Informed consent: what you are signing

Informed consent tends to be treated as the paperwork that delays the procedure. It gets signed fast, unread, so things can start.

Done that way, it serves none of its purposes — and the main one is yours, not the clinic's.

What informed consent actually is

The name has two words and both matter.

The two words

Consent: you authorize it. The decision is yours.

Informed: you authorize it knowing what is going to happen, what the risks are, what the alternatives are and what to expect.

A document signed without anyone having explained its content has the first word and not the second. It records an authorization, but it does not record an informed decision — which is what the instrument is supposed to document.

Medical history and consent are not the same thing

They are usually signed together and they run in opposite directions.

The medical history goes from you to the professional: you give information about your health so they can decide what is safe to do.

The consent goes from the professional to you: they give information about the procedure so you can decide whether you want it.

One collects, the other delivers. Confusing them is part of why the second turns into a formality.

What a good informed consent form contains

• A description of the procedure in plain language, not jargon
• The product that will be used, with name and registration
• The expected result — and, explicitly, that a result is not guaranteed
• Risks and adverse effects, from the common to the rare and serious
• Alternatives, including doing nothing
• What to do if something goes wrong, with a contact
• Aftercare instructions
• Costs, and what happens if a touch-up or correction becomes necessary
• A separate image release, where there is one — it should not be buried in the same block

On the image release

On that last item, a warning is in order: authorizing the use of your image for marketing is a decision independent of consent for the procedure. The two should not be tied together, and you can agree to one and refuse the other.

What it does not cover

A few points that regularly cause confusion.

Signing does not release anyone from anything. A consent form does not transfer responsibility for technical error, for negligence, or for a procedure outside the professional's scope. It documents that you were informed of the risks inherent to the procedure — not that you agreed to receive inadequate care.

A generic form is worth little. A document describing "aesthetic procedures" without specifying which one, where, with what and in what quantity has informed you of nothing.

Signed at the moment of treatment, it is worth less. Consent is read with time to think, not with the product already on the counter.

The right to time

This is the point least exercised and most important.

You have the right to take the form home, read it calmly, look up what you did not understand, and come back afterwards. An aesthetic procedure is elective — there is no urgency that justifies deciding on the spot.

A clinic that resists this is signalling something. One that offers it unprompted is signalling something too.

What to do if nobody explained it

If the form was handed over to sign with no explanation, the move is simple: ask for the explanation before signing.

Questions that return the document to its purpose:

• What are the most common risks, and what are the serious ones?
• What happens if I don't like the result?
• Is this product reversible?
• What is included if I need a touch-up or a correction?
• Can I take this home to read and come back tomorrow?

None of these is an aggressive question. They are exactly the questions the document should have answered.

Keep your copy

You have a right to a copy, and it matters.

If years later you need a correction, a second opinion or an investigation into what was used on you, that document — together with the product and batch record — is what makes it possible to reconstruct the history.

Plenty of people find this out too late, trying to remember what was used at a clinic that no longer exists.

When we don't go ahead

• When the person hasn't read the form. Signing without reading empties the document.
• When there is an unanswered question. The question gets resolved before, not after.
• When the person wants to sign on the day of the first consultation and did not ask for that. We offer the time.
• When the image release is being treated as a mandatory part. They are separate decisions.

Frequently asked questions

Does the consent form protect the clinic?

It documents that you were informed of the risks inherent to the procedure. It does not release anyone from responsibility for technical error or negligence.

Can I refuse to sign?

You can, and in that case the procedure is not performed. You can also ask for clarifications and adjustments before signing.

Do I have to authorize the use of my image?

No. It is a decision separate from consent for the procedure, and you can refuse without it affecting your care.

Am I entitled to a copy?

Yes. Keep it, along with the information on the product and batch used.

What if I signed without reading?

Ask for the explanation and a fresh read before the procedure. If it has already been done, request a copy of the form and of your chart — you are entitled to both.