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Before your first consultation: what to tell the doctor, what to ask, and what happens when you send a request

Reviewed by a physician · October 28, 2026 · This piece makes no medical claims

Take your full health history and your own questions to a first consultation. On Glojour, a consultation request is a written first message to one verified doctor: it is not a booking, and the form says it is not a medical appointment.

Written by Glojour EditorialPublished October 29, 2026Updated October 29, 2026

Two cups of tea facing each other on a small round wooden table by a window, with a folded linen napkin, a sheet of cream paper folded once and a short coral pencil between them, in soft morning light. — Image: Generated image · Glojour art direction

What should I tell the doctor?

Tell the doctor why you want the treatment, your full health history, and the practical facts that shape any plan: timing, travel and language.¹²³⁴

Say why you would like the treatment and what outcome you hope for; UK guidance tells doctors to ask about both.¹ Decide what would count as a success for you, so the surgeon can tell you whether that is realistic.²

Mention every medical condition, even one that gives you no symptoms now, and every medicine you take.² Be ready to discuss drug allergies, vitamins and herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco and drug use, and previous surgeries as well.³ Say how any earlier cosmetic procedures turned out and how you felt about them.⁵ Turkey's patient rights regulation asks the same of a patient receiving care: past illnesses, treatments, procedures and current medicines, as completely and accurately as possible.⁶

Say when you would like the treatment and how much time off you could take, and ask how long recovery is likely to be.² If you would travel, say where you live, and find out where follow-up will happen and how long it will be before you can return home.⁴⁷ Name the language you want to speak, because the doctor needs to explain the procedure in one you understand.⁴⁷

Try it

What to tell and what to ask: build your list

Three questions choose which of these points go on your list: things to tell the doctor about yourself, and questions to put to them, each with the reason. Your answers only pick the points; they say nothing about you or about any treatment.

What I would like to change, and whyUK guidance tells doctors to start here: why you would like the treatment and the outcome you hope for. 1 2 12
What a good result would look like for meOnce you know what would count as a success for you, the surgeon can tell you whether that is realistic. 2
Any medical conditions I have, even ones with no symptoms nowUK surgeons advise telling them about every condition, even one that causes no symptoms at the time, and Turkey's patient rights regulation asks for past illnesses too. 2 6
Every medicine I take, including vitamins and herbal supplementsUK surgeons advise telling them every medicine you take, and US plastic surgeons add vitamins and herbal supplements to the list. 2 3 6
Any allergies I have, especially to medicinesDrug allergies are among the things US plastic surgeons ask you to be ready to discuss. 3
Whether I smoke, and how much alcohol I drinkUS plastic surgeons ask you to be ready to discuss alcohol, tobacco and drug use. 3
Procedures I have had before, cosmetic or not, and how they wentUS and UK surgeons' guidance puts previous surgeries, and how earlier cosmetic procedures turned out for you, in the discussion before surgery. 3 5 6
When I would like it done, and how much time off I could takeUK surgeons suggest asking how long recovery is likely to be and whether you will need time off work. 2 5
Where I live, and how I would get follow-up care if I travelIf you travel for treatment, UK and international advice is to find out where follow-up will be and how long before you can return home. 4 7
The language I would like to speak with the doctor and the teamThe doctor needs to explain the procedure in a language you understand, and the staff who care for you should speak it too. 4 7
Who would do the procedure, and would I meet them before deciding?The NHS advises a consultation with the person who will do the procedure before you make your final decision. 6 8 13
What are the most common complications, and what happens if one occurs?The NHS suggests asking about the most common complications, and Turkey's patient rights regulation says a patient is told the possible complications. 6 8
Who looks after me afterwards, and whom do I call out of hours?The NHS suggests asking what aftercare to expect and who provides it, and UK surgeons say the out-of-hours contact should be a named doctor. 2 8
Will I need an in-person consultation before anything is decided?The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons says a virtual consultation should only be an introduction, the NHS advises two consultations with the surgeon before any surgery, and UK doctors must examine you before prescribing injectable cosmetic medicines. 1 4 9
What are the alternatives, including doing nothing?The Royal College of Surgeons puts the alternatives, including doing nothing, into the discussion before surgery, and the NHS says the surgeon should explain them. 4 5

What should I ask?

Ask who would do the procedure, what the most common complications are, who looks after you afterwards, and whether you will meet in person before anything is decided.⁸⁹

Ask, too, whom to call with a problem out of hours; the answer should be a named doctor who can deal with complications.² The alternatives, including doing nothing, belong in the discussion as well.⁵⁴ In Turkey, the patient rights regulation says a patient is told who will carry out a procedure, where and how, the other options and the possible complications.⁶

For a nose, the questions go further: see what to ask before rhinoplasty. To hear from people who have been through it, ask the community.

What happens when you send a request on Glojour?

You send one verified doctor a written message about one treatment, and the conversation can carry on in a chat on Glojour.¹⁰

You need to be signed in, and a request can only go to a doctor whose verification is complete and who is not suspended.¹⁰¹¹ The request form sits on a doctor's profile; the list of verified doctors is one place to begin.¹⁰

The form requires two things: the treatment, chosen from those the doctor lists, and your message, which can run to 1,000 characters.¹⁰ The phone number is optional, there "in case the doctor would rather call"; leave it out and your request still goes, and you carry on in chat.¹⁰ A budget is optional too, with "Prefer not to say" among the choices, and you can name a day you would prefer.¹⁰

Above the fields the form says: "This is not a medical appointment. Do not share urgent health concerns here."¹⁰ Below them: "A consultation is a conversation, you can walk away at any time."¹⁰ Once you send it, the message on screen says the doctor can review your request and continue with you through chat.¹⁰ If they do, a note at the top of the chat says that the doctor or their clinic team may reply.¹⁰

What can a written first exchange not do?

A written first exchange does not replace an in-person consultation with the person who would treat you; it is an introduction.⁹⁸ Glojour's chat says so too: "Messages are informational and not a substitute for an in-person consultation."¹⁰

Before surgery, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons calls a face-to-face consultation, with a thorough clinical and psychological evaluation, essential.⁹ UK guidance also says consent must be sought by the professional who will carry out the procedure or supervise it, and that a doctor must examine you before prescribing injectable cosmetic medicines.¹ The NHS advises two consultations with the surgeon treating you, which gives a cooling-off period, normally two weeks in the UK.⁴ The Royal College of Surgeons advises at least two weeks after your consultation with the operating surgeon to think it through.²⁵ Wherever you are treated, ask how long you will have to decide.

UK surgeons also say a surgeon should do what they think is best for you, even if that means turning you down.²

What stays in your hands?

You decide who can contact you, whether to carry on and, before any treatment, whether to go ahead.¹⁰¹

New doctors cannot contact you on Glojour until you switch on "Doctors may contact me", which is off by default.¹⁰ The request form has the same box, unticked, and ticking it switches the setting on for your whole account, not only for the doctor you are writing to.¹⁰ You can switch it off again in your settings.¹⁰

You can stop replying whenever you choose.¹⁰ Closer to treatment, UK guidance tells doctors to say that you can change your mind at any point,¹² and in Turkey a patient may refuse a planned treatment or ask for it to stop, except where the law requires it.⁶

Questions people ask

Is a consultation request a booking?

No. On Glojour it is a request, not a booking, and the request form says it is not a medical appointment. It is a written first message to one verified doctor, who can continue with you in chat. 10

What should I expect at a plastic surgery consultation?

Expect to talk about your goals, medical conditions, drug allergies, medicines and supplements, alcohol, tobacco and drug use, and previous surgeries. For a liposuction consultation, for example, US plastic surgeons say the surgeon will also evaluate your general health, take photographs, and discuss your options, the likely outcomes and the risks. UK surgeons describe it as a detailed discussion, so that you are clear about surgery before you give your consent. 2 3

Is talking to a surgeon online enough before surgery?

Not by UK standards. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons says virtual consultations should only be an introduction and a face-to-face consultation is essential before surgery, and the NHS advises two consultations with the surgeon treating you before any surgery. 4 9

Do I have to give my phone number?

No. On Glojour's request form the phone number is optional: leave it out and your request still goes, and you carry on in chat. 10

Can I change my mind after sending a request?

Yes. The request form calls a consultation a conversation you can walk away from at any time, and you can stop replying. Before any treatment, UK surgeons say you can change your mind at any point, and in Turkey a patient may refuse a planned treatment except where the law requires it. 2 6 10

Next steps on Glojour

Share your own experienceYour journey, in your words. You choose what others see.

Sources

Every number and medical claim above links to one of these. Checked October 7, 2026.