Skin Care and Facial Treatments
Domain 5, Skin Care and Facial Treatments, tests skin analysis, cleansing and exfoliation, massage, masks, extraction safety, and contraindications. The exam focuses on recognizing when a cosmetic facial must stop and become a referral.
Core rules
- Skin types are commonly described as normal, dry, oily, and combination; conditions such as dehydration, sensitivity, and acne are assessed separately from type.
- Cleansing removes surface debris; exfoliation removes dead corneocytes; moisturizers reduce water loss; sunscreen protects against UV damage.
- Extractions are limited to mild, noninflamed comedones; inflamed, cystic, or infected lesions are not appropriate for cosmetic extraction.
- Contraindications include open lesions, active infection, recent surgery, irritated skin, and clients using certain prescription skin medications.
- Massage movements should be slow, even, and appropriate to the client’s skin condition and comfort.
Worked example
A client requests a facial with extractions and has several painful, red, cystic bumps. The correct action is to modify the service and avoid extracting the inflamed lesions; cleanse, soothe, and refer the client to a dermatologist. Reasoning: cystic acne is inflamed and prone to scarring; squeezing increases infection and pigment damage. A cosmetic facial can still comfort the skin, but extraction is outside safe practice for these lesions.
Traps that cost marks
- Treating oily skin and acne as the same thing; oily skin can be healthy, while acne is a condition.
- Extracting inflamed lesions because the client asks; client preference does not remove the contraindication.
- Using hot steam on sensitive or rosacea-prone skin without assessing tolerance.
- Promising a cure for a skin disease; cosmetologists treat cosmetically and refer medical conditions.