Launching a career in aesthetic medicine is an exciting endeavour, offering practitioners the opportunity to combine medical expertise with artistry. However, the early stages of practice can be fraught with avoidable missteps. Some of which may carry clinical, reputational, or even legal consequences.
At Enhance Insurance, we work closely with aesthetic professionals at every stage of their career. Here are five common mistakes we see new practitioners make, with advice on how you can avoid them to build a safe, successful, and sustainable practice.
1. Underestimating the importance of informed consent
The mistake: Failing to provide comprehensive, procedure-specific informed consent or using generic consent forms that donāt reflect the nuances of aesthetic procedures.
The risk: Without thorough documentation, practitioners expose themselves to liability in the event of a complication or patient dissatisfaction. Aesthetics is a field where patient expectations are often high and subjective, making strong documentation essential.
How to avoid it: Develop a detailed consent process for each service offered. Include information on realistic outcomes, potential side effects and complications, downtime, and follow-up expectations. Ensure patients have adequate time to ask questions and that all consent is documented and signed prior to treatment.
2. Skipping business and risk management training
The mistake: Focusing exclusively on clinical skills without learning about business operations, compliance, and professional liability.
The risk: Many new practitioners enter aesthetics from traditional healthcare backgrounds and may not be prepared for the entrepreneurial aspects of the field. These can include regulatory compliance, marketing ethics, complaint management and proper documentation for insurance purposes.
How to avoid it: Invest in training that covers medical aesthetics from a business and legal standpoint. There are many courses available, with lots of useful business-related content covered in the major UK conferences such as ACE, CCR, Face and Aesthetic Medicine Live. You could also consider working with a mentor or business consultant, and partner with an insurance provider that understands the aesthetic landscape to guide you on cover, incident response, and risk mitigation.
3. Overextending scope of practice
The mistake: Performing treatments or using products without adequate training or experience, especially under pressure to meet patient demands.
The risk: Errors related to dosage, technique, or patient selection can lead to adverse outcomes, and may not be covered by insurance if performed outside your licensed or insured scope of practice.
How to avoid it: Only offer services for which you have received thorough, hands-on training and are legally permitted to perform in your profession. Maintain detailed records of your credentials, CPD courses, and certifications. When in doubt, consult with your insurer or legal advisor.
4. Neglecting post-treatment follow-up and documentation
The mistake: failing to implement standardised post-treatment protocols, including follow-up communication, photography, and complication tracking.
The risk: Poor follow-up can compromise patient satisfaction, delay identification of complications, and weaken your defense in a complaint or claim situation.
How to avoid it: Establish a routine follow-up protocol for every procedure. Use high-quality before-and-after photos (with consent), track any adverse events meticulously, and document all follow-up communications in the patient record. This not only protects your practice but also enhances the patient experience.
5. Choosing inadequate or non-specialised insurance cover
The mistake: Assuming general medical or beauty insurance will cover aesthetic procedures or opting for the cheapest policy without reading the exclusions.
The risk: You may find yourself without cover if a claim arises from a procedure not explicitly listed in your policy or if your provider doesnāt understand the complexities of the aesthetic field.
How to avoid it: Partner with an insurance provider that specialises in aesthetic medicine. At Enhance Insurance, we tailor our policies to match your actual procedures and scope of practice. We help ensure youāre covered for the services you provide, including injectables, energy-based devices, and medical-grade skincare treatments.
Setting yourself up for long-term success
The aesthetic industry offers immense potential, but also unique risks. By proactively addressing these five areas, new practitioners can set themselves up for a safer, more confident start in practice.
At Enhance Insurance, weāre here to help you navigate every step with specialised protection and real-world insight. Ready to review your policy or have questions about cover? Contact our team, we’re here to help.
