In this video FAQ, Adrian Richards, Clinical Director of Cosmetic Courses answers the question “how to correctly take before and after photos of your patient”…

First things first, the most important thing is that you take a pre-treatment photo of your patient. There is only one chance to get this before the treatment begins. You need to make sure this is clear and precise and something both yourself and the patient can refer back to as changes are made.

Here are some key elements of getting the perfect photos:

  1. Same lighting- it’s important you have good lighting in your photos. Having a specific light used in each photo can make sure they all look consistent. If the picture is too dark, you will not be able to fully appreciate changes over time. If the picture is too light it can be over exposed, hiding any ageing. You need to be honest with your photos, so you need a natural photo with no editing.
  2. Same camera-make sure to use the same camera in all of your before and after photos. Cameras are set up individually and  will take their own style of shot. If you keep changing between cameras the photos will look different from each other and can make for an untidy album.
  3. Same distance- it may be worth marking out on the floor where your patient should stand and where the camera shot should be taken from. If you are too far away on the before and too close on the after it could show a difference that you are not after as you will be focusing more on the face than before. We recommend standing further away, new cameras are good at picking up more from a distance. Also it is much less invasive for the patient!

The main thing you need to remember is consistency. Your picture angles, lighting and distances need to be the same so you can really see what’s different between each one. This will also show your work off better when you’re marketing your treatments.

Aesthetic Training at Cosmetic Courses

At Cosmetic Courses we pride ourselves on the support we provide you once you have completed your aesthetic training.

Our experience in medical aesthetics has taught us that is can be very daunting setting yourself up as an aesthetic practitioner. Therefore we do as much as we can to support you with both clinical and business advice.

Aesthetics is a journey. It requires determination and dedication but is an extremely rewarding career path. For more information on our aesthetic training courses or to speak to our friendly team about your training options please feel free to contact us.