How to Use the Zone Map in the Conversation With the Patient

When the consultation reaches the planning stage, the patient needs to see the plan. A spoken list of areas, volumes and products is hard to retain, and the result is a patient who nods without really understanding what will happen. The zone map solves this: it turns the plan into something visual, area by area, tied to the concern.

But the map also carries a risk. The more areas that appear, the greater the chance that the patient leaves with the impression that their face has many problems. The right use is selective and conversational.

What is the zone map?

It is a view of the face divided into treatable areas, where you point to where something will be done. In practice it can be a drawing, a photo with markings or an app screen. In any format, it should answer three questions from the patient:

1. Where exactly will it be done?
2. Why there?
3. What does it change, and what does it not change?

The areas are also organized into thirds (upper, middle and lower), and understanding that logic helps explain the whole. See upper third, middle third and lower third.

How do I show the map without overwhelming the patient?

A few principles:

• Show only the areas in the plan. The rest stays out, unless the patient asks.
• Start with the main concern. The first area shown should be the one that prompted the visit.
• One area at a time. Explain each one before moving to the next.
• Use the patient's language. "The area around the eyes" before "tear trough."
• Pause and ask. After each area, check that it makes sense.

How do I tie each area to the concern?

This is the most important part. The patient only accepts the plan well when they can see the thread connecting what they said and what you propose.

Each row ties concern, area and explanation without a promise. See the details of each area in Harmy's areas.

How do I let the patient remove items?

Letting the patient remove items is a sign of respect, and it often increases trust in the rest of the plan. To do it well:

1. Say explicitly that they can remove any area.
2. Explain, without pressure, how each removal affects the whole.
3. Offer the option of doing it in stages.
4. Record what was removed and why.

The use of stages is covered in staged simulation for the patient, and prioritization in the patient's priority list.

And how does the quote fit in?

If the map helps tie concern to area, the quote should follow the same logic. Each area on the map matches a line on the quote, and removing an area from the map removes the line. This keeps the conversation consistent. The script is in how to explain the quote by area.

How does Harmy organize the areas?

The app works with nine marking points: Glabella, Temple, Tear Trough, Cheekbone, Nasolabial Fold, Mouth Corner, Lips, Chin and Jawline. You tap the points of the areas to treat, set the ml for each one and the intensity, and create the projection.

To get to this point, it helps to know how to mark areas and volumes.

What if the patient wants to add areas?

It happens, especially after seeing the projection. The answer depends on the reason. If it comes from a real concern, add it and redo the plan. If it comes from an impulse ("while I'm here, let's also do..."), it is worth slowing down and going back to the priorities. The topic appears in the patient asks for more in the simulation.

Checklist

A well-used map makes the plan readable. The patient leaves knowing what will be done, where and why, with control of the decision in their hands.