Questions to ask before choosing an injector
Ten questions worth asking before anyone injects your face, what a good answer sounds like, and why the ease of the answer tells you as much as the answer.
The short answer
Ask to see the product box, ask who is injecting you and what licence they hold, ask who the medical director is and whether they are on site, and ask what happens if there is a complication after hours. A practice comfortable with its answers will give them readily. Hesitation is itself information.
Take this with you
1. Which product are you using, and may I see the box? Good answer: the brand named without hesitation, and the sealed vial shown before anything is drawn up. The packaging carries a lot number and an expiry date.
2. Where do you buy it? Good answer: from the manufacturer's authorised distributor. The CDC found that people harmed by counterfeit botulinum toxin had received product bought outside that chain.
3. Who is injecting me, and what licence do they hold? Good answer: a name and a credential. In California, physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and registered nurses may inject. Licensed vocational nurses and medical assistants may not, under any level of supervision.
4. May I look up that licence? Good answer: yes, and here is the spelling. California publishes every medical and nursing licence free at mbc.ca.gov and rn.ca.gov.
5. Who is your medical director, and are they on site? Good answer: a named physician, a clear answer about presence, and no discomfort at being asked.
6. How much product will you use, and is that a full syringe? Good answer: a specific amount, and what it will and will not achieve.
7. What happens if I do not like the result? Good answer: a described process. For hyaluronic acid filler that usually includes dissolving, waiting, and reassessing.
8. What happens if there is a complication, tonight? Good answer: a name, a number, and a protocol. Filler complications can be time-critical. "Call the office in the morning" is not a protocol.
9. What are the risks for me specifically? Good answer: risks tied to your anatomy, your history and the area being treated, not a recital of the leaflet.
10. What happens if you think I should not have this treatment? Good answer: that it happens, and a description of when. A practice that has never turned anyone away is either very new or not really assessing.
The tenth question is the one that matters
Anyone can produce a confident answer to the first nine. The tenth asks whether the practice is willing to lose a booking, and it is the hardest to fake.
On being the person who asks
Some people feel awkward asking. It is worth saying plainly that this is a medical procedure, you are entitled to know what is being put into your body and by whom, and no reasonable practice will mind.
If a practice makes you feel difficult for asking, that is the answer to a question you did not have to ask.
Our answers
Every product is named on its box and shown to you before we begin. We use Botox, Dysport, Jeuveau, Xeomin, Daxxify, and HA fillers and biostimulators, and we tell you which and why.
Mallory David, MSN, FNP-BC injects. Joel Pengson, MD is the medical director and is on site. Both licences are public and linked from our about page.
Every treatment begins with a consultation, and there is no obligation to book on the day.
Questions people ask.
Is it normal to ask this many questions?
Yes. It is a medical procedure. Most practices would rather answer than treat someone who is uncertain.
What if I have already been treated somewhere without asking?
Most people are fine. If you have symptoms such as difficulty swallowing or breathing, blurred vision or unusual weakness after a botulinum toxin injection, seek medical care promptly and mention the injection.
Should I ask for before-and-after photos?
You can, and be aware that photographs are easy to source from elsewhere. Ask whether the photographs are of the practice's own patients and whether those patients gave permission.
Does a longer consultation mean a better practice?
Not necessarily, but an assessment that includes your medical history and what you are actually trying to achieve takes longer than a price quote.
What if I only want a small amount?
Say so. The questions above apply at any size, and a good practice will tell you if a small amount will not achieve what you are describing.
Reviewed by the Redefyn Aesthetics Medical Director · August 2026