Taneesa Williamson Where clinics and practitioners collaborate to achieve clients’ skin health objectives, there’s an inherent need for alignment and mutual understanding.
Aesthetic practitioners are dedicated to enhancing their clients’ appearances and overall wellbeing through a spectrum of treatments and recommendations. However, a few recurrent habits and misconceptions can impact progress and efficiency in this symbiotic partnership.
We’ve pulled together the top 11 things that aesthetic practitioners fervently wish their clients and patients would avoid doing, with a certainty that every practitioner has experienced a few of these!
1. Touching Their Face Post-Treatment
One of the most common requests from practitioners is for patients to avoid touching their face immediately after a treatment. This can introduce bacteria and disrupt the healing process. For injectable treatments, this can also be in the form of massaging the area (if you have recommended not to).
2. Expecting Immediate Results
Skin and injectables treatments often take time to show results. Patients should understand that patience is key and not call the next day claiming their anti-wrinkle treatment isn’t working.
Happening too often? Take the opportunity to review your post-care advice, follow up calls, and initial consultation!
3. Overloading on Exfoliants
Combining multiple exfoliating or active ingredients can damage the skin barrier. Skin therapists urge clients to follow their recommended routines and avoid overzealous exfoliation.
4. Neglecting Makeup Brush Cleaning
Dirty makeup brushes can harbour bacteria, leading to breakouts and skin irritations. Guide your patients and clients to regularly clean their brushes to keep their skin bacteria-free.
5. Arriving Late… With An Iced Coffee In Hand
Punctuality matters. Arriving late with a coffee in hand can affect the quality of treatment due to rushed appointments, but can push your entire day’s schedule out beyond your usual finish time!
6. Ignoring Sunscreen
As we in the skincare and aesthetics industry preach on a daily basis, sunscreen is a must, even on cloudy days. Consider sending a cheeky SMS to your patient database to remind them to wear sunscreen!
7. Not confirming their appointment
Shall we say booking policy, anyone?
8. Skipping Skin Consultations
Consultations provide crucial insights into your skin’s condition. It’s understandable patients and clients can run late and don’t want to miss out on their adored LED time, but consultations are always a must!
Consider setting up a consultation or pre-treatment consent form to be automatically sent out before each appointment, allowing you to review before they arrive.
9. Not Communicating Allergies or Medical History
Every practitioner’s worst fear, but again, a thorough consultation and consent including signed documentation should be plenty of opportunity for a patient to disclose this information, right!?
10. Switching Products Too Often
Rapidly changing skincare products can irritate the skin and disrupt progress. Advise your client or patient to stick to a routine and give products time to work.
Consider checking in with your client/patient to see if they are liking the formula, any irritations or observations. Also consider a sample for them to try!
11. ‘My Friend Had This Treatment So It Will Work On Me!‘
While some treatments can be quite universal for most skin types, no two skins are the same.
Matching the treatment in the best way possible whilst explaining the necessary changes to suit the client’s skin condition should be grounds for satisfaction for everyone… however, sometimes it can be difficult to reach an understanding. Remember, first timers do get nervous! Communication and rapport is key.
Tell us in the comments… which one is your personal pet peeve?
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