Dr. Cris Andrade · Founder, Dr. Cris Studio
Every new patient who books a first medspa consultation with me in NYC asks some version of the same question before they arrive: what actually happens at a consultation? The honest answer is that it depends entirely on who is running it and at a boutique studio, it should feel very different from a chain appointment.
It is not a sales pitch. It is not a treatment menu walkthrough with pressure to choose. And it is not a skin scanner attached to a product-upselling machine.
It is between thrirty and forty-five minutes of looking at your face together carefully, without rushing and deciding what, if anything, would make it more like itself.
Here is what that looks like from the moment you arrive at 455 Madison Avenue inside Lotte NY Palace Hotel
Before You Book: What You Do Not Need to Do
You do not need to prepare. No photos, no makeup removal, no list of treatments you have researched. Come as you are, ideally without heavy foundation so I can read your skin and muscle tone clearly but even that is not a requirement.
What I do ask is that you come with your main concern in plain language. Not a treatment request. A feeling or a feature you want addressed: I look tired even when I am rested. My jawline has changed. I want to look like me but better. That is enough to start.
Arriving at Spa Level
We are on the spa level of 455 Madison Avenue, inside Lotte NY Palace Hotel reached by elevator from the main lobby. The building is in midtown corporate glass, suits, deliberate energy. The suite is the opposite: quiet, warm-lit, private.
There is no waiting room with before-and-after walls. There is no receptionist upselling product while you wait. You check in, sit for a few minutes, and then you are in a private room with me.
What I Am Actually Looking At
The consultation begins with observation, not conversation. I look at your face in natural light before I ask what is bothering you, because I do not want your stated concern to anchor my assessment before I have formed one independently.
I look at proportion first the relationship between your upper, middle, and lower thirds, and the balance across your features. My training began in maxillofacial surgery in Brazil, where facial proportion analysis is foundational clinical work before any procedure. I bring that structural lens to every assessment in this studio.
What I am specifically evaluating:
Volume. Where has volume shifted cheeks, temples, under-eye? Is the change from fat pad descent, bone resorption, or both? Does restoration make sense here, or would it add mass where structure is the actual issue?
Movement. How does your face move? Where is there overactivity — brow, masseter, neck bands and where has movement become absent? This is where I assess whether a neuromodulator applies, at what dose, and in which pattern. You can see our full range of Botox and Dysport services if you want to understand the options before your visit.
Skin quality. Texture, tone, sun damage, pore size. Injectables do not address skin quality I say this clearly, because some patients arrive expecting fillers to smooth their skin. If skin quality is part of your concern, that shifts the treatment plan entirely.
Structural asymmetry. Everyone has it. I note it, name it, and discuss what can be meaningfully addressed and what is anatomical meaning it is permanent and not worth trying to correct with temporary volume.
The Conversation
After I have looked, we talk.
I tell you what I see. I describe the specific anatomy I am working with, the options that apply to your goals, and what each one realistically does — and does not do. I use plain language rather than brand names: not “Juvederm” or “Sculptra” but “hyaluronic acid filler” and “calcium-based biostimulator.” Understanding what a product actually is helps you evaluate the recommendation rather than simply accept it.
I also tell you what I would not do. If I think something you have seen on Instagram would not serve your face, I say that. If I think you need nothing at all, I say that too. It happens more often than you might expect.
The questions I hear most often at this stage:
- Will it hurt?
- How long does it last?
- Will anyone be able to tell?
- What happens when it wears off will I look worse than before?
- Am I actually a good candidate for this?
I answer all of them in the room. For most patients: targeted Botox or conservative filler is comfortable, lasts four to twelve months depending on the product and area, and when done with restraint and proportion in mind is not visible as “work.” You look like yourself, rested and balanced. That is the goal every time.
The Plan
At the end of the consultation, I give you a recommendation. Not a quote. A real treasure map.
Here is what I see. Here is what I would address first. Here is what I would hold off on until we see how your face responds to the first session. Here is what is outside the scope of what I do in this setting.
The plan is always phased. I do not recommend addressing everything in a single visit partly because the face reveals itself over time, and partly because the cumulative result of moderation, repeated carefully, is better than trying to do everything at once.
If you want to treat on the same day and we have time, we can. If you want to sit with the plan and return when it feels right, that is equally welcome. There is no deposit forfeited. The only schedule is the one you choose.
The Botox Club Conversation
For patients whose main goals involve Botox or Dysport which describes most of my practice I always mention the Botox Club before we close.
The Botox Club is a prepaid maintenance membership that locks in your rate, ensures you are always seeing the same injector (me), and typically saves several hundred dollars per year compared to booking single sessions. If maintenance is part of your plan and for most Botox patients, it should be it changes the economics of aesthetics meaningfully.
I raise it at the consultation because it is relevant information for anyone thinking through their aesthetics budget. You can enroll at your first treatment or at any point afterward.
If We Treat on the Same Day
Roughly half of new patients treat at the consultation. The process is straightforward: I confirm your medical history, mark placement points, and work quickly. A full upper-face Botox treatment takes about fifteen minutes. Filler takes longer thirty to sixty minutes depending on area and volume.
You leave with brief aftercare guidelines (our Botox aftercare guide covers the first 48 hours in detail), a two-week follow-up appointment scheduled, and my direct contact for any questions between now and then.
The two-week follow-up is complimentary. It is where I assess placement and, if a small touch-up is warranted, add it at no additional charge. That visit matters it is where I learn how your face responds, and that shapes every recommendation going forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the initial consultation?
Forty-five minutes. That is enough time for a thorough facial assessment, a real conversation about your goals, and if you choose to treat a conservative first session completed in the same appointment.
Do I need to fill out paperwork before I arrive?
I send a brief intake form by text or email before your appointment. It covers medical history, current medications, and prior aesthetic treatments, and takes about five minutes to complete. Completing it beforehand means we spend the consultation talking, not typing.
Is there a consultation fee?
Yes. The consultation is $200, credited toward any treatment you book in the same day or few weeks ahead. I charge because a proper assessment takes real time and clinical expertise it is not a formality before a sale.
Can I bring someone with me?
Yes. I welcome guests, particularly for new patients who want a second perspective in the room. Please mention it when booking so we can accommodate everyone comfortably.
What if I decide not to treat after the consultation?
That is completely fine. You leave with a clear picture of your options and a $200 credit on file, valid for 15 days. Many patients return weeks or even months later when the timing feels right.
Do I need to stop any medications before my first visit?
For the consultation alone, no changes are needed. If same-day treatment is likely, I will ask you to avoid blood thinners such as aspirin, ibuprofen, fish oil, vitamin E for 24 to 48 hours before Botox, and longer before filler. I flag this when you book if same-day treatment is a possibility.
Dr. Cris Andrade · Founder, Dr. Cris Studio
455 Madison Avenue, Spa Level, NY 10022 · 212-347-4708 · drcrisstudio.com
Ready to see what we can do? Book your consultation.