Who to Approach for Skin Treatment?

Author: Shirley Daniel

There are a lot of people that are starting to age and would like to look younger to feel better about themselves. However, many people are still confused on who to approach when they want to get skin treatment done. A cosmetologist, an esthetician, and a dermatologist can all call themselves skin specialists; however, each one has their specialization. This article will help clear the confusion.

Cosmetologist

Cosmetologists treat hair, nails, and skin. They are also known as beauticians, beauty specialists, aestheticians or estheticians. Generally, cosmetologists specialize in providing and giving beauty treatments and are proficient in all forms of beauty care, which includes care for the hair, face, nails and skin. However, different cosmetologists only specialize in specific beauty treatments.

Esthetician

An esthetician is a cosmetologist that has chosen to specialize in the study of skincare. Their main area of expertise is skincare which includes giving facial treatments, body wraps, waxing to remove body hair and cosmetic makeup services. Estheticians also offer full-body skin treatments and other related services. An esthetician may choose to work closely with dermatologists to offer more services for the skin, which could include laser technologies in removing hair and resurfacing the skin. Estheticians also offer many types of chemical skin peels.

Estheticians help people out by offering the opportunity for people to maintain smooth, clear and wrinkle-free skin that are characteristics of models and actresses. Estheticians give services such as facials to clean the skin pores; skin peels to remove dead skin, pluck and structure eyebrows and remove facial and body hair either by stripping or waxing them off. Estheticians may also give makeovers and do makeup.

Estheticians start helping their customers out by first analyzing their customers’ skincare needs. Next, estheticians would discuss the possible treatments and the products to be used to their customers for their approval. Estheticians would then perform facials, apply chemical peels, tinting eyebrows, and doing facial massages and makeup depending on the need of the customer. Estheticians also advise their customers on skincare and makeup techniques as well as promote the skincare products from the companies that train them. Whatever tasks are required by the customer to treat their skin, estheticians have the potential of making their customers look and feel better. Estheticians, however, should not be mistaken for a dermatologist because they are two different professions.

Dermatologist

A dermatologist is a doctor who has finished a residency in Dermatology, which is the diagnosis and treatment of skin abnormalities and diseases. They are trained to treat and diagnose skin diseases and disorders. Dermatologists are knowledgeable in pharmaceuticals and can write prescriptions and are qualified to do surgery to remove skin abnormalities such as skin lesions. Dermatologists can diagnose skin disorders that go beyond the visible part of the skin. Because they have extensive education and training, dermatologists can relate skin problems with other ailments that a person may be suffering and may be able to provide the necessary skin treatment by treating other underlying problems.

Who to Approach for Skin Treatments? 

Whenever you are considering skin treatment, a licensed dermatologist should always be your first choice. However, the best combination is to consult with a dermatologist to diagnose what causes your skin problems and then get your skin treatment from an esthetician that works closely with the dermatologist.

Estheticians would have received one to two years of specialized training in skin care products and procedures and are further trained in the proper use of high-frequency machines that would make the skin reach its optimal condition. Estheticians also recommend skincare regimen for different customers depending on the specific skin types and needs.

Author Bio: Shirley Daniel is a copywriter and content strategist. She helps businesses stop playing around with content marketing and start seeing the tangible ROI. She loves writing as much as she loves the cake.