I thought I’d add my two penneth to this discussion! I only recently found out about the terrible reviews the CC has been getting, and am pretty shocked as I have always had reasonably good experiences with them. I’ve been a patient of theirs for 2+ years - I actually have an appointment booked in to see them in early July when they reopen, but when I booked it I wasn’t aware that all the doctors I was familiar with have now moved on!!
I’ve been getting lip filler from various places for 8 years, and to be honest, from experience, the Consultant Clinic are very good a what they do - or used to be at least. That was why I went to them in the first place, because I’d had bad experiences with too many people (both beauticians and nurses / doctors) who either didn’t know what they were doing or didn’t have an aesthetic eye. Both are very important obviously, but I think the importance of the latter is often overlooked. Just because someone is qualified to use fillers, doesn’t necessarily mean they have the eye for beauty and proportion necessary for an aesthetic artist.
It was mentioned by a few other users that they make you wait far beyond your appointment time - this was also my experience. There were a couple of occasions when I visited the clinic where I was left waiting for over an hour. Not the best if you’re working to a schedule, but honestly not dissimilar to my experience with other clinics. They often seem to leave you waiting for at least 20 minutes. The first time I went to CC, I saw Dr Joshua for lip filler - who is excellent btw, and such a lovely man. He, like many of the other ex CC staff, has since moved on and now has his own clinic in the same building (10 Harley Street!). I also saw Dr Natalie, Dr Sarah and Dr Josh on other occasions for cheek filler, botox & nose filler respectively - all very nice and I was very happy with the results (especially the nose filler, Dr Josh is so good at what he does).
Anyway, back to my first visit. Dr Josh recommended my previous filler should be dissolved, which had been done by other practitioners, so we could start again with a fresh slate. I was happy to do this and had anticipated it as my previous filler didn’t look great and had begun to migrate beyond my lip border. This took two separate sessions of injecting hyaluronidaise (very painful) to fully dissolve all the filler, spaced out over 2 weeks. I then came back on 2 separate occasions and had 1ml in my lips each time, with 6 weeks in between sessions. They do a full dental block and use a cannula, so you feel almost nothing. The downtime between appointment was annoying, almost 3 months to reach my goal, but I understood why it was necessary. My lips are already naturally full, and we agreed that any more than this would overwhelm my face.
On the second occasion, Dr James was also present, as well as Ffyona. Ffyona looks nothing like she does on Instagram, that much I can say. She’s quite an overbearing presence in person. I’d say this visit was my least favourite, since with Ffyona in the room Dr Josh and Dr James seemed distracted and they chatted and laughed amongst themselves, ignoring me completely. It was as if I wasn’t even in the room, despite the fact that they were sticking a cannula in my face, which I found unprofessional and rude. The focus should always be 100% on the client.
One thing I will say about CC is that the filler they use is superior to other clinics I have been to. There is method to their madness sometimes, and the reason they don’t use the same type of filler in the lips as other clinics is because some filler is more hydrophilic (such as Juvederm Smile) meaning it attracts water, which is one of the things that can cause it to migrate and lips to look swollen and duck-like. Also, I’m dubious about the people who had 1 ml of filler injected and thought it had ‘disappeared’ after a few weeks. I’m reality, 1ml of filler really isn’t very much. I don’t think many people who aren’t experienced with filler really understand this. It’s less that 0.17 of a teaspoon. Think of that, but divided between both of your lips. Once the swelling is settled, you really won’t see a huge difference in volume, which I think is why so many people seem to think their filler has disappeared after a couple of months. Firstly, you become accustomed to your new appearence, but secondly, 1ml is an incredibly subtle amount unless you have very thin lips to begin with - most people will not realise you have had anything done once the swelling has subsided. I agree with the assessment that most people need at least 2ml before they see a noticeable improvement. Bear in mind that the pictures you see on Instagram are usually taken immediately post procedure, so a lot of the plumpness is your body’s post inflammatory response.
In addition to this, from experience - filler lasts MUCH longer than the oft quoted ‘6-9 months’. When I first visited CC I hadn’t touched my lips for 3+ years and I still had filler build up in them, they looked more or less the same as they did when I first got them done, apart from the migration. I think this is one of the things that contributes to the overwhelming prevalence of the overfilled look we see everywhere today. It is very, very tempting to take the 6-9 months recommendation at face value and believe that you need to go back for a top up constantly. Less ethical places will just take your money and allow you to do this without giving you a reality check. This is how I got overfilled in the first place at other clinics. The Consultant Clinic, for all their problems, will never do this in good conscience, and I really believe this. They care too much about their reputation. However, who knows what the quality is like now all their best doctors have left.
I disagree with some people here, I think the work they do to call out unqualified beautician injectors in the UK is good and necessary. There are so many cowboys out there ruining people’s faces, and more than anything people need to be fully aware of the risks associated with going to someone who has no medical training. You are literally putting your life (and your face!) in their hands. Yes, CC is aggressive in their approach sometimes, but I can understand why they are so passionate, especially when they see the devastating effects it can have first-hand and are left to pick up the pieces. They also do a lot of good work for people with cleft palettes, which I believe they often do for free, something I think is admirable. However, I don’t agree with posts like the ones about Molly Mae. I think it’s quite unfair to use someone’s image as an example of bad work without first disguising their identity. It doesn’t matter how famous someone is, they’re still a human being with feelings.
I think I’ve sort of always been aware at a low level that their Instagram images are slightly doctored. Not excusing it, but they’re not the only ones that do this - Julie Horne is another. I think because everything always looks slightly too perfect (never any evidence of bruising for example, which even with the best injecting technique is not always 100% avoidable), but seeing the degree to which Ffyona edits her own features is worrisome.
Anyway, that’s my unbiased opinion on the subject! Apologies this was so long, lol! I think given everything I’ve read, until they begin to be more transparent and ethical, I don’t feel comfortable using the CC any more for my aesthetic work. I think I’m probably just going to take the hit to my finances and lose my deposit. I know Dr Sarah, Dr Ellie and Dr Melissa now have their own clinic after leaving CC and setting up together, so I may try to book with them instead. I only ever saw Dr Sarah, but I know from friends who saw Dr Ellie and Dr Melissa in particular that their work is excellent. I believe it was Dr Melissa who actually pioneered the CC lip technique and taught all the other CC doctors. CC still reposts her work all the time, despite the fact that she hasn’t worked there since the end of last year!
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