We are in the season of change: the weather is changing, perennial plants are moving into hibernation and our clients are seeing less of the sun with the days getting shorter and cooler. Now is the time to correct sun damage and rejuvenate the skin for a more youthful appearance.
This month, our topic of interest is on skin health. There is no better way to find out about the health of their skin than from your consent form, consultation, and a thorough skin analysis. These three elements to the initial client consultation all work seamlessly together. Aestheticians who are new to the profession learn the basics of skin analysis and consultation in school, whereas seasoned aestheticians must rely on continuing education to keep themselves fresh on innovative research in skin conditions and prescription drugs that may affect the treatments we perform.
As an educator, I believe that education does not stop after school and we need to learn more than continuing education providers offer us. This is only accomplished through self-learning by taking advanced courses and keeping up to date with the media. For example, did you know that in 2007 researchers found that rosacea was triggered by two specific inflammatory proteins and not the traditional mite theory that we were taught years ago, or that if a client has an allergy to iodine they can have a reaction to seaweed products – they may not associate the two together. Also, in 2009, the prescription acne drug Accutane was pulled from the market. There are many more changes in the skin care industry and skin research that are vital to our survival in an industry that is losing its credibility due to a lack of education on ingredients, client information, innovation in technology, and politics.
Business owners big and small, employees of spas, and physicians need education on proper client care. If you are practicing without a consent form, get one as soon as possible from your insurance provider. If you are employed through a business, be sure you are covered under insurance. In the event that you do not recognize a condition, drug, or allergy and the treatment ends up in disaster you are liable. Physicians are protected with government regulation. Aestheticians are not. This is a reality that needs to be corrected by each and every one of us that is a licensed aesthetician, but we cannot do it alone, we need numbers, we need recognition, and we need a voice. This is achieved with membership in a professional organization like AIA.
AIA offers education from leading skin care professionals and marketing experts, insurance coverage, and more. These components help protect your practice and your assets, two things that may easily be taken away in the event a client files suit against you. Visit www.aiaprofessional.com for more information on what AIA can offer you.
“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” – Ryunosuke Satoro, Japanese Poet
Tina Zillman
Aesthetics International Association President
