A Key to Your Treatment
As you develop a relationship with your esthetician, you’ll discover it’s very important to keep the lines of communication open.
An Open Dialogue
You filled out an intake form when you first started treatment, but changes due to any allergies, diet, medications, and so forth could have an impact on your skin treatments. Your skin care professional needs to know about these things before your treatment begins.Whenever you feel the need to speak with your therapist about a medical change, skin concern, or other issue, it is helpful to mention this when you schedule the appointment. If that isn’t possible, ask to talk when you first arrive. Your esthetician can better concentrate on your question before the session begins. Don’t be shy. Your esthetician is a professional; chances are, they heard every question under the sun.
Intake Forms
All guest should fill out an intake form before the first treatment begins.
The form will likely include:
A medical history and questionnaire
Contact information
Medications in use, including herbal supplements
Notes on any skin problems you are having
Presence of piercings, tattoos, or permanent cosmetics
Skin care or makeup products in use
Treatment goals
Even with this intake form, you need to regularly update your esthetician on any medical diagnoses you’ve received or new medications you are taking. In most cases, this doesn’t mean you can’t be treated, only that your practitioner will approach things differently. If you are pregnant, there are certain essential oils you would not want to inhale or have placed on your skin. Any hormonal changes, including premenstrual syndrome, menstruation, or menopause, could impact your skin. Mention any skin diseases, the use of acne medications, your plans to be in the sun, or a special event coming up for which you want to look your best. All of these can direct your sessions and after care.
Special Situations
If you have a special event in a day or two, some treatments might be inadvisable since they might cause light peeling or mild redness. If you want a leg or bikini wax before a beach vacation, your skin will need time to recover before it’s exposed to ultraviolet rays. If you’ve developed any allergies, you may need a patch test before proceeding. The use of the prescription medication Accutane is quite a serious matter and may rule out certain treatments from your esthetician for as long as a year.
Personal Preferences
The next (and perhaps less obvious) category is equally important. Everyone has unique preferences and sometimes there may be something you would like to change at your next treatment. Whether you don’t like a certain scent, aren’t physically comfortable on the treatment table, or need to catch your breath between waxing strips, your skin care therapist will quickly adapt if you communicate.