21
Appreciation post: My client's skin finally told me I was overdoing it
For years, I was using a 10% glycolic acid peel on a regular client with what I thought was tough skin. Last Tuesday, after her fourth session in two months, she mentioned her cheeks felt like sandpaper and were always red. I looked closer under my magnifying lamp and saw tiny broken capillaries I had missed. That was the moment I realized I was pushing too hard, too fast. Has anyone else had a client's skin literally talk them out of an aggressive routine?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
bennett.james20d ago
That story from @gibson.holly about the skin barrier is a good reminder. How do you figure out the right balance between seeing results and not going too far?
1
caleb_stone26d ago
Watched a friend who's an esthetician completely change her approach after a similar wake-up call. She had a client on a strong retinol who kept getting these tiny, persistent flaky patches that wouldn't heal. My friend finally connected the dots that the client's "dry skin" was actually a damaged barrier from too much actives. She dialed everything back to just gentle cleanser and moisturizer for a full month, and the client's skin totally bounced back. It was a huge lesson in listening to what the skin is actually saying.
-1