Beware! There is really stupid skin care out there. Really
stupid. There is also excellent skin care available by well qualified
professionals. So you have a choice, leaving a treatment with glowing skin or
leaving with wasted money at best, or in the worst case scenario, burns or
scratches.
So here's the deal: Aestheticians generally get 600-800
hours of training, which prepares them to take and pass state boards. They are
then expected to go out and build a business, working with people who have
acne, aging skin, sensitive skin and guess what? allergies. They also apply
mild chemicals to the face -- fruit acid peels are extremely popular and they
are an effective form of exfoliation. In the hands of an inexperienced person
or a person who is using peels with acid percentage levels beyond their scope
of practice can do some major damage.
So buyer take care and become an educated consumer - after
all this is your FACE we are talking about! Here are a few ways to avoid costly
mistakes.
1. Licensure: Aestheticians like cosmetologists must hold a
State license. Make sure your skin care professional's license is up-to-date.
2. Insurance: It is the goal of a trained professional to
help you achieve optimal results. and even the best professional can have an
unanticipated result. Make sure your aesthetician carries insurance or is
covered under the insurance carried by the spa or hair salon where he or she
works. In the case of an aesthetician working in a physician's office, the
aesthetician should be covered under the doctor's malpractice insurance.
Some insurance companies have limitations. A very popular
exfoliation technique is a "chemabrasion." Chemabrasion is a chemical
peel immediately followed by microdermabrasion (exfoliation using a machine
that is akin to a gentle sand blasting, which exfoliates the top layer of the
skin and stimulates collagen production). Not all insurance companies will
provide coverage for a back-to-back peel and microdermabrasion. The
aestheticians insurance company may require a 48 hour wait period between the
two services. Check and see if your aesthetician is aware of this caveat.
3. Scope of Practice: In certain states aestheticians can
only work on the epidermis of the skin. If an aesthetician offers to perform a
laser treatment on you, check with the cosmetology board in your state and see
if in your state aestheticians are allowed to handle laser. Lasers can burn!
ouch! In some states only physicians are allowed to use skin tightening and
hair removal lasers. Even if you are in a doctor's office do not assume that an
aesthetician is legally allowed to handle lasers or IPL.
4. More on Scope of Practice: Mild chemical peels are an
excellent way to coax your skin back to health especially when performed in a
series-- however, they can also burn and cause hyper and hypo pigmentation.
Know the laws of your state. Some states allow an aesthetician to only use up
to a 30% acid peel with a pH level no lower than 3. Ask your aesthetician what
level peel she is planning to use. In a physician's office (double check with your
state), a trained aesthetician can perform a peel of any strength. You need to
decide if you are comfortable with this. Ask how much experience they have had
performing these peels before consenting.
Be aware there are some aestheticians who do not work in a
physician's office but have managed to get a physician to approve purchase of
doctor only products or higher strength chemical peels. If something goes
wrong, it is possible that neither the doctor or the aesthetician would be
covered by their malpractice insurance. If your aesthetician bandies about the
word "cosmeceutical," check and see if the are allowed by the
manufacturer to carry this line, or if it is a physician exlusive product.
5. Microdermabrasion: Microdermabrasion treatments leave
your skin soft, smooth and polished. Both peels and microdermabrasions are an
excellent way to remove the dead skin cells and stagnant skin cells that can
lead to basal cell cancers. However, be aware that even in the hands of the
most expert aesthetician microdermsion can leave behind a few scratch marks. To
be on the safe side ask if your aesthetician is certified on the
microdermabrasion machine he or she is using and request to see their
certification. You might ask how they would treat any superficial scratch.
More on microdermabrasion: Some microdermabrasion machines
use crystals to exfoliate the skin. Some of these machines are equipped with a
disposable tip on the wand -- the tip is applied to your face and it is
plastic. To save money some locations may "sterilize" the tip. If you
see your aesthetician remove a plastic tip from a sterilizer, ask her to open
up a new tip for you. If they ask to save your tip to reuse on you, just say
no.
Prior to having a peel or microdermabrasion make sure you
have not used retin a or retinol products for at least a week prior to the
service. If your aesthetician does not inquire what medications and topical
products you are using on your face, it might be a good idea to rebook the
appointment with someone else.
6. Botox and dermal filler injections: If an aesthetician
offers to perform a Botox (neurotoxin or dermal filler injection) on you, just
leave.
7. Product sales: At home treatment is critical to maintain
your results. Your aesthetician will make several recommendations. Prior to
purchasing the products ask how much experience she has had with the products
and how much training. These products can be expensive and some are worth the
expense but some are not worth the expense. Just make sure you know what you are
buying.
8. If an aesthetician tells you they think a spot on your
face, neck or decollete looks concerning, take this seriously and book an
appointment with your dermatolgist to rule out skin cancer.
Some skin care experts are stupid. So protect yourself. Know
what is safe and not safe, because when it comes to skin care, an error can
last a lifetime.... on your face.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5810047
No comments:
Post a Comment