Breaking Down a Basic Skin Consult

Explaining the What's and Why's Behind Them

Whether you get a consultation with me or your local esthetician, you will be required to answer some basic questions to determine the best course of treatment for your needs. This is also typical before any sort of aesthetic service.

If you’ve seen my skin consult form, you may have wondered how we can complete that online. It can be very easy, but you have to know what you’re looking at first.

I can break down the steps here, starting with determining where you fall on the Fitzpatrick Scale.

This scale looks at the amount of pigment in your skin, as well as how your skin reacts to exposure to the sun. As estheticians, it also helps to ask about a client’s ethnicity, so please never take offense. A client may show as a Fitz 2 but has one white parent and one Hispanic parent, which can then make them a Fitz 3.

When I was still learning, I found this scale to be especially interesting because I always thought of myself as very pale. I was pleasantly surprised to find out I was a 3!

Next, what’s your skin type? What have you observed about your own skin? Dryness? Too much oil? Frequent acne breakouts? Would you say it’s normal or a combination of oily in some spots and dry in others?

Is there a specific skin concern you’re looking to treat, or do you want to start a whole regimen that works for your skin type?

A lot of the time, we take advice from whatever is trending at the moment (I’ve been guilty of this, too!), but it may not work for our skin. The ingredients can be too harsh, they can be of poor quality, and they can very well create issues that weren’t there prior to use.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Skincare Is Not One Size Fits All.

Okay, I’ll stop ranting!…

Continuing with our consultation, you will be asked about your current regimen. If you’ve had an adverse reaction to an ingredient before. If you’re taking medication that may contraindicate you from a future peel or a product that contains retinol. This is why we ask those questions. Not to be invasive, but because certain products cannot mix.

You’ll also answer more lifestyle questions that include diet, exercise, how many hours of sleep you get per night, and what your stress levels are like. As I’ve written before, diet absolutely affects the skin. Water intake and adequate sleep are imperative.

If you’re experiencing breakouts out of nowhere, I would first start with diet. Look at what you’re eating. Are you drinking enough water? Then, what are your habits like? Are you able to shower after going to the gym or doing any activity? Are you changing your bedding frequently? Little changes can be made before the big changes are introduced.

Finally, realistically consider how much time you can devote to a skincare regimen per day/night and how much you are comfortable budgeting for it. There is no right or wrong answer; it is simply what works for YOU.

I am happy to recommend products from brands I work with - GlyMed+, Image Skincare, and Circadia; I know them well, and I know they’re medical-grade with proven results. Or products that are readily available on store shelves that I can do a little research on.

At the end of the day, I’m here to find solutions.