025 guidelines for nonsurgical cosmetic procedures. The practitioner at Core Aesthetics holds current training in this area and maintains the relevant management supplies on site. Understanding that risk exists and is actively managed is more useful than assuming risk does not exist.
Review Appointments and Ongoing Care
A review appointment at four to six weeks is a standard part of every treatment cycle at Core Aesthetics. The review is not contingent on whether you have concerns, it is a clinical standard that applies to every patient. At review, the practitioner assesses the result across all treated areas, compares the outcome to the pretreatment clinical photographs, identifies any asymmetry or variation in response between sides, and determines whether any adjustment is appropriate within the same treatment cycle.
The review is also where longitudinal data about how your specific anatomy responds to treatment is recorded. Over multiple treatment cycles, this accumulated data allows the practitioner to refine the dosing and approach to better match your individual response pattern, which is one of the most significant advantages of maintaining a consistent treating practitioner rather than moving between clinics.
If you have any concerns in the period between your treatment and your review appointment, contact the clinic directly. The practitioner who treated you has the clinical context to respond accurately to any post treatment question, which is preferable to relying on general online information that may not reflect your specific situation.
About This Information
The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes. It is not a substitute for clinical advice and does not constitute a recommendation that you proceed with any particular treatment. Aesthetic treatments are prescription medical procedures. They carry risks that vary between individuals and that must be assessed and discussed in a clinical context before any treatment decision is made.
At Core Aesthetics, Corey Anderson assesses every patient individually. The consultation is the point at which your specific anatomy, medical history, and goals are evaluated together. No treatment is offered at a first appointment, and no treatment is appropriate for everyone. This page is a starting point, a way to understand what is involved before you decide whether a consultation is the right next step for you.
If you have questions about anything on this page or about whether treatment might be appropriate for your situation, you are welcome to call the clinic or book a consultation at no obligation.
This page provides clinical information about Questions to Ask Your Cosmetic Injector Before Any Treatment. It is intended for adults aged 18 and over who are considering aesthetic treatment and want to understand the clinical process, suitability factors, and what to expect from a consultation based practice. All treatment decisions at Core Aesthetics follow individual assessment, no treatment is offered at a first appointment without a separate consultation. Results vary between individuals and are reviewed at follow up.
Why The Most Useful Questions Are The Ones That Reveal How The Practice Works
Patients preparing for a first aesthetic treatment consultation often arrive with a list of questions about specific products, expected outcomes, or pricing. These are reasonable questions and deserve straightforward answers. They are not the questions that most reliably reveal the quality of the practice. The more diagnostic questions are the ones that ask about how the practice operates structurally, because the structural conditions of a clinic shape the care provided in ways that individual product or pricing answers cannot.
Useful questions to add to the standard list. What is your prescribing pathway, and where can I verify your AHPRA registration. What is your consultation policy for new patients, and how do you observe the AHPRA September 2025 cooling off interval requirement. How is the recommendation made when the assessment indicates that a different treatment, a deferral, or no treatment would be more appropriate than what I have requested. What documentation is kept of my treatment, and can I request copies of my records. What happens if I am unhappy with the result, and how is the conversation about correction or dissolution structured. How do I reach you if I experience a concerning symptom in the days after treatment, and what after hours pathway is in place.
The answers to these questions reveal the operational model. A practitioner who answers them confidently, openly, and in detail is signalling something about the depth and consistency of the practice. A practitioner whose responses are evasive, generic, or visibly uncomfortable is signalling something different. The patient does not need to be a clinical expert to interpret these signals; the question is whether the response feels grounded and specific or rehearsed and defensive.
The clinic at Core Aesthetics operates under Corey Anderson, Registered Nurse, AHPRA NMW0001047575. The AHPRA registration can be verified on the public register at ahpra.gov.au, and patients are encouraged to use the same verification mechanism for any practitioner they are considering. The questions in this guide are appropriate to ask of any aesthetic treatment practitioner, including this one.
How To Use The Practitioner’s Answers To Inform Your Decision
The questions are useful only if the patient knows how to interpret the answers they receive. The interpretation framework matters because some answers that sound reassuring on first reading turn out, on reflection, to be evasive or rehearsed; conversely, some answers that initially sound less polished turn out to be the more grounded responses. The framework for interpretation is straightforward: a good answer is specific to the question asked, reflects the practitioner’s actual practice rather than generic talking points, and addresses the practical implications for the patient’s treatment.
What confident, specific answers look like. A practitioner who answers the prescribing pathway question by describing exactly which framework they operate under, citing the relevant AHPRA endorsement or the doctor prescriber relationship, is providing a specific answer. A practitioner who answers the same question with a generic statement about being properly registered is not. A practitioner who answers the recommendation against treatment question by describing how the conversation typically unfolds, what the patient’s options are at that point, and how the relationship continues regardless of whether treatment proceeds is providing a specific answer. A practitioner who answers the same question with reassurance that they would never push treatment is providing a less informative answer.
The patient does not need clinical expertise to perform this interpretation. The texture of the response is reliable information about how the practice actually operates, and the patient’s intuitive sense is usually accurate. Where the answers are uniformly grounded and specific, the consultation is signalling something useful about the practice. Where they are uniformly evasive or rehearsed, that is signalling something different, and the patient is well served by attending an exploratory consultation at another clinic for comparison.
A Brief Note On Bringing The List To The Appointment
The questions are most useful when they are asked in the consultation itself rather than reviewed silently while the practitioner speaks. A printed or written list, brought into the appointment and referenced as the conversation moves through the relevant topics, supports more reliable coverage and reduces the chance of leaving the appointment with questions still unasked. The practitioner should welcome the list and treat it as a sign of an engaged patient rather than as friction.
Why Some Questions Matter More Than Others Depending On Your Stage
Patients new to aesthetic treatment benefit from emphasising the foundational questions about credentialing, prescribing pathway, and the consultation model. Patients with prior treatment experience and an established preference about treatment philosophy benefit from emphasising the questions about treatment approach, conservative dosing principles, and the practitioner\u2019s response when the assessment indicates a recommendation against treatment. Patients considering a major change in their established care relationship, such as a transition to a new practitioner after a move, benefit from emphasising the questions about how prior treatment records will be integrated and how the new clinical relationship will be structured. The list is not a checklist to be applied uniformly; it is a set of tools to be deployed selectively according to the patient\u2019s situation.
A Closing Note On The Conversation
The questions are tools rather than tests. The practitioner who answers them comfortably and specifically is signalling something useful about how the practice operates, and the patient who asks them deliberately is signalling something useful about how the relationship will unfold. The conversation that results is the foundation for whatever clinical work follows. Patients who treat the consultation as a structured conversation rather than as preliminary friction tend to leave with better information and better informed decisions, regardless of whether they ultimately proceed with treatment at this clinic or elsewhere. The verification of the practitioner\u2019s AHPRA registration on the public register at ahpra.gov.au remains the appropriate baseline check for any practitioner under consideration.
Is this for you?
Consider booking a consultation if
- You are 18 or older and in good general health
- You are researching aesthetic treatments and want a clinical assessment of your options
- You prefer a one practitioner, consultation based environment
- You understand that treatment decisions are made individually, not based on a standard menu
This may not be for you if
- You are pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding
- You have an active skin infection or unhealed wound in a potential treatment area
- You are under 18 years of age
Suitability is confirmed at consultation. This list is general guidance, not a substitute for clinical assessment.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the most important question to ask at a consultation?
"What does your assessment find about my specific concern, and what is the realistic outcome from the recommended treatment?" This question covers both the diagnostic and the expectation setting sides of the conversation. Results vary between individuals.
Should I ask about the practitioner’s qualifications?
Yes, AHPRA registration number, scope of practice, and years of aesthetic treatment experience are reasonable questions. The information should be readily available; reluctance to share it is a red flag.
What about asking who will perform the actual treatment?
Important. Some clinics consult with one practitioner and treat with another, which can produce mismatch between the assessment and the execution. Confirm at the consultation who will be doing the procedure.
Is it appropriate to ask about complication management?
Yes, and a confident answer is reassuring. Reasonable questions: what happens if I have a reaction, how is bruising managed, what’s the protocol if I’m not happy with the result, and what after hours support is available. Results vary between individuals.
Should I ask what the recommendation would be NOT to proceed?
Yes, this is a useful diagnostic question. A practitioner who can articulate when they wouldn’t recommend treatment is operating in a clinical rather than purely commercial frame. Universal yes recommendation across all consultations is a red flag.
How honest should I be about my goals and concerns?
Fully honest. The assessment depends on understanding the actual goal, not what the client thinks the practitioner wants to hear. Reasonable expectations, concerns about looking treated, anxiety about the procedure, all are useful inputs for the recommendation. Results vary between individuals.
Should I bring a written list of questions to the consultation?
Yes. A written list reduces the chance of forgetting questions during the consultation conversation, which can be information dense, and signals to the practitioner that you have prepared. Most practitioners welcome this. The list does not need to be exhaustive; the most useful preparation is to identify the three or four questions that matter most to your decision and to ensure those are asked clearly during the appointment.
Is it acceptable to ask why a practitioner is recommending a specific treatment over alternatives?
Yes, and the answer is diagnostic of the quality of the consultation. A practitioner who can articulate the clinical reasoning for a specific recommendation, including why alternative approaches would be less appropriate for your individual case, is operating from genuine clinical assessment. A practitioner whose recommendation is consistent across all patients regardless of presentation, or who cannot explain why one approach is preferred over another, is operating from a different model. The question is reasonable and the response is informative.
Is it safe to have aesthetic treatment for the first time?
Aesthetic treatments involve prescription medicines and carry clinical risks including bruising, swelling, asymmetry and, in rare cases, more serious complications. Safety is directly influenced by practitioner qualifications, assessment quality and technique. A thorough consultation is the starting point to understand the risks specific to your situation.
Why does treatment outcome vary between individuals?
Individual anatomy, skin quality, muscle activity, metabolism and the degree of change being addressed all influence how prescription injectable treatment performs and how long it lasts. This is why assessment-led, individually planned treatment is the clinical standard.