What a Good Medspa Consultation Actually Looks Like
Published 2026-02-27 • Summer House Editorial Team
The consultation is the most important part of any medspa visit, and most people don't know what a good one looks like because they've never had one. A useful consultation isn't a 15-minute pitch for a treatment package. It's a real conversation that helps both you and your provider understand your goals, your history, and what's actually going to work for your face. Here's what that looks like in practice.
What Should Happen Before Treatment Is Discussed
A complete intake should come first. That means a thorough health history — current medications (especially blood thinners, antibiotics, and anything that affects healing), previous aesthetic treatments, allergies, and any relevant medical conditions. This isn't bureaucratic box-checking; it directly affects what's safe and appropriate for you. A provider who skips or rushes the intake is cutting a corner that matters.
The provider should also look at your face — really look at it, in good lighting, from multiple angles — before recommending anything. Good injectors assess the face holistically: bone structure, muscle activity, volume distribution, skin quality, and how you move when you talk and make expressions. An assessment done from across the room or based primarily on what you point to misses too much.
The Conversation About Goals
After the assessment, the conversation should open up around what's bothering you, what you're hoping to change, and what your past experience with treatments has been. A skilled provider will ask follow-up questions that help them understand not just what you want but what 'good' looks like to you — whether that's subtle, natural maintenance or more visible improvement. That nuance changes the treatment plan significantly.
A good consultation will also include honest conversation about what's achievable and what isn't. If you're hoping for a result that isn't realistic with injectables alone, a trustworthy provider tells you that — even if it means referring you to a different specialist or recommending a less expensive treatment than what you came in asking about. Honesty in this conversation is a feature, not a disappointment.
What a Treatment Recommendation Should Include
Before you leave a consultation, you should understand: what treatment is being recommended, why that treatment for your specific concern, approximately how much product will be used and what it will cost, what the recovery looks like, and what follow-up to expect. If you can't answer all five of those questions at the end of the consultation, something was left out.
You should also feel like your questions were welcomed, not managed. A consultation that feels like a pitch — where the goal is to close you on a treatment package today — is a different animal than one where the goal is to get to the right plan. You should leave a good consultation feeling informed and confident, not rushed or pressured. If you don't, take your time before booking.
FAQ
Is it okay to go to a consultation and not book anything?
Absolutely. A consultation is information-gathering, not a commitment. Reputable providers understand that. If you feel pressured to book during the consultation, that's a red flag about the practice culture, not a sign you should book.
How long should a good consultation take?
For a first visit, 30 to 45 minutes is a reasonable window for a thorough consultation. It shouldn't feel rushed. Follow-up appointments with an established client can be shorter because the baseline is already established. If your first consultation is under 15 minutes, important things were probably skipped.
Need help now?
Book a consultation at Summer House Medspa — we take the time to understand your goals before recommending anything.