A second opinion
Assessment for people treated somewhere else
If you have had cosmetic treatment elsewhere and you are unhappy, uncertain, or simply do not know what was done to your face, you can come and have it looked at properly. No agenda, no pressure to book anything further.
You will get an honest explanation, in writing. That may be all you need.
- 01Assessed by Dr Chahal, not delegated
- 023D imaging and ultrasound where it helps
- 03No obligation to have anything done here
If something is acutely wrong, this is not the page you need. Sudden severe pain, skin turning white or dusky, vision changes, spreading redness with fever, or difficulty swallowing or breathing after a cosmetic procedure need urgent medical attention. Go to your nearest emergency department or call 000. Do not wait for an appointment with us.
Why people come for this
Most people who ask for a second opinion are not in any danger. They are unsettled. Something looks different from what they expected, or one side does not match the other, or they were never told exactly what was used and now they want to know.
Often they have already asked and not felt they got a straight answer. Sometimes they feel foolish for asking at all, which they should not.
An assessment is simply someone qualified looking carefully, measuring rather than guessing, and telling you what they see in plain language — including when the honest answer is that nothing is wrong.
What an assessment can and cannot settle
Worth knowing before you book, so the appointment is useful rather than disappointing.
| What is worrying you | What assessment can establish | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Asymmetry | Whether it is measurable or within the natural asymmetry every face has | Often reassurance and imaging. Sometimes a plan, sometimes time. |
| It looks overdone | What is structural, what is swelling, and what may settle on its own | Frequently the advice is to wait. Time resolves more than people expect. |
| You do not know what was used | Imaging can show where material sits and how tissue has responded | A written summary you can keep and take anywhere. |
| A result faded quickly | Whether expectations, technique or your own biology explain it | An honest view on whether repeating it is worth your money. |
| Lumps, firmness or texture change | Whether it is superficial, deeper, or something needing a medical opinion | Referral where that is the right answer. |
| Something feels wrong and you cannot name it | A methodical look at the whole face rather than the one spot | Frequently the most useful appointment of the lot. |
Not everything can be undone, and some things should not be. Where that is the case you will be told plainly rather than sold a solution.
What we will not do
- We will not criticise the person who treated you. We were not there, we do not know what was discussed, and running down another practitioner tells you nothing useful about your face.
- We will not use your concern to sell you a plan. You can leave with an explanation and nothing booked. That is a perfectly good outcome.
- We will not pretend to certainty we do not have. Imaging shows a great deal. It does not show everything.
- We will not treat on the day you first raise it. Second opinions deserve thinking time, not momentum.
What the appointment involves
- BeforeBring whatever you have — treatment records, product names, dates, your own photographs. Anything is better than nothing, and nothing is still fine.
- On the dayHistory, examination, and 3D imaging so there is a measured baseline. Ultrasound where seeing beneath the surface adds something.
- The explanationWhat we see, in plain language, including the parts that are not flattering to anyone — us included.
- AfterwardsA written summary. It is yours. Take it to another clinic if you want a third opinion; that is a reasonable thing to want.
Fees
- Focused Consultation — one specific concern, with Dr Chahal. $150.
- Full Strategy Session — the whole picture, 3D imaging and a written roadmap. $250.
Most second opinions suit the Focused Consultation. If you are unsure which to book, call us on (02) 8074 1559 and we will put you in the right one — and tell you if you have booked the wrong one rather than proceed regardless.
When we will send you elsewhere
If what you need is surgical, you will be referred for a surgical opinion. If a finding is medical rather than cosmetic, you will be referred appropriately and promptly.
If the honest answer is that your original practitioner is best placed to review their own work, we will say that too. It is often true, and it is not a fobbing-off.
All medical procedures carry risk, and individual results vary. Suitability for any treatment is determined at assessment, not on the phone.
Common questions
Will you tell me the other clinic did something wrong?
We will tell you what we see on your face today. We will not pass judgement on a practitioner whose consultation we did not attend and whose reasoning we do not know. A poor outcome and poor treatment are not the same thing.
Do I need my records?
They help, and you are entitled to request them. But come without them if that is easier — the examination and imaging still tell us a great deal.
Can everything be corrected?
No. Some things settle with time, some can be improved, and some are best left alone. You will be told which is which rather than given an optimistic answer.
Am I wasting your time if nothing is wrong?
No. Being told your face is within normal variation, with imaging to show it, is a legitimate and common outcome. People often leave considerably lighter.
Will you push me to have treatment here?
No. You can take the written summary and do nothing at all with it.
What if I am embarrassed?
Nobody here thinks less of you for asking. It is a reasonable question about your own face and you are entitled to a proper answer.
Have it looked at properly
An hour, an honest explanation and something in writing. Whatever you decide to do afterwards is up to you.
240 Riley St, Surry Hills · (02) 8074 1559
