Vet It Before You Get It: BCAM Urges Patients to Check Credentials Before Treatment

BCAM COO Sadie Van Sanden Cooke, outlines the urgent need for greater patient awareness and accountability in aesthetic medicine, as highlighted by BCAM’s “Vet It Before You Get It” campaign.

In a world where aesthetic treatments are more accessible than ever, one question matters above all else: who is holding the syringe or operating the laser?

That question was the driving force behind the launch of “Vet It Before You Get It”, a patient safety campaign created by the British College of Aesthetic Medicine (BCAM) to empower the public to make informed choices before undergoing cosmetic procedures.

The aesthetics sector has changed dramatically over the last decades. Treatments once considered niche are now part of everyday culture. Social media feeds are filled with lip filler transformations, wrinkle-relaxing injections, skin boosters, contouring treatments and “lunchtime procedures” promoted as quick, easy, and low risk. But behind the filters and flawless before-and-afters lies a serious issue: many patients still do not know how to distinguish between a medically trained professional and someone with little or no healthcare background.

At BCAM, we felt that had to change.

“Vet It Before You Get It” was created because patient safety should never be optional. While many practitioners work ethically and safely within aesthetic medicine, the sector still remains under-regulated in key areas, leaving the public vulnerable to poor practice, counterfeit products, unsafe environments, and in some cases, life-changing complications.

The campaign is not about fearmongering. It is about education, transparency, and empowering people to ask the right questions before agreeing to treatment.

Would you allow someone to perform a medical procedure without checking their qualifications? Would you board a plane without knowing whether the pilot was trained? Yet in aesthetics, patients are often making decisions based on Instagram followers, discount offers, or viral trends rather than clinical expertise.

That is exactly why we launched a straightforward, accessible pre-consultation safety checklist — encouraging patients to “vet” their practitioner before they “get” the treatment.

The campaign asks people to consider critical questions such as:
• Is the practitioner medically qualified and registered?
• Are they insured?
• What product is being used?
• Is there a plan in place for complications?
• Is the clinic operating safely and ethically?

These are not difficult questions. They are basic patient rights.

What makes the campaign particularly important is that aesthetics is not simply beauty — it is medicine. Injectables can occlude blood vessels. Poor practice can lead to infection, tissue necrosis, and even blindness. Energy-based devices and advanced procedures require deep anatomical knowledge, clinical judgement, and emergency preparedness. Patients deserve to understand that these are not casual beauty services; they are medical interventions.

But alongside the seriousness, there is also optimism.

The response to “Vet It Before You Get It” has shown that the public wants better standards. Practitioners want accountability. Healthcare professionals across the sector want safer regulation and clearer pathways for patients. The campaign has become a unifying message: informed patients create a safer sector.

Ultimately, “Vet It Before You Get It” is about shifting the culture of aesthetics from impulsive decisions to informed decisions. It is about reminding people that qualifications matter, safety matters, and transparency matters.

Because when it comes to your face, your health, and your wellbeing, asking questions should never feel uncomfortable.

In fact, the right practitioner will welcome them.