Before you arrive
The most useful consultations start before the appointment. Spend a few minutes in front of a mirror in daylight and note, as plainly as you can, the two or three things that bother you. Not the procedure you think you need, the thing you see.
If you have older photographs of yourself, bring a couple. They are the clearest reference we have for what "looking like myself" actually means to you.
What to bring
A current list of medications and supplements, including anything over the counter. Several common supplements affect bleeding and change how we plan the weeks before surgery.
Your medical history, any prior surgical reports if you have had facial work before, and the name of your primary physician.
Questions worth asking
Ask what the surgeon would do if this were their own face, and what they would leave alone. Ask how many of this specific operation they perform each year. Ask to see results on patients whose starting point resembles yours, not just the most dramatic cases.
You should leave with a written plan, a realistic recovery timeline, and an all-inclusive quote. If any of those are missing, ask for them.
After the visit
There is no expectation that you decide in the room. Most patients take the plan home, sit with it, and come back with a second round of questions. That second conversation is often the more important one.
