When I first began working in aesthetics,
I was conscious that my patients were
coming to me with this real dichotomy in
their heads. On the one hand, they were
saying, ‘I look really tired and exhausted’, ‘I feel
old’ or ‘I feel bad about myself’. However in
the same breath they were also saying, ‘I feel
guilty’, ‘My partner doesn’t know I’m here’, or
‘I am selfish to be spending this much money’.
With a lack of data and peer-reviewed
studies about the role which guilt
and shame play in patients’ decisions
surrounding cosmetic treatments, any
discussion around it primarily revolves
around anecdotal in-clinic experience. From
conversations with colleagues, I know I am not
alone in hearing this narrative from patients.
These kinds of conversations are sadly
commonplace within our clinics, but why?
You wouldn’t go and have your hair cut and
say, ‘I feel terrible about spending this…
