Safety comes first.
Aesthetic treatments are medical procedures. This guide helps you ask the right questions before, during and after treatment.
Check who is treating you
Treatments such as botulinum toxin injections, dermal fillers, chemical peels and laser procedures should be performed by a doctor with appropriate training. Botulinum toxin is a prescription-only medicine.
In Croatia you can check doctors in the register of the Croatian Medical Chamber. Feel free to ask about their specialty and their training in aesthetic medicine.
Expect a proper examination
Before suggesting a treatment, the doctor should take your history (conditions, medication, allergies, pregnancy, breastfeeding, previous procedures), examine you and talk through what you hope to achieve. Sometimes the best advice is that you do not need a treatment, or that it is not right for you.
Treatments are not chosen from a price list or over a social media message.
Informed consent
Before a procedure you have the right to a clear explanation: what will be done and with which product, the expected effects, possible side effects and complications, recovery time and the alternatives, including doing nothing.
Consent is given in writing, once all your questions have been answered. You have the right to time to think, and the right to change your mind.
Know what is being used
Ask for the product name, the manufacturer and the batch (LOT) number, and ask for them to be recorded in your medical file. Medicines must be authorised, and medical devices such as dermal fillers must carry the CE mark.
In Croatia, information on medicines and medical devices is published by HALMED, the Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices.
Realistic expectations
Every body responds differently. A responsible doctor will explain what you can realistically expect but will not guarantee a result. “Before and after” photos of other patients do not predict your outcome.
Warning signs
Be careful if you notice any of the following:
- the treatment is offered outside a healthcare facility, for example in a salon or at a home “party”
- the procedure is carried out by someone who is not a doctor or will not say who they are
- there is no examination, no medical history and no written consent
- a guaranteed or permanent result is promised
- you feel pressured, for example by a “today only” discount for deciding on the spot
- you cannot find out the name of the product being used
- the price is unusually low
- an aesthetic treatment is offered to a minor without a medical reason
If something is wrong
After treatment you should receive written instructions and a way to contact the doctor in case of complications. If you notice severe or increasing pain, a change in skin colour (pale, greyish or bluish), problems with your vision, difficulty breathing or signs of infection, contact the doctor who treated you straight away or call emergency services: 194 or 112 in Croatia.
Suspected side effects of medicines and incidents involving medical devices can be reported to HALMED.
How we communicate
On this website you will not find “before and after” photos, treatment prices or promises of results. That is deliberate. The Association does not advertise healthcare services: it informs, educates and advocates safe practice.