Skin Care and Esthetics
Skin analysis
Assess skin type (normal, dry, oily, combination), condition (dehydrated, sensitive, acne, aging), and Fitzpatrick type. Fitzpatrick I–II burns easily and needs high SPF; types V–VI are at risk for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation after waxing, peels, or extractions.
Facial sequence
Cleanse, analyze, exfoliate, steam (mild, three to five minutes), extract (only comedones, never inflamed papules), massage, mask, tone, moisturize, and protect with SPF. Keep massage strokes upward and outward on the face and use light pressure on the neck.
Waxing and chemical services
Test wax temperature on your wrist, and patch test 24 hours ahead for clients on retinoids, Accutane (within six months), blood thinners, or with recent peels. Do not wax over varicose veins, moles, irritated skin, or sunburned skin. Chemical peels require knowing the acid, its concentration, and its neutralization.
Machines
Steam softens sebum; high frequency can be used on oily skin or over gauze on acne; galvanic current drives products in (desincrustation and anaphoresis); microdermabrasion exfoliates mechanically. Clean and disinfect electrodes and tips between clients.
Worked example
A client on tretinoin wants a brow wax. Decline and reschedule for at least two weeks after she stops, because retinoids thin the epidermis and waxing can remove skin, causing bleeding and scarring. Document the refusal.
Traps
Extracting inflamed acne. Waxing over a mole. Oversteaming rosacea. Double-dipping the spatula in the wax pot. Skipping SPF at the end of a facial.