Don't Oversell It: The Importance of Clear Communication and Patient Relationships in Aesthetics

As aesthetic surgeons, our primary role is to listen to our patients’ desires and then transform those desires into tangible outcomes. This requires us to understand not just the words patients use, but also the emotions that drive them. Once we know what is motivating our patients, we can facilitate results that help them look more like how they feel—more like themselves.

MY UNIQUE APPROACH TO PATIENT ASSESSMENT

Rather than dictating what I think a patient needs—like pointing out a “deep tear trough”—I hand patients a mirror and invite them to articulate their emotional experience with their appearance. This empathetic approach enables me to make a holistic assessment, considering not just specific facial features but also the patient’s emotional well-being. It is not my role to be paternalistic and tell patients what I think they should address. They might not have the correct medical language to tell me about their deep nasojugal groove, but they do have the language to express that they feel as though they look tired or angry or sad. While they are talking, I am simultaneously performing my assessment which entails reading their face as well as the area around their eyes and mouth. If I have listened attentively and correctly interpreted their desires, I can create a balanced outcome by introducing elements of full-facial rejuvenation that are germane to what they have communicated.

MORE THAN A TECHNICIAN: THE ART OF INTERPRETATION

I don’t see myself as merely a technician or a salesman. I am an interpreter, translating patients’ emotional experiences into tailored cosmetic outcomes. By listening actively and empathetically, I can design treatments that align closely with what my patients hope to achieve, without imposing my judgments or inducing insecurities.

Specifically, my job is to holistically examine the whole face and create a balanced result—the deep tear trough also involves areas of the cheek and temple. By emphasizing the journey of listening and understanding my patients’ goals and desires for rejuvenation, I can create results that hit the mark without pushing them or selling them. If a patient doesn’t know what they want and is asking me what I think, I say no—tell me what you see. I do not want to introduce any insecurities by making suggestions. Instead, I seek to understand what patients saw or felt that led them to my chair.

COMMUNICATE TREATMENT BENEFITS

It is crucial to understand the difference between selling a treatment and communicating its benefits. Patients aren’t customers in a store looking to be sold the latest fad or the most expensive procedure. They are individuals seeking understanding, empathy, and expertise. When they walk into my clinic, I don’t see them as a potential sale; I see them as an individual who’s ready to make a change but is seeking some guidance. My role is to offer them clarity and to understand their vision, not to push them towards a decision. It boils down to what they are trying to accomplish.

A MULTIFACETED APPROACH TO REJUVENATION

From bone structure to skin texture, a range of options exists for addressing different aspects of facial aging. Understanding this full spectrum allows me to offer patients a comprehensive plan, one that can include neuromodulators, fillers, biostimulators, and energy-based devices, among others. (See sidebar). A bone issue requires products that provide lift and volumization. If it’s a soft tissue deficit, neuromodulators, fillers, biostimulators, regenerative treatments, or even energy-based devices can be used. For skin quality, we mainly rely on lasers, energy-based devices, and potentially even some injectable therapies. Sometimes we have to volumize, control the memetic activity of muscles, and resurface the skin; all of them are part of the paradigm of creating an outcome.

I like to tell my patients: I want to help get you younger looking and not fake younger looking. We can do all the filling and muscle control we want, but if the skin doesn’t look good, it’s not going to look good. It is important we educate patients about this paradigm and what different benefits each procedure may have and how they might synergize with each other.

THE VALUE PROPOSITION

Understanding the value proposition of aesthetic treatments is just as crucial as the treatments themselves. Everyone has financial constraints, so it is also important we help patients understand the value proposition of what we’re suggesting. Some individuals may understand the value proposition when buying a luxury item like a designer handbag, for example, but the value proposition of the investment in their own face is lost and we miss the mark. To help demonstrate the value proposition of comprehensive treatments and investing in one’s appearance, I spend as much time educating my patients as I do in any other aspect of our consultation. I explain that their face is one cohesive unit, and just as you wouldn’t remodel only one corner of a room, addressing isolated parts of the face is not going to yield harmonious results.

Ultimately the idea that investing in one’s appearance, at its core, is an investment in oneself. When people feel confident in their appearance it often permeates other areas of their life, from personal relationships to career opportunities. Patients tell me the boost in their self-esteem itself is invaluable!

INVESTING

The expertise involved in effectively creating a full-face correction is a culmination of years of training and experience and often requires multiple visits. Patients aren’t just investing in a procedure—they’re investing in the skill, craftsmanship, and knowledge that go into creating their ideal appearance.