Neutralizing of Estheticians

 Neutralizing of Estheticians

Below is an excerpt from Chapter 6 of "The Heart of Esthetics" book (2nd edition) which will be available very soon. Stay tuned here for updates.  

neu-tra-lize

verb

render (something) ineffective by applying an opposite force or effect.

ELIMINATING ESTHETICIANS FROM THE SKIN CARE EQUATION

It would be wonderful if we could blame somebody else for the neutralizing of Estheticians, but you know who is the biggest culprit? ESTHETICIANS!. Think about that for a moment.

We want clients and the general public to believe that we are trained esthetics professionals, that we are educated in esthetics and knowledgeable about skin conditions, that we use the highest-quality professional skin care products, and that we are trained to know which products and which treatments will provide optimum result for clients based upon all those variables which we are educated about.

We want clients to believe that they can trust us and rely on our guidance. In essence, we want them to believe, as we do, that Estheticians are a very necessary component of their skin care journey.

However, when a licensed Esthetician is giving facials without first requiring a detailed consultation, skin analysis and intake process -- in other words, no detailed gathering of important information -- or when an Esthetician is selling professional skin care products on Amazon or on their own open-to-the-public e-store, or when an Esthetician is uploading all sorts of trade secrets to YouTube, we are literally screaming to the world: ESTHETICIANS ARE NOT NECESSARY IN THE SKIN CARE EQUATION!

And in that case, what is the point of having a facial? You can do it at home because we have taught you everything you need to know online.

It is a puzzle to me why anyone would go all the way through Esthetician school (which is not cheap!) and then bypass their training and knowledge to work as a salesperson, selling products direct to the public.

UNDER-TRAINED, OVER PROMISING, NOT WITHIN SCOPE OF LICENSE

If an Esthetician is going to offer a service, he or she must be properly trained to perform that service. This is a safety issue. Clients have a right not to be harmed, as well as a right to expect that they will be receiving what is promised. Here’s a list of common issues that can happen due to improper training or carelessness. 

• Clients are being harmed
• A client’s legal right not to be harmed is being denied
• Dangerous chemicals are being used on or near the client
• Sanitation practices are poor, such as improper cleaning and improper storage, which can result in infections
• Contraindications are being overlooked or ignored
• Wax burns, peel burns. These happen all the time. (This is the reason that a detailed intake is important, as well as the use of consent forms.)

No intake process – Decades ago when esthetics was more of a “fluff & puff” service, perhaps a detailed intake process was less essential. However, things have changed.

• Today’s skin care products are more active than they used to be.
• These days, clients are partaking in injectables more than ever which means that an Esthetician may have to modify his or her facial services to accommodate recent injection sites.
• We use more electrical equipment than we used to which may require additional documentation of contraindications.

 "I want to be a salesperson"...said no Esthetician, ever.