The Esthetician's Ego Can Become the Client's Problem

When you trust someone with your skin, you are trusting more than their hands.

You are trusting their education.
Their judgment.
Their ethics.
And their ability to know when not to treat you.

That is why choosing an esthetician should involve more than looking at before-and-after photos or finding someone whose Instagram feed looks good.

A beautiful treatment room does not automatically mean good skin care. And an esthetician who offers the most advanced treatments does not automatically mean they are the right professional for your skin.

One of the biggest things I want clients to understand is this:

A good esthetician should be more concerned with what your skin needs than with proving what they can do.

Your esthetician should be willing to tell you "no"

This is one of the biggest green flags I would look for when choosing an esthetician.

If you walk into an appointment asking for a specific treatment and the esthetician determines that your skin is not an appropriate candidate for it, they should be willing to tell you.

Even if it means losing the service. Even if it means doing a simpler treatment. Even if it means sending you home with instructions and asking you to come back later. Your skin should come before the sale.

An ethical esthetician understands that their job is not to perform the most impressive treatment possible. Their job is to determine what is appropriate for your skin, at that particular time.

Pay attention to how they talk about your skin

Be cautious of anyone who immediately makes you feel like your skin is a problem that needs to be "fixed."

You should be able to ask questions without being made to feel embarrassed about your skin, your routine, your budget, or what you have been doing at home.

A professional should educate you about what they are seeing rather than use fear to convince you to buy a product or treatment.

There is a difference between:

"Your skin is damaged and you need all of these products."

and:

"I'm noticing signs of irritation and dehydration. Let's talk about what you're currently using and figure out what may be contributing to it."

One creates fear. The other creates understanding.

Ask about their education and credentials

Do not be afraid to ask:

• Are you licensed?
• What training do you have?
• How long have you been practicing?
• What continuing education have you completed?
• Are you trained in the treatment you're recommending?
• What are the contraindications?
• What should I expect during recovery?
• What happens if my skin does not respond well?

A professional should be able to answer questions about their education and qualifications without becoming defensive.

You can also verify licensure through your state's licensing authority. In Idaho, the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses provides license verification and information regarding professional regulation.

Make sure they know their scope of practice

This is especially important as esthetics continues to overlap with increasingly advanced devices and procedures.

An esthetician should know what they are legally and professionally qualified to perform. They should also know when something belongs with another professional.

That might mean referring you to a dermatologist, physician, or other qualified health-care provider rather than attempting to manage something outside their scope.

That referral is not a failure. It is professionalism.

In fact, knowing your limitations is part of being a trustworthy professional. Ethical standards for skin-care professionals specifically call for staying within scope, recognizing contraindications, honestly representing qualifications, and referring clients when their needs exceed the esthetician's training or scope.

Be careful when every client gets the same treatment

Your skin is not identical to the person who was on the treatment table before you.

If an esthetician has one treatment that they seem to perform on everyone, ask questions.

A good consultation should consider things like your current routine, medications and health history where relevant, previous treatments, sensitivities, allergies, recent procedures, and the current condition of your skin.

Your treatment should be based on that information. Not simply on what happens to be popular that month.

Don't confuse aggressive with effective

This is one of the biggest misconceptions in skin care.

A treatment does not have to leave your skin red, peeling, swollen, tight, or uncomfortable to have been effective.

And more products, stronger ingredients, or more aggressive treatments are not automatically better.

Sometimes your skin needs stimulation.

Sometimes it needs correction.

And sometimes it needs to be left alone.

A knowledgeable esthetician should be able to explain why they are recommending something rather than simply telling you that it is the next step.

Your esthetician should respect informed consent

You should know what is being performed on your skin and why.

You should have the opportunity to ask questions.

You should understand relevant risks, contraindications, expectations, and aftercare.

And you should be able to say no.

Professional ethics standards recognize a client's right to make decisions about their own body and to decline, modify, or stop a treatment.

If you ever feel pressured into a treatment, product purchase, package, or upgrade that you do not understand or do not want, that is worth paying attention to.

Look beyond the Instagram page

Before booking, do some research.

Look at their website.

Look at their credentials.

Read reviews, but do not rely on reviews alone.

Look at how they educate.

Look at whether they explain their services honestly.

Look at whether they make unrealistic promises.

Look at whether they claim to "cure" medical conditions or make medical-sounding promises that seem beyond their role.

Look at whether they are transparent about what they are trained to do.

And most importantly, pay attention to how they make you feel.

Do you feel educated?

Or do you feel pressured?

Do you feel listened to?

Or do you feel like they already decided what you need before speaking with you?

Do they explain their recommendations?

Or do they expect you to trust them simply because they are the professional?

The best esthetician for you may not be the one who does the most

This is the part I want every client to remember.

You are allowed to interview your esthetician.

You are allowed to ask questions.

You are allowed to research their credentials.

You are allowed to ask why a treatment is being recommended.

You are allowed to get a second opinion.

And you are absolutely allowed to walk away if something does not feel right.

A good esthetician should not need you to blindly trust them.

They should earn your trust through education, transparency, ethical decision-making, and the way they care for your skin.

Because ultimately, your skin should never be a place for an esthetician to prove how much they know.

Your skin is not their ego's testing ground.

Choose someone who understands that their expertise is not measured by how much they can do to your skin, but by how well they can determine what your skin actually needs.