by Mark Lees, Ph.D., M.S. Acne and breakout-prone skin is a very frequent issue in a skin care clinic or spa. It has been estimated that 80 percent of the U.S. population is afflicted by some form of acne condition, at some time in their lives. Aestheticians must be prepared to correctly answer client questions about acne-prone skin, as well as be able to recommend products and treatments that can help control these unwanted flares of pimples and clogged pores. Most acne-related problems seen in a skin care practice is minor grade 1 acne. Most more severe forms of acne are more frequently seen by dermatologists, who can prescribe more aggressive treatments and antibiotics to help these clients. Read More

by Patricia Heitz As most aestheticians will confirm, typically, people with skin disorders don’t always seek the help of an aesthetician. However, because of the explosion in professional skin care technology, this trend is shifting. More and more people are beginning to understand the helpful role the aesthetician plays in the treatment and management of skin disorders, including physicians. As most disorders are treated by a physician, adding the services of the aesthetician is the best case scenario for the patient and/or client. Whether working with a physician onsite, as a referral, or in conjunction with your client’s skin care, the aesthetician’s knowledge of skin disorders is crucial. With the help of the aesthetician, the client or patient can work with the physician educating about proper home care as well as offering topical treatments that work with the physician in the management and improvement of the disorder or condition. Read More

by Debi Byrnes The wonderfully tough-talking Rhoda Morgenstern character from the old “Mary Tyler Moore Show” liked to say she had a “bad puberty. It lasted 17 years.” For adults who’ve lived through severe acne, this quip is an understatement. Adolescence is when most people have their first experience, though not necessarily their last, with acne. Acne affects at least 85 percent of teenagers in the U. S. regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender.[1] According to Dr. Jonathan Fielding, the L. A. County Director of Public Health, by their mid-teens, more than 40 percent of adolescents have acne severe enough to warrant treatment by a physician.[2] Acne has been misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and mistreated for centuries. Generations past believed that the angry, red lesions and pustules were the results of impure thoughts. As Boomers, we were told that they were caused by eating chocolate and pizza (although good nutrition can diminish the severity of acne, there is no food-based cure). Today, even dermatologists may mistake acne for rosacea and vice-versa, which is really bad news, considering that the treatment protocols for these two very different conditions also are quite different. Read More

by Bella Schneider Nowadays we all want to look younger in relation to our individual lifestyles and careers. Younger looking skin is attainable with proper exfoliation, so the less painful, expensive, abrasive, and the more accessible the better. Exfoliation is the aesthetician and the consumer’s ticket to an easy and non-surgical way to rejuvenate the skin. Whatever one’s budget, time commitment, or pain level, exfoliation can be customized to one’s choices and comes in multiple formats. Exfoliation should also be performed at home, on the face and on the body, and has been the secret to beauty around the world. From the days of Cleopatra, exfoliation has been the secret to younger looking skin. So what’s exfoliation’s secret? Skin generates a new layer every two to four weeks. As we age, this process slows. However, thanks to numerous techniques we can improve the skin’s complexion by sloughing off the old layers and bringing the fresh layer up to surface. The skin experiences sloughing as an “injury” and automatically creates healing in the exfoliated area by generating a new healthy layer of skin. The results are softer skin, a more even skin tone, and firmer skin. Exfoliation also enhances the production Read More