Times change, and the world population is becoming increasingly diverse in terms of ethnic identity. This is especially true in the U.S., where people of many ethnicities and the merging of ethnic identities challenge old concepts of classification. Grasping the commonalities and differences between skin conditions common to specific ethnicities is absolutely critical to treating skin in an effective and truly modern way. But here's…

Alcohol, medications, and drugs can affect the skin and create a challenge when an aesthetician is trying to figure out how to treat the client. In aesthetic school, students are taught to always have the client fill out a history sheet for contraindications – especially with hair removal. It is imperative to know if the client is on certain medications such as Retina-A®, Accutane®, Renova™,…

I have always known that margaritas are not good for the waist line, but being dangerous for the skin I never even imagined. The story begins in the beautiful city of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. A trip with some friends started out innocently enough; the sun drenched beaches, the 90 degree ocean water, and the margaritas. Oh yes, those margaritas. Who can resist this classic…

Rosacea was originally described in exacting detail by one of the most prominent doctors of his time, the English dermatologist Robert William (1757 – 1812) who started one of the first institutions focused on skin diseases. Rosacea is a chronic ‘acne form’ disorder of the facial pilosebaceous units, coupled with an increased reactivity of capillaries to heat, leading to flushing, blushing, ultimately causing a vaso-dilation…