Welcome to the second part of the series looking at skin disorders. In this part we will look at the next level of common skin diseases. Previously we defined diseases as abnormal appearance, feeling, or sensation of the skin requiring diagnosis by a medical practitioner, which may need treatment either by prescription medicines or procedures performed by a medical professional. This information is important for your practice to help your patients with skin abnormalities receive proper care. As a skin care professional, you can also help them cope with their disease, encourage compliance with treatments, and provide complementary non-prescription adjuncts for control and prevention.

Gaining a New Perspective
Both modern medicine and spa services have tended to be symptom-based in their approach to disease. Symptom-based approaches are short-term fixes that don’t affect the cause, or necessarily the recurrence, of the problem.
If instead you develop an understanding of the underlying mechanisms of disease, and tune your perspective to eliminating them or protecting the body from them, you have turned a corner and are taking your services to an entirely new level.

Not a single one of the Webster’s definitions seems all that flattering, especially when relating to my skin, and most certainly not when relating to the skin on my face! However, it is what it is, and mature is mature, whatever that means!
OK, let’s get serious and talk about “mature” skin. For the purpose of this article, I am going to refer to relating to, or being an older adult, as mature. Of course we can now ponder over exactly what does “older adult” mean. For simplicities sake, our clients easily classify themselves as “older,” and are generally quite quick to refer to their own skin as “mature.”

Chances are you have already included men in your business plan, your marketing, merchandising, décor, and service menu. For years now, salon and spa owners have noticed the increase in male clientele and have planned accordingly. If this is the case for you, then continue to keep men in mind as you grow your business. But if stacks of Cosmopolitan magazines fill your lobby and you don’t carry any products for men – they might just feel like they’re not welcome in your business! It’s never too late to add this very important demographic to your salon or spa with some creative strategies. 

“Education is the key.” How many times have you heard that statement? How many times have you either thought it or, if you’re like me, actually smiled and said it nicely to one of your clients? When it pertains to hair reduction with the use of light therapies such as laser and IPL, this is an unbelievably true statement.
Day after day I get the same questions – “How exactly does it work?”, “What’s the difference between IPL and laser?”, Will I ever have to shave or wax again?”, “How many times will I have to come back?”, “Is it really permanent?”, “Will it help prevent or work on my ingrown hair?”, “I have dark skin; can I get laser hair removal?”, and the best “Well, you do laser hair removal – how come you still have hair?”.

When I go to the doctor’s office, it is important for me to see their credentials on the wall of their office or in the hallway. Credentials also set you apart from the rest; it inspires confidence in your clients and colleagues that you have taken that extra step in training.

• As a client, should I be concerned with your academic competency?
• Would I know if you chose the right training course for the procedure that I am requesting?
• What was the duration of the course that you took?
• Was it an academic State approved credentialed physician supervised hands-on training program?
• Was your course over a weekend in a hotel room?
• Were there pertinent laser safety issues that will affect you the user and me the patient taught in your curriculum?
• How often do you practice this procedure?

Most professionals would agree that whether you’re 12 years or 12 months into the skin care industry, one thing is certain – there is no such thing as a simple service. Having advancements in technology, treatments, and skin care products, skin care professionals need to analyze all aspects of their client’s service needs. This is especially true for clients who suffer from hyperpigmentation, sun damage, thinning skin, couperose, hormonal changes, and skin sensitivity. After all, there’s nothing more disappointing than performing an upper lip wax on a client and having an end result of burned skin or hyperpigmentation develop over the waxed areas.

As industry professionals we can see our treatments make a difference. However, there were so many times when I was performing treatments that I wished I could show the client solid facts that showed a difference.
With the fight against aging showing no signs of slowing down and increased interest in non-invasive aesthetic procedures, skin care professionals are looking for new technologies to satisfy their clients and stay competitive in the industry.

Our field is evolving beyond just beauty. Realizing that body, mind, and spirit work together; traditional beauty treatments are now being combined with health and wellness, alternative therapies, and cutting edge technologies for looking and feeling younger. Everyone is jumping on our bandwagon.
Combining the Green and Wellness trends in your practice allows you to stay ahead of the curve to provide clients with one-of-a-kind treatments and sustainability for your business. Green is the color at the middle of the rainbow and the center of the Chakra system – representing the Heart Chakra. Green promotes balance, healing, harmony, abundance, new growth, and coming from the heart.

You’ve just returned home from an aesthetic trade show and you cannot get that Turbo-Firmo-Sculptolator 500™ machine off your mind. The demonstration proved the skin lifting and tightening results promised by the device’s makers, at a mere $8,000 with easy lease-to-own payments… how could you go wrong with this purchase? Imagine your clients’ delight when they see your dazzling new equipment and quickly they’ll sign up for treatments just as soon as… hold it! Shake of the fog of self-delusion and take a cold, hard look at this pricey decision.