Do You Have a Good Aesthetician?

We know how we define an aesthetician. For starters, it is someone that wears a lot of hats. They are not only a service provider and technician, but also a skin therapist for your skin issues (and sometimes your personal issues as well!). A good aesthetician will tell the truth about your skin and offer solutions, much like your friend telling you about the spinach in your teeth.

That summarizes a good aesthetician – and we believe there is a good one out there for everyone. While we don’t like to throw out the word bad when it comes to fellow aestheticians in our industry, there are some things we think are simply unforgivable! Putting your skin down in order to sell products is outdated and in poor taste. All skin is beautiful. Period. Some skin just has more potential for improvement. Find an expert that can give you improvement, not just opinions! 

Now for the juicy stuff, the following examples are true stories that have happened to our clients and us –  and these are not okay! If you are getting a treatment and hear anything along these lines, run in the other direction.

“Dirt must just fall into those pores”

Yes, that is a direct quote from an aesthetician during a facial treatment that Cassie received years ago. It’s shocking, unproductive, and just plain mean. While it is hopefully uncommon to hear anything that drastic and uneducated, it is, unfortunately, very common to hear that you have “big” pores.

Who cares what size your pores are (read more about pore size here)? Everyone has them and how often are you going around inspecting people’s pore size? Also, big and small are relative terms and shouldn’t be used to shame pores. And, spoiler alert – at the end of the treatment, that not-so-good aesthetician is just planning to recommend a product that will “shrink” your pores (cue more selling by scaring and bad science).

  Your service provider should be as technical as possible, using scientific terminology to help you understand your skin. And, side note – some people’s pores are “visible” – not “big”.

“You would be a great candidate for Botox”

Yes, you and everyone else with muscles in your face. You shouldn’t feel pressured towards spendy and more-invasive procedures like botox, lasers, and fillers. Telling someone they are a great candidate for Botox is telling someone they look old. We are all aging – that’s called living! This is about skin health and education. Botox or no-tox, a good aesthetician can make your skin shine.

We are very supportive of medical aesthetics, but be skeptical if they are quick to recommend pricey procedures before covering the basics. 

“How long have you been suffering from adult acne” 

So this one has a couple of layers. When Pamela heard it unsolicited at her first facial treatment ever, it sent her down a path of depression about her skin. And it led her to poor choices like Accutane as a first stop instead of the last resort. 

That is because this not-so-good aesthetician was quick to label a condition like acne, but was not there to offer the education and support that comes with that label. They were happy to recommend a face wash that didn’t work for blemishes though. The layered part, for us, is throwing in the word “adult”. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having acne as an adult, it’s very common, actually. But, this aesthetician threw it in there to shame Pamela.

A good aesthetician is not quick to label because labels can hurt and aren’t always productive! We believe someone should only throw out a term like “acne” if they are willing to hold your hand while you get clear. 

What have aestheticians said to you in the past that made you feel less like you were getting a luxury treatment and more like you were getting a scolding from your crabby grandma? We really want to know! Email us at contact@skinmpls or dm us on Instagram so that we can rewire and undo the harm that was said to you in the past by being truthful, not hurtful, about your skin.