Before and after photographs

Before and after images are the most persuasive thing a cosmetic clinic can show, and the easiest thing to mislead with. This page explains how ours are taken, what the rules require, and how to read anyone's - including ours.

What the rules require

Under AHPRA's advertising guidelines for regulated health services, before and after images must:

Be of actual patients of the practice - not stock photography, not manufacturer images, not someone else's cases
Be taken under consistent conditions - same lighting, same angle, same distance, same pose, same background, no make-up in one and not the other
Be unaltered beyond standard cropping and resizing - no smoothing, no retouching, no filters
State the time elapsed between the images
Carry a clear statement that results vary between individuals
Be used with the patient's informed, documented consent, which the patient can withdraw
Not be presented in a way that creates an unreasonable expectation of benefit

Images must also not be used as a testimonial - a patient's account of their treatment is a testimonial, and testimonials about regulated health services are prohibited in advertising.

What we show

Before and after photographs of our own patients are shown in consultation, where we can select cases relevant to your skin, your concern and your skin type, and discuss honestly what did and did not change.

That is deliberate rather than evasive. A gallery on a website is chosen to impress; a case shown in consultation can be chosen to inform - including cases where the result was partial, or where the person needed more sessions than they expected.

Ask to see comparable cases at your consultation. Ask specifically for someone with your skin type and your degree of the problem, not the best result on file.

How to read any before and after image

These apply to every clinic's images, ours included:

Lighting. Flat, even lighting in the "before" and softer, more diffuse lighting in the "after" can make pigmentation, texture and lines look dramatically improved with no treatment at all.
Angle and distance. Small changes alter apparent contour considerably.
Expression and pose. A relaxed face photographs very differently from a tense one.
Make-up. A bare "before" against a made-up "after" is not a comparison.
Time elapsed. An "after" taken at peak swelling, or one taken years later with other treatments in between, tells you something different from one at a stated interval.
What else was done. Many results combine treatments. If an image is labelled with one treatment, ask whether anything else was involved.
Sample selection. Any gallery shows the best cases. That is not dishonest, but it is not representative either.

If images carry a note like "not our patients", they are illustrations of a technique, not evidence of what this clinic achieves.

What results to expect from skin treatment

Realistically, across the skin services on this site:

Most skin treatments produce improvement, not transformation
Most work over a course of sessions, with results building over months as collagen remodels
Most need maintenance, because the causes - sun, ageing, genetics, hormones - continue
Results vary substantially with skin type, age, the cause and severity of the concern, and how consistently the plan is followed

Your practitioner should tell you what degree of change is reasonable in your case before you commit, and should tell you if the answer is "less than you are hoping for".

Questions worth asking

Can I see cases with my skin type and my level of this concern?
How long after treatment were these taken, and how many sessions did it take?
Was anything else done to this person at the same time?
Can you show me a case that did not go as well as hoped?
What would you expect for me specifically?
What does the whole course cost, and what does maintenance cost after that?

Risks

Every skin treatment carries risks, which differ by treatment and skin type - redness, swelling, blistering, changes in pigmentation that can persist, scarring, infection, incomplete response and the need for repeat treatment. Darker skin types carry a higher risk of pigment change with light-based and ablative treatments.

See risks and complications.

Booking a consultation

Me Clinic, 4 Burke Road, Malvern East VIC 3145. Phone 1300 852 050 or (03) 9569 3511, or use the online consultation form. As at September 2024 and including GST, a skin assessment is $50 and a Cosmetic Doctor consultation is $150.

Individual results may vary. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.