Have You Had It Done Yourself? How to Answer This Question

"Have you had it done yourself?" is a question about trust. The patient wants to know whether the person about to treat their face believes in what they do, and knows what it is like on the other side. Answering it sincerely is both simple and delicate: the true answer may be "yes", "no" or "some of it", and all three call for care.

This page shows how to answer with transparency, without turning the answer into a sales argument. The content is about communication, and clinical conduct is at the discretion of the qualified professional, according to the rules of their professional council (in Brazil, CFM, CFO and others).

What does the patient want to know?

Behind the question there are others:

1. Trust. "Would you do it on yourself?"
2. Empathy. "Do you know what it's like to go through this?"
3. Result. "Can I see how it turned out on you?"
4. Informal credential. "Do you believe in what you sell?"

Understanding which one weighs most helps you answer. If it is empathy, talk about what you know of the experience. If it is trust, talk about training and judgment. If it is the result, be careful.

Answer truthfully

The rule is simple: say what is true, and only that. Do not make up that you did, do not lie that you did not. If you have had something done, you can say so; if not, you can say that too. What matters is that the answer does not create an expectation or pressure.

If you have had it done

Say it simply and hand the conversation back to the patient:

If you have not

Say it without embarrassment:

If you have had part of it done

Be clear: "I've had it in some areas, but not all". Avoid suggesting that everything was tested on you.

Why shouldn't the answer become a sales argument?

There are three risks in using your own experience as proof:

There is also the opposite risk: if the experience was bad, the patient may give up out of fear, even if that does not reflect their case. In both cases, the focus needs to return to the patient.

Examples of phrases that work

• "Yes, I have, but your face is different, so it isn't a comparison."
• "I haven't, but what gives me confidence is my training and the follow-up I provide."
• "I can talk about what I felt, but what matters is what makes sense for you."
• "I'd rather not mix my experience with your assessment."
• "Is there anything specific you'd like to know about what it's like? I'm happy to answer."

If the patient wants to know about the sensation (pain, swelling, recovery time), answer with general information and make clear that experience varies. On the topic of pain, see patient asks if it hurts.

What if the patient asks to see photos of you?

There is a delicate line here. Showing your own face in the consultation is a personal decision, but the image can be read as a "result". Precautions:

• say that it is a personal image, not a clinical result;
• avoid presenting it as a "before and after" of a procedure;
• do not use it in advertising without observing your council's rules. See what can be advertised, CFO and CONAR;
• never compare it with the patient's face.

If the clinic has result photos of patients, their use depends on authorization and the applicable rules. See patient asks how many cases you have done and saying no to a request to see other patients' photos.

How to show transparency without overexposing yourself?

Transparency is not telling everything. It is answering truthfully what is asked and not hiding what matters for the decision. Some practices:

• Training and qualification. Say what you have, according to your council's rules.
• Method. Explain how you assess and how you plan.
• Limits. Say what you do not do or do not recommend.
• Follow-up. Explain what aftercare looks like and who responds.
• Risks. Talk about them without dramatizing or hiding them.

That answers the underlying question: "can I trust you?". And the answer does not depend on having had it done yourself.

What if the question is a provocation?

Some patients ask to test you. The best answer is calm and short, without being defensive:

Do not get drawn into a discussion about your personal life. The limit is yours: you decide how much to share.

What should be recorded?

There is no need to record the question itself, but if it influenced the patient's decision, a line in the patient record is worthwhile. Informed consent must be based on the patient's assessment and the risks, not on your personal experience. The duty to inform refers to what the patient needs to know to decide, not to what you had done on yourself.