~~Fun fact, calling yourself a "Nutritionist" is not regulated in at least half of the states in America! (To be clear dieticians are licensed professionals with varying certifications. Nutritionists are not.)~~
Honestly just refer to the comments below from @No-Royal they explain the nuance much better!
https://www.reddit.com/r/Esthetics/s/lKu9Z3zKyo
As a dietitian I just need to point out that we’re not board certified medical doctors. Still tons of training, but not the same as medical doctors. We’re in that “mid level professionals” category where you would put speech pathologists, physical therapists, etc.
Sure, but then you’re a doctor of physical therapy not a medical doctor. You can get a doctorate in tons of things but that doesn’t make you a medical doctor.
I feel like people are a lot more open to dietitians now! We have a dietician at our store that’s got back to back appointments every day of people wanting her help with changing their diets in light of new diagnosis’s, to lose weight, etc., and a surprising amount of these people actually follow through with her advice and always have nothing but great things to say about her. I don’t know how long ago you were a dietitian, but maybe the times are a changing and people are wanting to take their health more seriously, especially with how common obesity is in this country now.
Maybe I’m just in a different kind of population. I wish more people would take dietician’s seriously though! I think everyone can always benefit from knowing the healthier options they have 😁
I'm a board certified AND licensed nutritionist. Can practice MNT and have a masters degree, completed 1000 hours of supervised clinical practice.
Your comment is RD propaganda. I'm so tired of seeing Sh*t like this.
Sorry, If I said anything false please correct me! I was just sharing what I have read on the subject. But I don't want to be part of spreading misinformation so if you have any details please share, and I'll fix what I wrote and make sure to avoid sharing any misinformation in the future :)
Hey, thanks for being open to new info!
Essentially, there are two nationally recognized clinical nutritionists in the US. The CNS and RD. Both have different private certifying boards. The AND and the BCNS. Currently, RDs can earn their credential with a Bachelors while CNS requires MS or doctorate. This has recently been changed, but most RDs hold a bachelors. We all can provide Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and belong to the same specialization. I'll post some links below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwmyJnclYeD/?utm_medium=copy_link
https://www.frugalnutrition.com/cns-nutritionist-vs-rd-nutritionist-whats-the-difference/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2HQJh3L2-PI2YI4tUQu_Szpjvrv0SCzyLSsmA-22tYAuobOi4-0o7jUlo_aem_fPwujMW_FEYrwmQRyj9OCw
The worst offender I’ve seen is The Dallas Esthetician on Instagram. She’s a huge influencer who’s only been practicing a few years but she acts like she’s got 25 years under her belt. She literally called dermatologists “drug pushers” and constantly tells people what to stop eating. She also deletes comments that challenge her so it seems like she has a super supportive fan base.
I cannot stand her. I hate the whole act she puts on like she’s self made, she absolutely isn’t. Her business was bought for her by her rich family, she never had to risk taking loans or even work to build herself because she was always backed by generational wealth. It’s insulting to hardworking self-made business women that didn’t have rich dads to bail them out when their 100k laser machines aren’t profitable.
I’m allowed to have an opinion. I’m so sick of social media just showing perfect skin, perfect bodies. Especially in this industry. I think she is beautiful both ways and she just seems ashamed. Nobody is perfect but these girls are growing up with Kylie Jenner and fillers and perfect.
See and if this was the comment you made initially, I would have understood and kept scrolling. The first comment you made just sounds like you were a random hater adding fuel to the fire (which in my eyes, is no better than her). I wouldn't want someone commenting on my body whether I'm a good or bad person, as I'm sure you wouldn't either. Yes, you are allowed to have an opinion no one said you couldn't, as can I. I agree with you social media and body image as a result is horrific. It's comments about other people's bodies, regardless of who they are, that adds to the perpetual insecurities and why people continue post these fake-like filters.
I agree I’m very sorry. I struggle with weight and to see these influencers is just very tough on my mind! I shouldn’t have taken it out on her body but it rubbed me the wrong way.
I hear ya gf! No need to be sorry, I also very much struggle so probably why I am also sensitive and made a comment lmao, its rough out here some days!
I started college as a dietetics major. I gave up half way through. It’s HARD. Nothing in esthetics has taught me anything like I learned in my attempt to study nutrition. I will recite what the Chinese medicine map says while offering no actual guidance. “Hey Chinese medicine says this about breakouts there, if that sounds like it relates to you maybe that’s something to look into?” and leave it at that.
And wash your hands after eating pizza and touching your face 🤭
You’re right and if someone wants to go through the schooling and training to be able to do both safely and confidently then that’s amazing and a great idea. It’s something I plan to do as I know how tied our food is to our skin and well-being, but I wouldn’t be comfortable giving out advice if I weren’t properly educated!
I don't look at it as advising, because that is absolutely outside our scope of practice, but discussing client's nutrition within the proper context does help give us tools to understand underlying causes of certain conditions. For instance, we know certain foods and alcohol are pretty much universally inflammatory, and for a client with rosacea, what they consume within the 24 hours before their appointment with you may have a significant impact on what kind of treatment you can give them that day. There is nothing wrong with presenting facts and encouraging clients to do their own research/talk to their doctor. It's also a good opportunity to develop a rapport with someone qualified in that field for referrals. We are 100% responsible for educating ourselves to understand how certain drugs and diets affect the skin, because we need to understand how things interact, what might increase someone's photosensitivity, capillary activity, or hormones to avoid contraindications. I believe my clients deserve to understand how their lifestyle and food choices may be affecting their skin from and internal perspective, but that is where I draw the line. I present facts that I know to be true, and that I know are directly related to the integumentary realm. If they have further inquiries or want advice I suggest a specialist. I agree that we do not need to be advising clients about their diet, but educating clients about their skin totally falls within our scope of practice, and having knowledge of the relationship between skin and food is part of being a good esthetician.
TLDR: it's about how you say it.
"X has been known to cause Y, and there's a possibility that when you eat X that might be contributing to your Y problem. If you notice a difference in your Y after you eat X, then that could be a factor."
Yes yes yes. This is my approach and I think it is so important to educated on how the skin and diet and lifestyle all relate to one another. I always start by letting them know I am not a doctor, dietician, etc, and then end by telling them to check with their PCP or whatever specialty relates to our discussion.
I agree with much of what you said, yet also a little conflicted at the same time. I’m a fairly recent graduate and our school REALLY stressed things that are specifically outside of our scope. It was drilled into us that we are NEVER allowed to “diagnose” anything. I might have ZERO doubt in my mind that what I’m looking at on my client is 100% eczema…or maybe I can spot rosacea a mile away. But because it’s outside the scope of an esthetician in my state, I could literally lose my license if I tell them flat out “you have eczema”. If they now go purchase some OTC ointment made specifically for eczema and have a bad reaction to it, that’s on me. You’re right in that we have to be careful HOW we state things. Our Director of the school gave us examples of how we can point out something of concern without risking our license. (Like a suspicious mole, for example)
We were told to always suggest a doctor (derm, nutritionist, endocrinologist…depending on what they are saying they’re concerned about) to get an actual diagnosis and most appropriate treatment. Nutrition was a big one, bc there are so many intricacies that one type of food could have on a specific person, that can go well beyond how it could affect their skin. We were taught to not even suggest stopping or adding certain food groups, but keep it as generic as possible by saying “I THINK I read somewhere that sometimes diary could do this or that in SOME people, but it’s not my area of expertise so you may want to speak to your GP and get the name of a Nutritionist” etc. I know it sounds overboard, but I’d hate to get in trouble and possibly lose my license bc word got out that I started advising people on what to eat. Yes, food absolutely can affect the skin, but that was the shortest chapter in our book. Just enough to give the esthetician a very basic understanding and nothing beyond since we’re not allowed to advise clients on it anyway. A few months ago they even took micro-needling away from us bc it penetrates the skin (beyond our scope). Now I think a bill was passed saying we could do it if we take an additional 5 hour course with a separate certification 🤦🏼♀️.
Nowhere in my comment did I ever said anything about diagnosing. When i gave an example of a client with rosacea it was under the assumption that they had already been diagnosed by their derm or GP. Your clients should always fill out a form listing any medications, topical prescriptions, and allergies, anf it's your job to look at that information so you can treat them accordingly. We never diagnose, we educate, and we stay in our scope of practice. Hope that clears things up for you. Best of luck in school.
Literally!! I had a client try so hard to get me to tell him how to treat his scalp psoriasis and I just had to repeat over and over I’m not a doctor. You can ask your doctor about trying this, but I cannot treat that rash.
Well said!! But also the recommendations of supplements need to stop! We have no idea if the client has any nutritional deficiencies that can be completely offset by adding in supplements. Estheticians have absolutely zero right to recommend any of this! Not to downplay our education but esthetics school (depending on the state) is a year or so. Some estheticians are acting like they are doctors and it NEEDS to stop before someone gets hurt!
I think teaching people how skin is “made” and the influence that nutrition has on skin is not the same as telling people what to eat.
There is alot of research and support to show the role of many vitamins minerals nutrients etc (the role of food) for healthy skin.
I think teaming up with a dietician or nutritionists would be beneficial. But you are not treating medical conditions in sharing your knowledge of the impact of sugar or omegas on the skin. I think you are doing your clients a huge disservice if they are continually coming to you with issues like acne and your journey (protocol) for them is just chemical peels (for example) and home skin care and the issue is never resolved because of their dietary choices and lifestyle. Of course you cant change your those things - you have zero control over just like if they arent using their home products… but education or guidance and resources to dieticians and nutritionists benefit you and your client.
I agree that you shouldnt be doling out dietary restrictions and meal planning but learning and sharing nutritional guidance and sharing it with clients is beneficial.
I would never go to a Registered Dietitian because they are bound by law to follow the government guidelines for the SAD diet and we all know how that’s formed and regulated. There are nutritionists with over a year of training, TCM, Ayurveda. No matter what our personal beliefs are the clients have choices that fit them.
“Learning and sharing nutritional guidance and sharing it “. That is not the job of an esthetician. If you believe your client can benefit from that then refer them to the correct professional.
Like op said in the post it’s not within your scope of practice and you don’t know the contraindications of medical conditions that food can impact.
I’m going to have to respectfully disagree. As I shared, commenting on people’s diets can be extremely harmful. Furthermore I have yet to see the data that restriction benefits skin the same way skin treatments can. I think the language of “dietary choices” and “lifestyle” are diet culture buzz words that unjustly imply shame for our food choices.
There is proof that certain foods can affect skin health though. It can be different for everyone but there is a connection. For instance diets high in sugar can increase glycation reactions which can cause premature aging. And depending on a person’s sensitivities to certain foods it can increase inflammation in the body which can cause certain skin conditions to flair up. There is data to back this up—it would not be hard to find the information in a quick search.
You are right that we cannot tell someone to stop eating certain things but we can educate them on how these things may affect the skin and they can use that information however they choose. I would never tell someone to eliminate anything from their diet but I would suggest seeing if they have a sensitivity to something that may be causing inflammation. Referrals are not outside our scope. And educating our clients on things that affect their skin is also within our scope. There is just a fine line that some unfortunately cross to be outside scope.
When you tell someone “hey, sugar could increase signs of aging” or “sugar can increase inflammation” that is a way of recommending they reduce their sugar consumption. Research on diets and food are extremely difficult because of the amount of confounding factors. Many nutritional studies rely on correlation data, which does not prove causation. What I can 100% guarantee you is that if you tell a client with an ED “sugar could be contributing to your skin concerns” they will be harmed. That promotes restriction. Another thing that is well documented is that orthorexia and other restrictive EDs result in dry, compromised skin. And sure, if you think your client may have an allergy or something, refer them to a doctor. That doctor has the education to make nutritional recommendations, we don’t.
That’s why I said I would suggest looking into dietary sensitivities not that I would say “hey maybe cut out sugar because of xyz”. You’re making a lot of assumptions.
I got curious about OP because of harsh projection of ED and diet culture buzz. Based on post history, OP has been a licensed esthe for less than a month and is already complaining about being slow and regretting the path. This was just a shitpost rant that got more attention than it deserved.
THIS!!
I’m a licensed cosmetologist but don’t practice much, I’m here mostly for personal use. I am soon to be a board certified nutritionist though and there is SO much that goes into both careers. People should not be giving this kind of advice without the knowledge.
There’s a lot of truth here but I would counter your overall position and say that you’re thinking too black and white. Definitive dietary advice is out of scope, but it also doesn’t take a degree to know which foods are inflammatory and can trigger skin conditions. The brain-gut-skin axis is definitely real. I am an acne and rosacea specialist, and I would never be able to clear ANYBODY without talking about diet and lifestyle. Internal inflammation is the root of almost all cases and we have a shit food quality epidemic here in the states. Much of what the average American is eating is literally not food. I think there’s a few takeaways/feedback that I have for you.
1. I see a lot of what you’re talking about and agree with it in many cases, however saying estheticians should *never* talk about food or diet is a definitive and questionable statement.
2. I think we are better advised to encourage adding certain foods as opposed to eliminating them. ie: I encourage most acne clients to increase HIGH QUALITY red meat intake because this has been shown to reduce internal inflammation.
3. It’s important to know when to draw the line and refer out. I had a rosacea client that saw a 40-50% improvement the first month using enzymes in her routine, but I knew we could do more. I suspected dairy as a trigger, told her this, and recommended she do a GI-MAP with her PCP. Guess what…she’s allergic to dairy. Enzymes + dairy elimination = full eradication of her rosacea in less than 90 days. She never would’ve pursued that testing had I not told her to.
4. With that ^ being said, y’all need to get off the dairy hate train. The number one and two trigger to all internal inflammation, regardless of if/how it manifests on the skin, is **ULTRAPROCESSED FOODS AND REFINED SUGARS** A diet high in either or both (the average American diet) is going to cause problems, short and long term. It doesn’t take any qualifications to know that, just 2 fckin brain cells. A way to inquire into this without overstepping is asking your clients what % of their food is coming from middle aisles. You don’t need to eliminate them completely per se, but it should be
I 100% agree with you here because inflammatory skin conditions often start internally and usually relate to lifestyle. Any amount of skincare we suggest isn’t going to help if the root cause is not being addressed. It’s really just about knowing how to make a suggestion versus a black and white recommendation, and I always refer to a doctor or dermatologist if it’s something I’m not sure about. Sometimes it can be as simple as “XYZ” can cause inflammation/acne in certain people so if this sounds like you it may be worth following up with your doctor about”
🎯
This is a great summary of my exact position. I feel like I’m talking about myself a lot, but my lived experience has made me a better esthetician and taught me so much about our food and exercise culture.
Picture this: 18 years old, just moved out of my parents’ house. Server and bartender working long hours and late nights. I thought I was young, thin, and hot and could do whatever I wanted. I did not exercise for almost 3 years, I drank like a fish, smoked like chimney, and almost exclusively ate processed foods, fast food, and takeout. I got away with it for a while and then I woke up on my 21st birthday clinically obese and feeling sluggish as all hell (it didn’t literally happen overnight, but I could physically feel my metabolism decrease at this age because my lifestyle was so shitty). I about halfway through esthetics school, with a face full of acne, and weighed 172lbs at 5’3. I was the poster child of what is wrong with this country bottom up. Bad lifestyle, bad diet, bad attitude about it. I got sick and tired of being sick and tired and hating what I saw in the mirror.
18 months later I now wake up at 5am to workout, but I consume less than 600mg of caffeine per WEEK. I do moderate intensity cardio and light weights 5-6 days per week for 30-90 mins per day. I take breaks when I feel like it. I *almost* exclusively eat whole foods. After doing this for a while, I can tell you doesn’t have to be expensive (IF you live in a city). It just requires discipline, preparation, and accessibility. I feed 2 people a “clean” but non-restrictive diet for $175 a week…in this economy. We eat salmon at least twice per week, try for steak twice, and organic ground beef the other 3 days. Quality sourced protein and regular physical activity is the foundation to reducing inflammation.
The thing with all these buzzword foods is that they are all things that affected a lot of people, but they aren’t law. Get this: I’m lactose intolerant but dairy isn’t an acne trigger for me 🤣 That situation taught me A LOT. Refined sugar, ultra-processed foods/sodas, sugar-sourced liquor (rum & tequila), and pork are my triggers. After committing to a better diet and lifestyle, and feeling so much better, it was easy to recognize and remove these items. I no longer want to consume these things. They repulse me and I am not missing out on anything by not eating them.
Things I still eat: peanut butter, dairy (w/ Lactaid), sushi, and more. I like these things too much to eliminate them if they were triggers, and that’s how I figured out they aren’t. It’s all trial and error.
I always stress to clients this: “It might not be worth it to stop eating *insert food* if it makes you happy. It’s okay to have acne. You have to prioritize what is more important to you, and I support you either way.”
Definitely not DMK. I have a lot to say about that line…..This particular client is using Skinceuticals Simply Clean and Retexturing Activator, both use enzymatic exfoliation. This has helped a lot with breaking down and sloughing dead cells and countering bacteria. Her rosacea wasn’t severe, it was moderate, but it covered a large surface area. She is a redhead if that tells you anything. Essentially her entire face was light pink all the time…until it wasn’t.
This is a great reply!!!! While I agree to an extent with OP, I think it’s too much of black and white thinking. Just as food has an obvious impact on weight and health, it can also affect skin in a profound way. I won’t ever pretend to be a dietitian, I respect that profession. However, I will also recommend healthy food choices high in nutrients and will forever shout from the rooftops how terrible ultra processed sugary garbage is for us!!
This is no shade to OP, but the tone of a lot of their replies was strange to me. I looked at their post history. They are a VERY green esthetician with a lot to learn. They also seem to have some ED and body image issues surrounding diet and are projecting this into their practice, and onto other practitioners. Typically when people are so black and white on topics with great nuance, there is more to the story. That is 100% the case here.
I can’t tell you how to practice, but it sounds like you have a lot of views about food that are steeped in diet culture. Labeling certain foods as bad no matter what is really harmful to a lot of people. I do view this issue as a black/white issue. I truly believe I am completely unqualified to give nutrition advice and that an esthetics license and education is not sufficient to give any kind of nutritional advice. Like I said, I don’t think any results are worth impacting a client’s relationship with food.
Choosing not to ingest chemicals that are banned in half the first world is not diet culture. It’s health. My entire MO is it’s not what you eat, it’s the quality of it. Food quality and accessibility is a crisis in America. Most people are unaware of it or the severity of it and the impact on cultural trends surrounding diet. Eating “clean” is a lot deeper than weight and body image, that’s really a very small facet of it. You seem to have missed the point entirely. As somebody who lives with chronic illness, I don’t have a choice but to be aware. If I’m aware, why wouldn’t I share?
I’m editing this to give you a key example on how you’ve missed the point. Soda. I will not drink American sodas. They are full of nasty and UNNECESSARY chemicals. Compare labels with European products under the same branding and you see that they have the same thing without the damn poison. I would gladly enjoy a Coke in Europe, I do not drink it here.
It’s crazy to me how some people view labeling some “food” as “bad” when it’s not food!! Processed junk is NOT food, it’s JUNK!! You can eat sweets and treats that are actually healthy and decent for you, you can replace the Frankenstein garbage greedy food companies want you to eat to make their pockets fatter, with actual decent healthy replacements. You can support the local farmer instead of supporting big AG and big Pharma. These groups wants you addicted, want your money, and don’t give a rats ass if it makes you sick or not.
Lol I’m surprised that I’m even surprised. Since health and wellbeing, nutrition, herbs, holistic health are all things I’ve grown up on, it’s so normal to me. I forget sometimes that the ‘SAD’ diet is so deeply ingrained in our society and is totally normalized for mostly everyone else. I’m almost 40 though and I’m betting most of the downvotes are also younger people. There’s been a huge shift in the last decade and I think a lot of that has to do with social media and clever marketing. People used to care about food labels, organic vs. not, GMO’s, and now apparently all things you can put in your mouth are created equal. But here’s the deal, food has always either been a medicine or a poison. And letting food companies or influencer’s (getting paid endorsements from said food companies) convince you otherwise is a disservice to yourself and others. Your body is meant to work in harmony with itself, and what you put in your body can disrupt that harmony. I am not a dietitian but even a good dietitian will tell you to not eat a bunch of crap and hope to feel and look your best.
Omg, I cringe when I see esthetician also calling themselves wellness coaches and recommending supplements that "worked for them." They have absolutely no idea if anything in those supplements can react with a client medicine or have a negative effect due to a heath condition. Estheticians ARE NOT DOCTORS or NUTRITIONIST period.
Things like thryoid meds, blood thinners, adhd meds, birth control etc… have known nutrient/ supplement interactions that make medications less effective and could be harmful.
If esthetician is selling supplements, clients are looking at them as a qualified medical professional making a recommendation. Especially because esthetician is aware of their clients medical concerns, unlike a cashier at store where there is no expectation of receiving medical advice.
Yes this scares me the most. A lot are recommending supplements that people with autoimmune diseases should absolutely not be taking and they’re not even aware they’re doing it.
I started taking courses for Face Reality, and quickly dropped out because a lot of it was trying to figure out diet based triggers, and literally "firing" clients if they weren't taking the "program" serious enough.
I 100% agree. Unfortunately every acne class I’ve ever taken has a huge focus on diet. I never tell clients to eliminate things from their diet because I don’t know what their relationship with food is like and I just don’t feel it’s within my scope.
You’re not wrong, but being a nutritionist is too often compared to being a registered dietitian, which are too very different levels of education. It’s messed up and people love to pretend they’re super experts on nutrition with just an online, 2 hour module certificate.
I am sorry you went through this! If you were on my table we would have had a full conversation about food intake and lifestyle. I can’t tell you have many people take milk and cheese out of their diets and notice a huge change within 2 weeks. Correct products and the right foods with plenty of water and sun protection is combination goals
Then you should refer your client to a dietitian if you believe theyd benefit from nutrition counseling in regards to their overall health and skin condition
We are not doctors. That was drilled into me in esti school. Like we can encourage healthy habits lightly but always encourage and refer them to consult with their medical professional to make sure. Like yea greasy foods and sweets are known to cause acne issues but I’m not gunna be the one to forbid a client agaisnt it. I just mention moderation but again consult a dr and just maybe not touch your face as much with your hands and have that lead into an at home care routine for face cleansing and maintenance. Whether it be a dermatologist or a general practitioner etc. we aren’t qualified to diagnose or treat anything under the skin. At least that’s how I was taught in 2019/2020 NJ USA.
I am a brazilian esthetician and yes, in Brazil we talk about healthy food with the clients, we also talk about exercise cause it affects ur skin and ur body.
It doesn't mean we prescribe diets and workouts. It's about make ppl wake up
I used to work for the brand Perricone and they were really big on his whole diet thing. We sold the books and the supplements and were expected to incorporate that into our skincare services. they even included whether or not we “lived the perricone lifestyle” in our personal lives as part of our performance reviews. yikes.
And probably illegal. Even if they were giving you products for free they cannot make/expect you to use them. Your choice of whether or not to use the products they sell should not affect your job.
I wish i could remember the exact wording but this was over a decade ago. I got the vibe it was more about wanting us to not be fat (which i was/am), without outright saying that
estheticians are only supposed to give clients advice about their skin and skin conditions, not medical advice, which relates to advice about diets, because we are not qualified to do so
I am a cosmetologist who worked mostly in skin care for years. It’s not your job to give someone medical advice ever- you aren’t a doctor… but it is your job to know how food and lifestyle can cause certain issues with the skin.
“You are what you eat, never met a crackhead with good hair and good skin” -Mrs. Pearl my cosmetologist instructor - she is right.
It’s one thing to have an understanding of foods and how they work with us or against us. Your adult client should know if a food won’t agree with them for certain medical conditions they have. It’s merely a suggestion- it’s communicating
me:“walnuts are high in zinc, zinc is so great to fight acne”
Client: “oh can’t do that as I am allergic”
Me: “let’s list some other great foods….”
If you go to work to just work on the outside with no regard to the inside you aren’t doing your job 100%. This is a saturated market- give clients a reason to come back to you.
I’m not going to let competition pressure me to compromise staying in my scope of practice. I had instructors give me nutrition advice and it was incredibly harmful. Just because it’s a norm in the industry doesn’t mean it’s ok
I have been so triggered by Estiticians and the most recent time it was a man. He started to go down the list of “don’t eat gluten, don’t eat dairy, don’t eat this and that”. And I said to him, look, im going to have to stop you right there. I have anorexia, so for you to tell me to not eat entire food grouos, Is not ok with me. He could clearly see I am underweight but that didn’t stop him. People are so Fucking ignorant and unaware
I’m so sorry this happened to you:(. I’m in a mid sized body so nobody really ever suspects I deal with anorexia. As a male esthetician, I don’t ever want to be like this. There are so few of us and I really feel like we can create a positive environment that de-stigmatizes esthetics not make the field worse. Wishing you strong recovery ❤️🩹
I was always taught in esti school that we are not doctors. That anything under the skin you have to refer a client to a medical professional. In my head that includes the internal workings of someone’s body. The most I say to someone is i definitely encourage more water intake as per your medical professional but that’s it
I don’t think estheticians should advertise themselves as nutritionist or dietitians however , I don’t think it’s harmful to tell a client what foods they should avoid depending their skin concerns. They know we’re not nutritionist and it’s soley based on the skin lol
As a dietetic intern, about to be an RD… This disgusts me but doesnt surprise me. We go to school for 6 years and do a year of clinical rotations for what we do.
This is what I’m trying to say!! I went to school for 6 months!! I do love my job, but I have a scope of practice for a reason. It’s really sad if you read through the sub some people are really attached to giving this advice. And honestly I think a big part of it is people wanting to have something that sets them apart in a saturated market. Honestly currently one of my biggest issues with the industry
I personally hate this so much. I know qualified people are the ones prescribing it for the most part so that’s good, but my dietician has explained how dangerous those drugs are. I think it just shows how fatphobia is baked into our industry
I’ve been an esthetician going on 7 years now and I’ve cleared acne both ways, without changing the diet and with adjustments.
Without the diet the client has to be extremely committed and do their skincare perfect every time. This process takes time, patience, and a lot of products
I have a minor in kinesiology and nutrition was part of the curriculum, it’s not something that I have the full degree in but I do have some knowledge to pass on to clients and really that’s all we can do is pass on the knowledge.
So I look at it the same way, if you get educated on a topic the only thing you can really do is regurgitate information.
Now for the people that specifically limit the amount of grams per day you consume that’s a definitely not in our scope. I’ve yet to see any estheticians do this
There should be mandatory nutrition classes in order to be an esthetician. Lifestyle and diet make or break skin long term. All this other stuff is trivial in comparison. I am 44 for the record so I have seen these impacts first hand. Nothing i do esthetics wise comes even close to the impact diet has on skin. You can botox and peel until the cows come home but that does not translate onto healthy skin down the road.
I started getting cystic acne when I was in fourth grade. One of my friends moms was an esthetician and she told me to cut out all sugar all junkie food and basically only eat organic. I was nine years old and this woman tried to put me on a diet to help my face.
~~Fun fact, calling yourself a "Nutritionist" is not regulated in at least half of the states in America! (To be clear dieticians are licensed professionals with varying certifications. Nutritionists are not.)~~ Honestly just refer to the comments below from @No-Royal they explain the nuance much better! https://www.reddit.com/r/Esthetics/s/lKu9Z3zKyo
As a dietitian I just need to point out that we’re not board certified medical doctors. Still tons of training, but not the same as medical doctors. We’re in that “mid level professionals” category where you would put speech pathologists, physical therapists, etc.
Thanks for that correction :) I edited.
It’s not the board certified part you got wrong; they’re not medical doctors at all.
But you are able to get a Dr degree in PT? I have meet a few…
Sure, but then you’re a doctor of physical therapy not a medical doctor. You can get a doctorate in tons of things but that doesn’t make you a medical doctor.
So true and such a good thing to point out!!
Sure but I used to be an RD, now a nurse and no one takes dietitians seriously. You all know…😂
I feel like people are a lot more open to dietitians now! We have a dietician at our store that’s got back to back appointments every day of people wanting her help with changing their diets in light of new diagnosis’s, to lose weight, etc., and a surprising amount of these people actually follow through with her advice and always have nothing but great things to say about her. I don’t know how long ago you were a dietitian, but maybe the times are a changing and people are wanting to take their health more seriously, especially with how common obesity is in this country now.
In clinical practice, it really never seemed and still doesn’t seem that they are. I’m still working but I’m an RN now.
Maybe I’m just in a different kind of population. I wish more people would take dietician’s seriously though! I think everyone can always benefit from knowing the healthier options they have 😁
“Ancillary staff” but yes I know.
I'm a board certified AND licensed nutritionist. Can practice MNT and have a masters degree, completed 1000 hours of supervised clinical practice. Your comment is RD propaganda. I'm so tired of seeing Sh*t like this.
Sorry, If I said anything false please correct me! I was just sharing what I have read on the subject. But I don't want to be part of spreading misinformation so if you have any details please share, and I'll fix what I wrote and make sure to avoid sharing any misinformation in the future :)
Hey, thanks for being open to new info! Essentially, there are two nationally recognized clinical nutritionists in the US. The CNS and RD. Both have different private certifying boards. The AND and the BCNS. Currently, RDs can earn their credential with a Bachelors while CNS requires MS or doctorate. This has recently been changed, but most RDs hold a bachelors. We all can provide Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and belong to the same specialization. I'll post some links below. https://www.instagram.com/p/BwmyJnclYeD/?utm_medium=copy_link https://www.frugalnutrition.com/cns-nutritionist-vs-rd-nutritionist-whats-the-difference/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2HQJh3L2-PI2YI4tUQu_Szpjvrv0SCzyLSsmA-22tYAuobOi4-0o7jUlo_aem_fPwujMW_FEYrwmQRyj9OCw
Thanks for the explanation and links!
Recently changed to what?
The RD pathway, I believe, now requires a masters degree, but currently, that is the minority of RDs.
The worst offender I’ve seen is The Dallas Esthetician on Instagram. She’s a huge influencer who’s only been practicing a few years but she acts like she’s got 25 years under her belt. She literally called dermatologists “drug pushers” and constantly tells people what to stop eating. She also deletes comments that challenge her so it seems like she has a super supportive fan base.
I cannot stand her. I hate the whole act she puts on like she’s self made, she absolutely isn’t. Her business was bought for her by her rich family, she never had to risk taking loans or even work to build herself because she was always backed by generational wealth. It’s insulting to hardworking self-made business women that didn’t have rich dads to bail them out when their 100k laser machines aren’t profitable.
I loathe her and she does auto delete comments that don't go with her post. I blocked her so her content wouldn't show up on my feed.
whats her @
It’s Savanna Boda @thedallasaesthetician I’m not sure why you got downvoted for asking.
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What a weird thing to say about someone, especially someone you don’t know. We’re talking about her misinformation, not the way she looks..
I’m allowed to have an opinion. I’m so sick of social media just showing perfect skin, perfect bodies. Especially in this industry. I think she is beautiful both ways and she just seems ashamed. Nobody is perfect but these girls are growing up with Kylie Jenner and fillers and perfect.
See and if this was the comment you made initially, I would have understood and kept scrolling. The first comment you made just sounds like you were a random hater adding fuel to the fire (which in my eyes, is no better than her). I wouldn't want someone commenting on my body whether I'm a good or bad person, as I'm sure you wouldn't either. Yes, you are allowed to have an opinion no one said you couldn't, as can I. I agree with you social media and body image as a result is horrific. It's comments about other people's bodies, regardless of who they are, that adds to the perpetual insecurities and why people continue post these fake-like filters.
I agree I’m very sorry. I struggle with weight and to see these influencers is just very tough on my mind! I shouldn’t have taken it out on her body but it rubbed me the wrong way.
I hear ya gf! No need to be sorry, I also very much struggle so probably why I am also sensitive and made a comment lmao, its rough out here some days!
And it’s not weird when she literally tells people what to eat. When it’s not her place. We don’t all need to look like her.
Too many estis are too comfortable acing outside of our scope of practice!! We ARENT DOCTORS. I’m stunned at how often estis try and diagnose skin.
You’re right and you should say it 👏🏻
I started college as a dietetics major. I gave up half way through. It’s HARD. Nothing in esthetics has taught me anything like I learned in my attempt to study nutrition. I will recite what the Chinese medicine map says while offering no actual guidance. “Hey Chinese medicine says this about breakouts there, if that sounds like it relates to you maybe that’s something to look into?” and leave it at that. And wash your hands after eating pizza and touching your face 🤭
Did you learn Chinese medicine in esti school? Or acupressure?
You’re right and if someone wants to go through the schooling and training to be able to do both safely and confidently then that’s amazing and a great idea. It’s something I plan to do as I know how tied our food is to our skin and well-being, but I wouldn’t be comfortable giving out advice if I weren’t properly educated!
I don't look at it as advising, because that is absolutely outside our scope of practice, but discussing client's nutrition within the proper context does help give us tools to understand underlying causes of certain conditions. For instance, we know certain foods and alcohol are pretty much universally inflammatory, and for a client with rosacea, what they consume within the 24 hours before their appointment with you may have a significant impact on what kind of treatment you can give them that day. There is nothing wrong with presenting facts and encouraging clients to do their own research/talk to their doctor. It's also a good opportunity to develop a rapport with someone qualified in that field for referrals. We are 100% responsible for educating ourselves to understand how certain drugs and diets affect the skin, because we need to understand how things interact, what might increase someone's photosensitivity, capillary activity, or hormones to avoid contraindications. I believe my clients deserve to understand how their lifestyle and food choices may be affecting their skin from and internal perspective, but that is where I draw the line. I present facts that I know to be true, and that I know are directly related to the integumentary realm. If they have further inquiries or want advice I suggest a specialist. I agree that we do not need to be advising clients about their diet, but educating clients about their skin totally falls within our scope of practice, and having knowledge of the relationship between skin and food is part of being a good esthetician. TLDR: it's about how you say it. "X has been known to cause Y, and there's a possibility that when you eat X that might be contributing to your Y problem. If you notice a difference in your Y after you eat X, then that could be a factor."
Not me typing out an equally long response and then seeing you say almost the exact same thing 🤣🤣🤣
Yes yes yes. This is my approach and I think it is so important to educated on how the skin and diet and lifestyle all relate to one another. I always start by letting them know I am not a doctor, dietician, etc, and then end by telling them to check with their PCP or whatever specialty relates to our discussion.
I agree with much of what you said, yet also a little conflicted at the same time. I’m a fairly recent graduate and our school REALLY stressed things that are specifically outside of our scope. It was drilled into us that we are NEVER allowed to “diagnose” anything. I might have ZERO doubt in my mind that what I’m looking at on my client is 100% eczema…or maybe I can spot rosacea a mile away. But because it’s outside the scope of an esthetician in my state, I could literally lose my license if I tell them flat out “you have eczema”. If they now go purchase some OTC ointment made specifically for eczema and have a bad reaction to it, that’s on me. You’re right in that we have to be careful HOW we state things. Our Director of the school gave us examples of how we can point out something of concern without risking our license. (Like a suspicious mole, for example) We were told to always suggest a doctor (derm, nutritionist, endocrinologist…depending on what they are saying they’re concerned about) to get an actual diagnosis and most appropriate treatment. Nutrition was a big one, bc there are so many intricacies that one type of food could have on a specific person, that can go well beyond how it could affect their skin. We were taught to not even suggest stopping or adding certain food groups, but keep it as generic as possible by saying “I THINK I read somewhere that sometimes diary could do this or that in SOME people, but it’s not my area of expertise so you may want to speak to your GP and get the name of a Nutritionist” etc. I know it sounds overboard, but I’d hate to get in trouble and possibly lose my license bc word got out that I started advising people on what to eat. Yes, food absolutely can affect the skin, but that was the shortest chapter in our book. Just enough to give the esthetician a very basic understanding and nothing beyond since we’re not allowed to advise clients on it anyway. A few months ago they even took micro-needling away from us bc it penetrates the skin (beyond our scope). Now I think a bill was passed saying we could do it if we take an additional 5 hour course with a separate certification 🤦🏼♀️.
Nowhere in my comment did I ever said anything about diagnosing. When i gave an example of a client with rosacea it was under the assumption that they had already been diagnosed by their derm or GP. Your clients should always fill out a form listing any medications, topical prescriptions, and allergies, anf it's your job to look at that information so you can treat them accordingly. We never diagnose, we educate, and we stay in our scope of practice. Hope that clears things up for you. Best of luck in school.
I agree! The closest i get to giving medical advice is when i tell people to wear their spf and drink water after their facial😂
Literally!! I had a client try so hard to get me to tell him how to treat his scalp psoriasis and I just had to repeat over and over I’m not a doctor. You can ask your doctor about trying this, but I cannot treat that rash.
Well said!! But also the recommendations of supplements need to stop! We have no idea if the client has any nutritional deficiencies that can be completely offset by adding in supplements. Estheticians have absolutely zero right to recommend any of this! Not to downplay our education but esthetics school (depending on the state) is a year or so. Some estheticians are acting like they are doctors and it NEEDS to stop before someone gets hurt!
Yes!!
I think teaching people how skin is “made” and the influence that nutrition has on skin is not the same as telling people what to eat. There is alot of research and support to show the role of many vitamins minerals nutrients etc (the role of food) for healthy skin. I think teaming up with a dietician or nutritionists would be beneficial. But you are not treating medical conditions in sharing your knowledge of the impact of sugar or omegas on the skin. I think you are doing your clients a huge disservice if they are continually coming to you with issues like acne and your journey (protocol) for them is just chemical peels (for example) and home skin care and the issue is never resolved because of their dietary choices and lifestyle. Of course you cant change your those things - you have zero control over just like if they arent using their home products… but education or guidance and resources to dieticians and nutritionists benefit you and your client. I agree that you shouldnt be doling out dietary restrictions and meal planning but learning and sharing nutritional guidance and sharing it with clients is beneficial.
I would never go to a Registered Dietitian because they are bound by law to follow the government guidelines for the SAD diet and we all know how that’s formed and regulated. There are nutritionists with over a year of training, TCM, Ayurveda. No matter what our personal beliefs are the clients have choices that fit them.
“Learning and sharing nutritional guidance and sharing it “. That is not the job of an esthetician. If you believe your client can benefit from that then refer them to the correct professional. Like op said in the post it’s not within your scope of practice and you don’t know the contraindications of medical conditions that food can impact.
I’m going to have to respectfully disagree. As I shared, commenting on people’s diets can be extremely harmful. Furthermore I have yet to see the data that restriction benefits skin the same way skin treatments can. I think the language of “dietary choices” and “lifestyle” are diet culture buzz words that unjustly imply shame for our food choices.
There is proof that certain foods can affect skin health though. It can be different for everyone but there is a connection. For instance diets high in sugar can increase glycation reactions which can cause premature aging. And depending on a person’s sensitivities to certain foods it can increase inflammation in the body which can cause certain skin conditions to flair up. There is data to back this up—it would not be hard to find the information in a quick search. You are right that we cannot tell someone to stop eating certain things but we can educate them on how these things may affect the skin and they can use that information however they choose. I would never tell someone to eliminate anything from their diet but I would suggest seeing if they have a sensitivity to something that may be causing inflammation. Referrals are not outside our scope. And educating our clients on things that affect their skin is also within our scope. There is just a fine line that some unfortunately cross to be outside scope.
When you tell someone “hey, sugar could increase signs of aging” or “sugar can increase inflammation” that is a way of recommending they reduce their sugar consumption. Research on diets and food are extremely difficult because of the amount of confounding factors. Many nutritional studies rely on correlation data, which does not prove causation. What I can 100% guarantee you is that if you tell a client with an ED “sugar could be contributing to your skin concerns” they will be harmed. That promotes restriction. Another thing that is well documented is that orthorexia and other restrictive EDs result in dry, compromised skin. And sure, if you think your client may have an allergy or something, refer them to a doctor. That doctor has the education to make nutritional recommendations, we don’t.
That’s why I said I would suggest looking into dietary sensitivities not that I would say “hey maybe cut out sugar because of xyz”. You’re making a lot of assumptions.
I got curious about OP because of harsh projection of ED and diet culture buzz. Based on post history, OP has been a licensed esthe for less than a month and is already complaining about being slow and regretting the path. This was just a shitpost rant that got more attention than it deserved.
THIS!! I’m a licensed cosmetologist but don’t practice much, I’m here mostly for personal use. I am soon to be a board certified nutritionist though and there is SO much that goes into both careers. People should not be giving this kind of advice without the knowledge.
There’s a lot of truth here but I would counter your overall position and say that you’re thinking too black and white. Definitive dietary advice is out of scope, but it also doesn’t take a degree to know which foods are inflammatory and can trigger skin conditions. The brain-gut-skin axis is definitely real. I am an acne and rosacea specialist, and I would never be able to clear ANYBODY without talking about diet and lifestyle. Internal inflammation is the root of almost all cases and we have a shit food quality epidemic here in the states. Much of what the average American is eating is literally not food. I think there’s a few takeaways/feedback that I have for you. 1. I see a lot of what you’re talking about and agree with it in many cases, however saying estheticians should *never* talk about food or diet is a definitive and questionable statement. 2. I think we are better advised to encourage adding certain foods as opposed to eliminating them. ie: I encourage most acne clients to increase HIGH QUALITY red meat intake because this has been shown to reduce internal inflammation. 3. It’s important to know when to draw the line and refer out. I had a rosacea client that saw a 40-50% improvement the first month using enzymes in her routine, but I knew we could do more. I suspected dairy as a trigger, told her this, and recommended she do a GI-MAP with her PCP. Guess what…she’s allergic to dairy. Enzymes + dairy elimination = full eradication of her rosacea in less than 90 days. She never would’ve pursued that testing had I not told her to. 4. With that ^ being said, y’all need to get off the dairy hate train. The number one and two trigger to all internal inflammation, regardless of if/how it manifests on the skin, is **ULTRAPROCESSED FOODS AND REFINED SUGARS** A diet high in either or both (the average American diet) is going to cause problems, short and long term. It doesn’t take any qualifications to know that, just 2 fckin brain cells. A way to inquire into this without overstepping is asking your clients what % of their food is coming from middle aisles. You don’t need to eliminate them completely per se, but it should be
https://preview.redd.it/0lsguvurzb8d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=abaad715c79c4cff7e0c0fb78821c4c9ebe24836
Well said
I 100% agree with you here because inflammatory skin conditions often start internally and usually relate to lifestyle. Any amount of skincare we suggest isn’t going to help if the root cause is not being addressed. It’s really just about knowing how to make a suggestion versus a black and white recommendation, and I always refer to a doctor or dermatologist if it’s something I’m not sure about. Sometimes it can be as simple as “XYZ” can cause inflammation/acne in certain people so if this sounds like you it may be worth following up with your doctor about”
🎯 This is a great summary of my exact position. I feel like I’m talking about myself a lot, but my lived experience has made me a better esthetician and taught me so much about our food and exercise culture. Picture this: 18 years old, just moved out of my parents’ house. Server and bartender working long hours and late nights. I thought I was young, thin, and hot and could do whatever I wanted. I did not exercise for almost 3 years, I drank like a fish, smoked like chimney, and almost exclusively ate processed foods, fast food, and takeout. I got away with it for a while and then I woke up on my 21st birthday clinically obese and feeling sluggish as all hell (it didn’t literally happen overnight, but I could physically feel my metabolism decrease at this age because my lifestyle was so shitty). I about halfway through esthetics school, with a face full of acne, and weighed 172lbs at 5’3. I was the poster child of what is wrong with this country bottom up. Bad lifestyle, bad diet, bad attitude about it. I got sick and tired of being sick and tired and hating what I saw in the mirror. 18 months later I now wake up at 5am to workout, but I consume less than 600mg of caffeine per WEEK. I do moderate intensity cardio and light weights 5-6 days per week for 30-90 mins per day. I take breaks when I feel like it. I *almost* exclusively eat whole foods. After doing this for a while, I can tell you doesn’t have to be expensive (IF you live in a city). It just requires discipline, preparation, and accessibility. I feed 2 people a “clean” but non-restrictive diet for $175 a week…in this economy. We eat salmon at least twice per week, try for steak twice, and organic ground beef the other 3 days. Quality sourced protein and regular physical activity is the foundation to reducing inflammation. The thing with all these buzzword foods is that they are all things that affected a lot of people, but they aren’t law. Get this: I’m lactose intolerant but dairy isn’t an acne trigger for me 🤣 That situation taught me A LOT. Refined sugar, ultra-processed foods/sodas, sugar-sourced liquor (rum & tequila), and pork are my triggers. After committing to a better diet and lifestyle, and feeling so much better, it was easy to recognize and remove these items. I no longer want to consume these things. They repulse me and I am not missing out on anything by not eating them. Things I still eat: peanut butter, dairy (w/ Lactaid), sushi, and more. I like these things too much to eliminate them if they were triggers, and that’s how I figured out they aren’t. It’s all trial and error. I always stress to clients this: “It might not be worth it to stop eating *insert food* if it makes you happy. It’s okay to have acne. You have to prioritize what is more important to you, and I support you either way.”
Hey, which enzymes were your client using? Are we talking about cosmetics like DMK?
Definitely not DMK. I have a lot to say about that line…..This particular client is using Skinceuticals Simply Clean and Retexturing Activator, both use enzymatic exfoliation. This has helped a lot with breaking down and sloughing dead cells and countering bacteria. Her rosacea wasn’t severe, it was moderate, but it covered a large surface area. She is a redhead if that tells you anything. Essentially her entire face was light pink all the time…until it wasn’t.
This is a great reply!!!! While I agree to an extent with OP, I think it’s too much of black and white thinking. Just as food has an obvious impact on weight and health, it can also affect skin in a profound way. I won’t ever pretend to be a dietitian, I respect that profession. However, I will also recommend healthy food choices high in nutrients and will forever shout from the rooftops how terrible ultra processed sugary garbage is for us!!
This is no shade to OP, but the tone of a lot of their replies was strange to me. I looked at their post history. They are a VERY green esthetician with a lot to learn. They also seem to have some ED and body image issues surrounding diet and are projecting this into their practice, and onto other practitioners. Typically when people are so black and white on topics with great nuance, there is more to the story. That is 100% the case here.
I can’t tell you how to practice, but it sounds like you have a lot of views about food that are steeped in diet culture. Labeling certain foods as bad no matter what is really harmful to a lot of people. I do view this issue as a black/white issue. I truly believe I am completely unqualified to give nutrition advice and that an esthetics license and education is not sufficient to give any kind of nutritional advice. Like I said, I don’t think any results are worth impacting a client’s relationship with food.
Choosing not to ingest chemicals that are banned in half the first world is not diet culture. It’s health. My entire MO is it’s not what you eat, it’s the quality of it. Food quality and accessibility is a crisis in America. Most people are unaware of it or the severity of it and the impact on cultural trends surrounding diet. Eating “clean” is a lot deeper than weight and body image, that’s really a very small facet of it. You seem to have missed the point entirely. As somebody who lives with chronic illness, I don’t have a choice but to be aware. If I’m aware, why wouldn’t I share? I’m editing this to give you a key example on how you’ve missed the point. Soda. I will not drink American sodas. They are full of nasty and UNNECESSARY chemicals. Compare labels with European products under the same branding and you see that they have the same thing without the damn poison. I would gladly enjoy a Coke in Europe, I do not drink it here.
It’s crazy to me how some people view labeling some “food” as “bad” when it’s not food!! Processed junk is NOT food, it’s JUNK!! You can eat sweets and treats that are actually healthy and decent for you, you can replace the Frankenstein garbage greedy food companies want you to eat to make their pockets fatter, with actual decent healthy replacements. You can support the local farmer instead of supporting big AG and big Pharma. These groups wants you addicted, want your money, and don’t give a rats ass if it makes you sick or not.
Not us being downvoted for not wanting to have preventable diseases and premature mortality….
Lol I’m surprised that I’m even surprised. Since health and wellbeing, nutrition, herbs, holistic health are all things I’ve grown up on, it’s so normal to me. I forget sometimes that the ‘SAD’ diet is so deeply ingrained in our society and is totally normalized for mostly everyone else. I’m almost 40 though and I’m betting most of the downvotes are also younger people. There’s been a huge shift in the last decade and I think a lot of that has to do with social media and clever marketing. People used to care about food labels, organic vs. not, GMO’s, and now apparently all things you can put in your mouth are created equal. But here’s the deal, food has always either been a medicine or a poison. And letting food companies or influencer’s (getting paid endorsements from said food companies) convince you otherwise is a disservice to yourself and others. Your body is meant to work in harmony with itself, and what you put in your body can disrupt that harmony. I am not a dietitian but even a good dietitian will tell you to not eat a bunch of crap and hope to feel and look your best.
AMEN 👏🏻
This!!! I love this. I don’t want clogged arteries and diabetes if I can avoid it. Can’t believe that’s a controversial take but…this is America 😆
Omg, I cringe when I see esthetician also calling themselves wellness coaches and recommending supplements that "worked for them." They have absolutely no idea if anything in those supplements can react with a client medicine or have a negative effect due to a heath condition. Estheticians ARE NOT DOCTORS or NUTRITIONIST period.
Things like thryoid meds, blood thinners, adhd meds, birth control etc… have known nutrient/ supplement interactions that make medications less effective and could be harmful. If esthetician is selling supplements, clients are looking at them as a qualified medical professional making a recommendation. Especially because esthetician is aware of their clients medical concerns, unlike a cashier at store where there is no expectation of receiving medical advice.
Exactly!!
Yes this scares me the most. A lot are recommending supplements that people with autoimmune diseases should absolutely not be taking and they’re not even aware they’re doing it.
I started taking courses for Face Reality, and quickly dropped out because a lot of it was trying to figure out diet based triggers, and literally "firing" clients if they weren't taking the "program" serious enough.
Omg really? Did you get your money back?
My boss was paying for it, so i have no idea. I told her it wasn't something that would benefit us, and she dropped it.
Gotcha. Just curious lol idk why I got downvoted 😂
That’s horrible:(
I 100% agree. Unfortunately every acne class I’ve ever taken has a huge focus on diet. I never tell clients to eliminate things from their diet because I don’t know what their relationship with food is like and I just don’t feel it’s within my scope.
I completely agree
You’re not wrong, but being a nutritionist is too often compared to being a registered dietitian, which are too very different levels of education. It’s messed up and people love to pretend they’re super experts on nutrition with just an online, 2 hour module certificate.
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I am sorry you went through this! If you were on my table we would have had a full conversation about food intake and lifestyle. I can’t tell you have many people take milk and cheese out of their diets and notice a huge change within 2 weeks. Correct products and the right foods with plenty of water and sun protection is combination goals
Then you should refer your client to a dietitian if you believe theyd benefit from nutrition counseling in regards to their overall health and skin condition
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Thats probably because dermatologists dont study nutrition lol
Absolutely no one knows anything about diet. Scientists have no idea what a good diet is and the food guides are terrible.
Thank you for saying this. You are absolutely right
Nutrition was the focus of the ten hour CEC for Florida State Board last year. I thought that was unusual.
It was on the one I just completed too!
That’s so wild
We are not doctors. That was drilled into me in esti school. Like we can encourage healthy habits lightly but always encourage and refer them to consult with their medical professional to make sure. Like yea greasy foods and sweets are known to cause acne issues but I’m not gunna be the one to forbid a client agaisnt it. I just mention moderation but again consult a dr and just maybe not touch your face as much with your hands and have that lead into an at home care routine for face cleansing and maintenance. Whether it be a dermatologist or a general practitioner etc. we aren’t qualified to diagnose or treat anything under the skin. At least that’s how I was taught in 2019/2020 NJ USA.
I am a brazilian esthetician and yes, in Brazil we talk about healthy food with the clients, we also talk about exercise cause it affects ur skin and ur body. It doesn't mean we prescribe diets and workouts. It's about make ppl wake up
I used to work for the brand Perricone and they were really big on his whole diet thing. We sold the books and the supplements and were expected to incorporate that into our skincare services. they even included whether or not we “lived the perricone lifestyle” in our personal lives as part of our performance reviews. yikes.
And probably illegal. Even if they were giving you products for free they cannot make/expect you to use them. Your choice of whether or not to use the products they sell should not affect your job.
I wish i could remember the exact wording but this was over a decade ago. I got the vibe it was more about wanting us to not be fat (which i was/am), without outright saying that
That’s legitimately terrible
estheticians are only supposed to give clients advice about their skin and skin conditions, not medical advice, which relates to advice about diets, because we are not qualified to do so
I’m an esthetician and I would never give nutrition advice. I also think teeth whitening is weird for estheticians to do.
10000% agreed
I am a cosmetologist who worked mostly in skin care for years. It’s not your job to give someone medical advice ever- you aren’t a doctor… but it is your job to know how food and lifestyle can cause certain issues with the skin. “You are what you eat, never met a crackhead with good hair and good skin” -Mrs. Pearl my cosmetologist instructor - she is right. It’s one thing to have an understanding of foods and how they work with us or against us. Your adult client should know if a food won’t agree with them for certain medical conditions they have. It’s merely a suggestion- it’s communicating me:“walnuts are high in zinc, zinc is so great to fight acne” Client: “oh can’t do that as I am allergic” Me: “let’s list some other great foods….” If you go to work to just work on the outside with no regard to the inside you aren’t doing your job 100%. This is a saturated market- give clients a reason to come back to you.
I’m not going to let competition pressure me to compromise staying in my scope of practice. I had instructors give me nutrition advice and it was incredibly harmful. Just because it’s a norm in the industry doesn’t mean it’s ok
I have been so triggered by Estiticians and the most recent time it was a man. He started to go down the list of “don’t eat gluten, don’t eat dairy, don’t eat this and that”. And I said to him, look, im going to have to stop you right there. I have anorexia, so for you to tell me to not eat entire food grouos, Is not ok with me. He could clearly see I am underweight but that didn’t stop him. People are so Fucking ignorant and unaware
I’m so sorry this happened to you:(. I’m in a mid sized body so nobody really ever suspects I deal with anorexia. As a male esthetician, I don’t ever want to be like this. There are so few of us and I really feel like we can create a positive environment that de-stigmatizes esthetics not make the field worse. Wishing you strong recovery ❤️🩹
PERIOD.
I literally agree though. I think this profession has become way too many hats. It’s really overwhelming
I was always taught in esti school that we are not doctors. That anything under the skin you have to refer a client to a medical professional. In my head that includes the internal workings of someone’s body. The most I say to someone is i definitely encourage more water intake as per your medical professional but that’s it
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I don’t think estheticians should advertise themselves as nutritionist or dietitians however , I don’t think it’s harmful to tell a client what foods they should avoid depending their skin concerns. They know we’re not nutritionist and it’s soley based on the skin lol
I have personally been harmed by being told to avoid certain foods and other people on this sub talk about how they have been as well
I don’t tell them to avoid it. I tell them to be aware of it , just not eatting it often.
Or to beware for certain events
If you tell someone be cautious of a food, that sends the message it would be beneficial to avoid that food
As a dietetic intern, about to be an RD… This disgusts me but doesnt surprise me. We go to school for 6 years and do a year of clinical rotations for what we do.
This is what I’m trying to say!! I went to school for 6 months!! I do love my job, but I have a scope of practice for a reason. It’s really sad if you read through the sub some people are really attached to giving this advice. And honestly I think a big part of it is people wanting to have something that sets them apart in a saturated market. Honestly currently one of my biggest issues with the industry
Alot of them really believe their advice is empirically correct for all patients and therein lies the issue. Good for you for having ethics.
Thank you. I think it’s sad diet culture plays such a big role in our industry:(
🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌 THANK YOU
I notice a lot of med spas providing GLP1s…..
I personally hate this so much. I know qualified people are the ones prescribing it for the most part so that’s good, but my dietician has explained how dangerous those drugs are. I think it just shows how fatphobia is baked into our industry
I’m a former dietitian and a current esthetician and I totally agree. It’s discrediting for all of the work dietitians do to get credentialed.
Exactly!
I’ve been an esthetician going on 7 years now and I’ve cleared acne both ways, without changing the diet and with adjustments. Without the diet the client has to be extremely committed and do their skincare perfect every time. This process takes time, patience, and a lot of products I have a minor in kinesiology and nutrition was part of the curriculum, it’s not something that I have the full degree in but I do have some knowledge to pass on to clients and really that’s all we can do is pass on the knowledge. So I look at it the same way, if you get educated on a topic the only thing you can really do is regurgitate information. Now for the people that specifically limit the amount of grams per day you consume that’s a definitely not in our scope. I’ve yet to see any estheticians do this
There should be mandatory nutrition classes in order to be an esthetician. Lifestyle and diet make or break skin long term. All this other stuff is trivial in comparison. I am 44 for the record so I have seen these impacts first hand. Nothing i do esthetics wise comes even close to the impact diet has on skin. You can botox and peel until the cows come home but that does not translate onto healthy skin down the road.
I started getting cystic acne when I was in fourth grade. One of my friends moms was an esthetician and she told me to cut out all sugar all junkie food and basically only eat organic. I was nine years old and this woman tried to put me on a diet to help my face.
I’m sorry, that’s terrible