c/estheticians

Used to spend 20 minutes prepping my LED lamp between clients. Now I just keep it on and adjust the timer.

Back when I started doing facials in 2019, I'd turn off my lamp and wipe it down between every single client. Took forever and I kept forgetting to check the timer. Then my coworker Sarah told me last summer that leaving it on is totally fine as long as you clean the surface daily. Now I just hit the timer button and move on. Has anyone else found a weird routine they wasted time on for way too long?

Client told me my extractions felt 'too aggressive' - took me a minute to listen

Had this lady in her 50s come in last Tuesday. Said my extractions made her skin feel raw for days. I was using my ring fingers with a lot of pressure, thinking that's how you get deep stuff out. She was right though. Switched to using just the pads of my index fingers and less pressure. Way less redness after. Anyone else have a client call them out on something that actually made sense?

Overheard an older esthetician telling a client 'back in my day we just used witch hazel and it worked fine' and it got me thinking about how much our product knowledge has evolved

I was at a continuing ed class last week in Denver and this seasoned pro (30+ years in the biz) was saying how when she started, ingredient lists were like 5 items long. Now I look at the back of a hydrating serum and it's a novel. She wasn't knocking new stuff, just saying we maybe overcomplicate things. Made me wonder if we've gotten too reliant on 10-step routines when simpler stuff sometimes works. Anyone else feel like the industry has swung way far into fancy formulations?

TIL a med spa in Austin had me doing 20 minute facials during a VIP event and now I can't tell if speed or quality matters more

They booked back to back clients and I had to cut extractions and mask time in half to keep up, but everyone tipped better than my usual 60 minute sessions - has anyone else found that rushing actually pays off or does it just feel wrong to you?

The debate on LED masks - are they really worth the price tag?

I've been seeing estheticians in my area charging $100 extra per session for LED therapy, but I tested a $30 at-home mask from Amazon against my clinic's $600 one. After 3 weeks on my own face (left side with the cheap one, right side with the pro model), I noticed zero difference in redness or fine lines. A client said her derm told her the cheaper masks lack power, but aren't the wavelengths all the same in the end? Anyone else run a side-by-side test and see different results?

Finally swapped to a glycolic acid peel after using lactic for years

My regular kept asking for more 'pop' on her acne scars so I tried a 30% glycolic last Tuesday and her skin was clear after one session. Has anyone else had better luck with glycolic over lactic for stubborn scars?

Clients keep coming in with DIY lash lifts gone wrong

I swear, every other week someone walks in with lashes that look fried or uneven from an at-home kit they bought on Amazon. Last month a girl came in from Phoenix with lashes stuck together in clumps, and I had to spend 45 minutes just separating them before I could even assess the damage. The kits don't come with real low-pH adhesives or proper sizing rods, so people end up with over-processed lashes that snap off easily. I had one client tell me, "But the tutorial made it look so easy." Thing is, these kits can cause permanent lash loss or irritation if the glue gets in their eyes. Has anyone else seen a spike in people trying to fix a messy DIY lift instead of just coming to a pro first?

Question about using ice rollers before extractions

I tried icing a client's face for 5 minutes before extractions last Tuesday and it seemed to make the gunk slide out easier, but a coworker swears it just tightens the pores and makes things harder - which side has the science on this one?

I finally had a weekend where every facial client rebooked

Last Saturday was something else. I had four facials back to back and every single person booked their next appointment before leaving the room. One lady even said 'I've been to three estheticians this year and you're the first one who actually listened to what I wanted.' That comment alone made my whole week. I've been in the game about 18 months now and this was the first time I felt like my extractions and product recommendations were really clicking. Has anyone else had a day where everything just lined up like that?

Drove 45 minutes to a fancy spa for a facial and the esthetician spent the whole time trying to upsell me products

That client who insisted I skip sanitizing between services still haunts me

Had a walk-in about 8 months ago in Portland, lady in her 50s, wanted a quick brow wax. She got annoyed when I started wiping down the table and told me 'just do it, I'm the only one here.' Straight up said she didn't care about germs. I told her I couldn't skip it, and she huffed out the door mumbling about how I was wasting her time. Anyone else run into clients who think sanitation is optional?

TIL I was over-sanitizing my extraction tools and ruining them

Was at my station in Austin last Tuesday prepping for a client and noticed my extraction tool was totally warped and pitted. Realized I'd been soaking it in 90% alcohol for way too long between uses, which was eating the metal. Switched to shorter soaks and a quick wipe down instead and my tools have been lasting way longer since.

Three years ago I used to just slap on basic moisturizer after extractions, but last month I finally switched to a hydrating serum routine

Went to a workshop in Phoenix back in 2021 and they pushed simple creams, but now after seeing how fast my clients heal with a hyaluronic acid layer first, I feel like I wasted so much time on old school methods has anyone else made that shift in their own facial protocols?

I wasted $200 on that fancy LED light therapy mask

Bought one of those high-end LED masks from a skincare brand I saw all over Instagram. Used it for like 3 months straight, followed the instructions perfectly. After that time I didn't see any difference in my acne scars or fine lines. I mean maybe it helped a tiny bit but not enough to justify the cost. Has anyone else tried one of these and actually seen results or did I just get scammed?

Hot take: I actually prefer the esthetician school in my small town over the fancy big-city one in Portland

Spent $350 on a high frequency machine and now I regret it

I bought this high frequency machine from a brand called Dermajem last month thinking it would be great for clearing up my clients' acne. But the electrode wands feel cheap and the intensity barely does anything even at the highest setting. Has anyone else tried a budget high frequency device that actually worked for their treatments?

Three years in and I'm still finding skincare lines that refuse to tell you the pH of their products

Called a rep last week about a new enzyme peel they're pushing and the woman literally said 'our formula is proprietary so I can't share that.' How am I supposed to know if it's safe to use on compromised skin without pH info? Has anyone else had luck getting companies to release that data or do you just walk away?

That Tuesday where three clients canceled back to back

Had a day last month where I booked a full morning at the studio on Peachtree Street... three no-shows by 11 AM. One lady said she 'forgot' about her chemical peel even after I confirmed twice. Lost about $270 in revenue that day and just sat there staring at my treatment lamp. Anyone else have weeks where the cancellations just pile up like that?

I finally got a total stranger to cry happy tears from a brow shaping

Used a new mapping technique I found on YouTube last week and somehow made her tear up saying she felt seen for the first time. Has anyone else had a random service turn into an emotional moment like that?

Warning: That $120 microcurrent device I bought on impulse is collecting dust

I saw all these influencers raving about microcurrent facials and bought one of those at-home devices for $120. Used it maybe 5 times in 3 months before it ended up in my bathroom drawer. The gel they recommend is another $20 a bottle and it dries out so fast. Plus I realized I'm bad about keeping up with any routine that takes more than 5 minutes. Has anyone else fallen for an expensive gadget they barely touch?

Why does nobody talk about using ice rollers after extractions

I had a client last Wednesday who always gets super red and puffy after extractions. I tried waiting longer, used calming serums, nothing helped much. Then I grabbed my personal ice roller from my gym bag on a whim and ran it over her face for about 2 minutes. Her redness was gone in half the usual time and she booked three more sessions on the spot. Has anyone else tried this or got a better trick for post extraction swelling?

Was totally against LED face masks until I tried one on a dare

My coworker at the spa in Austin kept pushing this $400 LED mask on me for months. I thought it was just another overpriced gadget that estheticians shill. But she let me borrow hers for 2 weeks and I swear my skin looked less red after just 5 sessions. Has anyone else been surprised by a tool they thought was gimmicky?

Took me 5 years to realize I was over-exfoliating my clients

I had a client last spring whose skin kept getting worse with every treatment, and she finally asked why her face felt so raw after a basic chemical peel. That's when my mentor pointed out I was using way too strong of an acid for her skin type, and it clicked that I'd been doing the same mistake on half my clients for years. Has anyone else had a moment where a client's question made you rethink your whole approach?

Rant: That rosehip oil everyone hypes gave me cystic acne in 2 weeks

Yeah so I finally caved and tried The Ordinary's rosehip oil after like 8 clients told me it was a miracle for their hyperpigmentation. Figured it's natural, how bad could it be? Day 3 I had three deep painful bumps along my jawline. By day 10 my chin looked like a battlefield. I'm an esthetician I should know better than to buy into the hype without patch testing properly on myself. My theory is the linoleic acid content just clogs me up personally. Has anyone else had a bad reaction to a supposedly 'holy grail' natural oil that everyone swears by?

Spent way too long trying to fix a broken steamer that was just a clogged nozzle

Spent like 45 minutes taking apart my salon steamer thinking the heating element was shot. Nope. A little bit of hard water gunk in the tip. A paperclip cleared it in 5 seconds. Has anyone else spent way too long on a simple fix like this?