Five Questions You Must Ask When Consulting With a Skin Professional

Without a doubt, a proper home care routine consisting of a sulfate-free cleanser, alcohol-free toner, broad spectrum sunscreen, a specialty serum, exfoliant and moisturizer is essential in keeping your skin healthy and beautiful-looking. 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 (estheticians), cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists include chemical peels, facials, lasers, IPL, ultrasound, micro current , LED light treatments, and cosmetic fillers and injectables.

Read: What’s the Best Daily Routine for My Skin?

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 referral…

When going in for your professional  skin 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.

Read: Microdermabrasion Gone Wrong!

Read: Plastic Surgery, Injectables and the Art of Altering the Face

Read: How to Care for Your Skin After a Chemical Peel

Read: The Five Worst Skin Skins I’ve Ever Heard

Which products are right for your skin? See our nine skin types and get products recommended.

For more expert skin advice, check out Skin Source–the A-Z guide on all things skin. Also sign up here for our skin tip e-newsletter, follow Renée Rouleau on Twitter and like our Facebook page. You’ll be your own skin care expert in no time!

Renée Rouleau

Celebrity Esthetician & Skincare Expert
As an esthetician trained in cosmetic chemistry, Renée Rouleau has spent 30 years researching skin, educating her audience, and building an award-winning line of products. Her hands-on experience as an esthetician and trusted skin care expert has created a real-world solution — products that are formulated for nine different types of skin so your face will get exactly what it needs to look and feel its best. Trusted by celebrities, editors, bloggers, and skincare obsessives around the globe, her vast real-world knowledge and constant research are why Marie Claire calls her “the most passionate skin practitioner we know.”