A proper home care routine consisting of a sulfate-free cleanser, an alcohol-free toner, a serum, exfoliants with glycolic or salicylic acid and a moisturizer (with broad-spectrum sunscreen for daytime use) is essential for keeping your skin healthy and beautiful. As a skin care expert and celebrity esthetician with 25 years of hands-on skin care experience, I know this to be true. But what I also know is when skin care products at home don’t seem to be giving you the desired effects, it’s time to seek the help of a professional to enhance your results. Popular treatments offered by skin professionals like estheticians, nurses, cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists include chemical peels, facials, lasers, IPL, ultrasound, micro current, LED light treatments, and cosmetic fillers and injectables.
The skin care industry is certainly a popular one and many people are offering such procedures – regardless of their background, training and experience. I’ve heard a lot of crazy stories about people getting ripped off with false promises, or worse, getting scarred from procedures that were supposed to only offer skin improvement. It’s scary out there, trust me on this one. But no matter who you go to, make sure it is with someone who has a lot of training and experience, and it came off of a good, trusted referral.
I’ll share a story of the time I scheduled a laser hair removal consultation for my legs. The reason why I share this story is to give an example of one of the procedures now offered in medical-type spas that also offer laser-type skin procedures. So, during the consultation, I was told that I’d never have to shave again and could kiss my razor goodbye! Sounds good, right? Well, I didn’t ask any questions and assumed the Doctor was sharing with me the realistic results that I could expect. After eight treatments, I still had hair. When I questioned the Doctor, his response was “Well, a lot of your hairs are blonde and the laser can’t detect the hair follicles.” Why was I told that I would never have to shave again if he saw during the consultation that I had blonde hair? I can only assume that he wanted to make money, so he sold me promises that he couldn’t keep. This is so frustrating to me and I hear examples of it all the time from people who come to me after spending thousands on skin treatments that never worked as they were told. I believe that some professionals will tell you what you want to hear just to get your business, and that can be an expensive lesson to learn.
Once you get a recommendation, schedule a consultation and when going in for your professional consultation, it’s always best to be prepared. This includes sharing your top skin care concerns along with asking the following five questions. Asking good, well-thought-out questions like these should help elicit a good response and ensure your concerns are properly addressed.
Question #1: Realistically, what kind of results can I expect from this treatment?
Question #2: What kind of side effects will I experience?
Question #3: What happens if I don’t see the results you mention?
Question #4: How long have you been doing the procedure you have recommended for me?
Question #5: What kind of training have you had?
The more questions you ask, the more insight you will receive in determining if you want to pursue their recommendations. If something doesn’t sound right or they hesitated when answering certain questions, consider this a possible red flag. This is essentially an interview to help determine if you can trust them with your skin. An experienced professional will be (and certainly should be) very candid when having this conversation and should appreciate your questions and NOT get defensive. I am always honest and upfront with my clients about the realistic results as well as any potential side effects of procedures I recommend, and I would hope other professionals would be too.
Professional treatments can greatly enhance the appearance of your skin, but take it slow and do your research. There are so many great skin care professionals out there with fabulous reputations — you just need to take the time to find them.
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Renée Rouleau is a skin care expert and celebrity esthetician who believes there’s more to skin than the one-size-fits-all approach. Her exclusive skin care line is based on nine unique skin types, rather than the standard – dry, normal and oily. Her skin care products, Dallas skin care spas and her LA and NY pop-up spas attract a celebrity clientele which includes Demi Lovato, Anna Faris and Eva Amurri Martino. Visit www.ReneeRouleau.com for more information.