If you follow me on instagram and caught my story this past weekend then some of this blog will sound familiar, but I felt there was still so much to say surrounding the topic of your consultation. Whether you are the provider or the client this is an important first impression and a critical moment to build trust with each other. The consultation and general client experience isn’t only imperative to your business success but it’s a big reflection on the industry as a whole- so who wants being an asshole on their conscience?
I had a consultation the other day where my client expressed he was nervous to come to a “medspa” because he had assumed I would rip him apart, push a ton of product on him, and rattle off a crazy expensive treatment plan. I did none of these things because the truth is: his skin was nice. He even had a pretty consistent regimen, and while I would have loved to introduce him to better quality products, I didn’t feel the need to overwhelm him with too much information considering his skin quality was good. We even confirmed this information after doing a Visia skin analysis which showed his skin age to be 5 years younger than his actual age! So I just told him “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, but this is what we can do to improve some things and start some prevention…”. He thanked me for my kindness and transparency- which both shocked and elated me. I was just being honest, as I always am, and that’s the treatment everyone deserves.
My hope is always for people to focus on what they love about their skin, and the HEALTH of it. As long as we are working towards healthier skin, and a positive relationship with our skin, everything else will follow. While some clients do use some scary stuff, and need a lot of help, we can still help them achieve that by being kind.
But I totally understood this particular client’s fear, as I have felt this way at hair salons and spas myself. Some providers and establishments will be harsh, judgemental, and leave your self-esteem depleted… they will give you unrealistic and expensive treatment plans and it can all be very discouraging. It saddens me that this approach still exists and it just goes to show that too many people are in this industry for the wrong reasons. Being mean and rude is so manipulative and so dated. I aim to be a part of this industry that helps people feel a sense of community and empowerment. That’s why my client relationships are so important to me.
I know from personal experience how isolating and depressing it can be when you’re unhappy with your appearance, and how seeking guidance can be very intimidating and sometimes even embarrassing. I want everyone that comes into my treatment room to feel like they are all welcome. I want my clients to be excited to start their journey… and I believe everyone deserves to walk away from a consultation feeling MORE confident.
With all that being said, it is tough sometimes when you get a stubborn client. If you’re a provider, you know the ones: they came for help but somehow know all the answers, they’re unhappy with their skin but refuse to try better skincare, they want a surgical facelift result from a simple facial… yeah, clients like this unfortunately run rampant. Especially with TikTok skincare trends taking over, everyone thinks they’re an expert these days. Whether it’s beef tallow, Korean skincare, slugging with Aquafor or diaper cream, etc. there are A LOT of hills people wanna die on these days when it comes to their skin. As you read above, I say all the time to clients “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”, truly, if something is working for you, then I’m happy. However, 90% of the time the trend-loving client has a skin condition that needs to be addressed, or a ton of congestion and break outs- yet doesn’t want to try something new. These are the clients that will forever keep me scratching my head…
In these cases, the best way I can frame it to someone while still being polite is just kind of like- “you say you love your skincare but you are also saying you don’t love your skin…” it’s like we gotta start making some connections there and recognize that at that point, we need a consistent treatment plan and some better curated homecare.
This is also why it’s the clients responsibility to be honest in their consultation as well. What are you trying to achieve? If you just want to come and get your face rubbed once a month, then that’s cool too, but if you’re only willing to commit to a monthly facial then we all have to be realistic about our expectations. We can’t help you change your skin without making some actual changes. While also being consistent about those changes, and being sure we give those changes a fair chance.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ll have someone message me “when will I see a difference with this cream?” and you just wanna say “REALLY?” haha, I’m sorry but it’s true. Listen, if something worked in a week, everyone would be using it. That’s simply not how topical skincare works, regardless of its quality and potency. Most clinical studies and the before and afters you see on skincare sites, are based on 12 week results. We need to give our skin time to start behaving differently and time to adjust to new ingredients.
The truth of the matter is, getting results and improving our skin health sometimes takes a lot of trial and error. Everyone’s skin accepts and responds to products and treatments differently. Generally speaking, we can foresee a certain outcome but in reality- none of us have a crystal ball. So again, honest and realistic expectations are so important- and that goes for provider AND client. As I say, skincare is a marathon and not a sprint, and consistency is key.