Professional Ethics, Business Practices, and State Regulation
Ethics in practice
Stay strictly within your scope of practice, obtain informed consent, protect client confidentiality, and keep honest records. Describe what you see and refer rather than diagnose. Never claim to cure a disease, never recommend prescription drugs, and never pressure a client into a service. Respect boundaries, maintain professional communication, and pursue continuing education.
Business fundamentals
Price services to cover product cost, overhead, and your time, then add profit. Track service revenue versus retail revenue, encourage rebooking, and market truthfully - no misleading before-and-after claims. Carry liability insurance, keep client records for the period your state requires, and understand whether you are an employee or a booth renter for tax purposes.
Regulation
Your state board of cosmetology or esthetics governs licensing, sanitation standards, and scope. Rules vary: whether estheticians may perform waxing, superficial peels, microdermabrasion, lash services, or use certain devices depends on the state. Know your renewal cycle and continuing education hours, post your license as required, and follow the sanitation rules on the exam exactly as written for your state.
Traps
Ethics questions usually resolve to one answer: refer to a physician. A client request does not expand your license - you may not perform a service you are not licensed for, even if asked, and even if you were trained elsewhere.
Rule of thumb: "If it's diagnosis, prescription, or a medical device - refer it out."