The Owner's Menu and the 16-Year-Old Client
You are a newly licensed esthetician at a Kansas salon. The owner hands you a printed menu and asks you to start offering medical-grade TCA peels, permanent eyeliner, and lash lifts next week. You have training in basic facials, waxing, and lash lifts, but not in chemical peels deeper than superficial or permanent makeup. The owner says the salon's insurance covers all esthetic services and that the front desk will have clients sign a generic waiver. A 16-year-old client books a Brazilian wax and says her mother gave permission over the phone; the mother is not present. The owner tells you to just do it because the salon needs the revenue. A client asks to see your license, and the owner says it is in the office and not necessary.
1. How do you respond to the owner's request to offer the new menu?
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Your license defines your scope. Basic esthetics training does not qualify you for deep TCA peels, permanent makeup, or any service your Kansas license and training do not cover. Medical-grade is a marketing term, not a license. Do not perform these services until you have documented training and the service is within the Kansas scope for your license; some may require a physician or another licensed professional. Advertising must be truthful and not misleading; a generic waiver does not expand scope or protect against unsafe practice. Tell the owner in writing that you cannot offer services outside your scope and training, ask for the Board rules and insurance policy, and suggest the owner consult the Board and insurer. If pressured, decline and document the conversation. Do not let revenue pressure override licensure.
2. What are your obligations regarding the 16-year-old and the Brazilian wax?
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Verify the Kansas Board's requirements for minors and for parental or guardian consent before performing an intimate waxing service. A phone call is weak documentation; ask for written consent from a parent or guardian, verify identity, and follow salon policy. If the requirements are not met, decline. Do not rely on the owner's instruction to just do it. The service is intimate and involves sensitive skin; informed consent and privacy matter. If you proceed, use appropriate draping, explain the procedure, and document consent. If you decline, document the reason and offer to reschedule when consent is documented. Do not discuss the client's information with others, and do not perform the service merely because the client says a parent approved by phone.
3. How do you handle the license request and the ethical issues in this situation?
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Kansas rules require licensure, and a client asking to see your license is reasonable. Show your license or direct her to the displayed license; do not let the owner make it seem optional. Professional ethics require honesty, informed consent, confidentiality, and refusing unsafe or out-of-scope work. Document the owner's requests, your refusals, the minor consent issue, and any client conversations factually. If the owner insists on unlawful or unsafe practice, escalate internally, consult the Kansas Board, and be prepared to leave. A paycheck does not justify fraud or harm. Keep your documentation objective and avoid gossip; if you report the situation, report facts, not speculation.