Aesthetic practitioners are dedicated to enhancing your appearance and overall well-being through various treatments, home care products and recommendations. However, a few misconceptions and recurrent habits can impact the progress and efficacy of this close relationship. An honest collaboration between aesthetician and client will provide the best possible outcome for optimal skin health.
A survey in the medical aesthetic profession found a few of the most common areas where you, the client, can assist with a more positive outcome.
During the consultation, the aesthetician and the client must be completely transparent about what may be achieved and the desired outcome. We all see the social media before and after photos, and we all want a miracle in a jar, so to speak; this includes me. The results are ultimately determined by age, health, lifestyle and compliance with home care products and applications. Nothing lasts forever, even a facelift. Remember, our body is a continually aging machine, and “regular servicing” needs to be maintained.
After any treatment, please refrain from touching the skin immediately after. By doing so, the introduction of bacteria can disrupt the healing process. For injectable procedures, this can mean not touching the treated site (unless advised to, and only on clean skin with clean or gloved hands).
Do not expect immediate results, as improvement will vary depending on age, health and healing capacity. This applies to all injectables, laser procedures, skin needling and peels. The older we are, the slower the healing and rejuvenation time for the skin. Be patient and comply with your homecare instructions.
Do not overload on exfoliating procedures at home. Combining chemical exfoliants and mechanical exfoliants too often and aggressively can damage the protective skin barrier, leading to dehydration and eroding the youthful, plump appearance we all desire.
Just because your friend had the procedure and an excellent outcome does not mean the procedure is correct for you. While some treatments may be universal for most skin types, no two skins are identical. This is where the consultation process is required. While one person may require a fractional laser, another may be able to have an IPL for the treatment of colour irregularities and then may need a fractional laser or a course of skin needling to achieve their desired result.
When you arrive for a treatment where heat may be applied – possibly in the form of laser, radio frequency, RF skin needling or even a skin peel – and you have come straight from the gym, a run, hot yoga or even hot coffee – the skin will not be able to cope with the parameters the treatment requires for your desired outcome. If you are unsure of your pre and post-instructions, always call ahead and have them cemented in your thoughts so you and the clinic are aligned with achieving optimal results for your skin.
Always disclose any allergies and medical history, as there are often contraindications to ingredients and treatments. This also includes disclosing any injectable treatments, even if obtained at another clinic, as deep laser and RF treatments and deep massage can create a possible migration or dissolving of the ingredients. This also means if you have had prior treatments at another clinic in a close time frame. With this transparency, the outcome is always a more-than-desirable result.
Rapidly changing skin care products can irritate the skin and disrupt the healing process. Discuss with your aesthetician if you feel a product could improve your outcome.
Daily, we are preaching to use sunscreen, even on the cloudiest of days. Overexposure to the sun is the number 1 reason for skin ageing in this country.
When there is open and transparent communication between the aesthetician and the client, the desired result is so much easier to achieve.
