Everything you need to know about searching for cosmetic clinics online
Before the internet, tablets and smartphones, your local GP would have been the first point of call for advice when considering cosmetic surgery and provedures. Nowadays though, ‘Dr Google’ seems to be a more popular solution.
But while a quick online perusal might seem easier when choosing a potential clinic, not all search engine outcomes lead to the most reputable (or safest) solutions.
So, if meticulously sifting through search engine results is not the answer, how should you go about finding a cosmetic practitioner online? We spoke to professor Marcos Sforza, expert aesthetic surgeon and scientific director at MyAesthetics, to find out exact what you should and shouldn’t be looking for.
Look for style over substance
“The trouble with the internet is a fancy website doesn’t necessarily mean the surgeon or clinic being advertised is as skilled as their marketing team. Sometimes these sites are little more than virtual, glossy brochures. If you want real answers, you still need to research the practitioner you’re thinking of visiting.
“A good cosmetic clinic website won’t try to dazzle you with high-res images and flashy fonts. They’ll be encouraging you to learn more, clearly laying out the key considerations and details of every procedure.”
Remember, qualifications are critical
“If you’re thinking of a particular cosmetic procedure, it’s good to seek the advice of a surgeon, who specialises in this particular area.
“This information should be relatively easy to find, from the sites of representative bodies for maintaining excellent industry standards, such as the General Medical Council, BACS, ISAPS, BAAPS or BAPRAS.
“These sites include the expertise of their medics and will be able to help you find a surgeon specialising in your chosen procedure.
“In England, clinics and hospitals delivering private cosmetic surgery procedures must be registered and inspected by the Care Quality Commission. Similar regulatory registrations are required in Wales (HIW), Scotland (HIS) and Northern Ireland (RQIA).”
Be very skeptical of discounts and deals
“A few years ago, the ASA ruled against an advert offering breast augmentation or rhinoplasty for half the price if consumers made the purchase by midnight the same day. Quite rightly, the ASA viewed this as irresponsible, forcing customers to make a snap decision. If you ask any reputable practitioner, this is a massive no-no.
“Unbelievably, these types of unethical online marketing tactics still occur. Avoid websites littered with unrealistic discounts, like ‘buy one get one free’ or procedures given away as competition prizes.
“You wouldn't book your boob job with a pushy salesperson at a consultation, so why let it happen online?”
Avoid companies that play on your insecurities
“Controversy was caused recently when cosmetic surgery ads were aired during the commercial breaks of Love Island. Campaigners said this was irresponsible because they glamorised and made light of cosmetic procedures while being watched by younger, more impressionable viewers.
“In the same vein, during your online search, steer clear of websites that use celebrity endorsements or offer photo-shoots and makeovers as incentives to sign up.
“No form of treatment should ever be trivialised (Botox parties: really?!) Similarly, claims attempting to play on your insecurities by making assertions you’ll be ‘happier’ or ‘more confident’ after a procedure should sound alarm bells.”
Decipher which reviews are trust-worthy (and not)
“Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee a glowing (or glowering) review of a cosmetic practice is the real deal. Although illegal under consumer protection legislation, there are scores of individuals who write fake reviews online in exchange for payment or free treatments. The writers create multiple usernames and emails for each review and make it look as though it’s posted in the UK, to fool controls on review sites.
“Cosmetic practices cannot always guarantee the veracity of consumer forums either, in case they breach patient confidentiality. This is the case for reviews that are both positive and negative. For this reason, more reliable platforms such as Trustpilot now use algorithms to electronically screen for false reviews, but there are techniques consumers can use to spot signs they may not be genuine too.
“Fabricated reviews tend to be more extreme and brevity can also be suspect as fake review mills may only pay a few pounds per review, so there’s an incentive for writers to dash them off quickly.
“Look at the times comments are uploaded. If suddenly a practice with no reviews or one every few months has five in a row all mentioning something similar, this suggests they might have paid for a batch to be uploaded at roughly the same time.
“Some of the most reputable review platforms also contain unbiased patient case studies, with access to before and after photos.”
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