You may wonder who is actually caring for your skin when you book a facial. Many people search for a facialist, a skin care person, or simply someone who does facials.
That person’s title depends on the service and setting. It may be a licensed esthetician, also spelled aesthetician, or a licensed cosmetologist.
At Advanced Dermatology & Aesthetic Medicine in Chicago, our licensed aestheticians work as part of a physician-directed team. Led by our dermatologists, our aestheticians complement medical treatment with physician-curated services and skincare for enhanced results. Response to any cosmetic service varies from person to person, and no added benefit is promised.
What Is a Facialist or Esthetician?
A facialist is an informal name for the person who gives facial treatments. It is not a separate Illinois license category. Superficial facial care may be provided by a licensed esthetician or a licensed cosmetologist, within each license’s own scope.
At our practice, these services are provided by licensed aestheticians. Licensed estheticians provide superficial, nonmedical cosmetic skin services within a state-defined scope.
These services may temporarily improve skin hydration, smoothness, or appearance. Results vary from person to person, and no specific outcome is guaranteed.
Illinois limits esthetics to superficial cosmetic care that is not intended to affect living skin. Permitted exfoliation stays within the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the epidermis.
An esthetician does not diagnose skin disease or determine whether a spot is harmless. An esthetician also does not perform techniques intended to affect the living layers of the skin. Those responsibilities belong to a medical clinician.
Working with a professional esthetician differs from at-home skin care in setting and products. Office availability alone does not prove a product is safer or more effective, and results vary.
Training and Licensing in Illinois
Licensing requirements vary by state. In Illinois, an applicant must complete a 750-hour esthetics program at a licensed school. The applicant must then pass a written examination authorized by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
The written theory examination covers scientific concepts, sanitation and infection control, skin analysis, products, and knowledge of esthetic services and procedures. Training covers skin analysis, product ingredient knowledge, sanitation, and safe treatment technique within the esthetics scope.
What Services Can an Esthetician Perform?
Within the Illinois scope, a licensed esthetician may provide superficial cleansing, cosmetic exfoliation, facials, hair removal, and guidance on cosmetic products and routines. Our practice also offers HydraFacial® under dermatologist direction, with the treating professional and protocol selected according to the required medical evaluation and Illinois scope rules.
A superficialchemical peelmay fall within the Illinois esthetics scope. This applies only when it is cosmetic and not intended to affect living skin. Peels meant to reach beyond the stratum corneum, or to treat conditions such as acne or melasma, are medical treatments.
Even superficial peels can cause irritation, pigment changes, infection, or, uncommonly, scarring. Suitability is assessed before treatment, and results vary.
It helps to keep expectations for facials realistic. A facial may temporarily improve hydration and surface smoothness, which can make fine lines appear less noticeable. A facial should not be expected to rebuild collagen, clear acne, or reverse sun damage.
Where Esthetics Ends and Medical Dermatology Begins
You may see the term medical esthetician. It is a common description for an esthetician who works in a medical setting. It is not a separate Illinois license, and it does not expand what an esthetics license allows.
Medium and deeper chemical peels are medical procedures. So aremicroneedlingand light-, laser-, and energy-based treatments for skin conditions. These services require medical evaluation and are not independent esthetician services.
At our practice, microneedling and laser treatments are medical procedures, and they are physician-directed. A dermatologist first meets with you, evaluates whether treatment is appropriate, and sets the treatment plan. When medically appropriate, these procedures are physician-delegated and performed by appropriately trained personnel following the dermatologist’s evaluation and treatment plan, rather than as independent esthetician services.
Microneedling combined withPRP therapydeserves a specific caution. The FDA has not cleared microneedling devices for use with PRP or other applied products. The agency has not reviewed the safety or effectiveness of these combinations.
Evidence remains limited. The added benefit, the risks, and the best treatment schedule are all uncertain.
What Does an Esthetician Do During a Facial?
Your visit starts with a conversation and a close look at your skin. The esthetician reviews your current products, past treatments, sensitivities, and goals. Anything that could suggest a medical condition is referred to a dermatologist rather than treated in the chair.
Treatment then moves through gentle cleansing, cosmetic exfoliation, and moisturizing suited to your skin. Products are chosen based on your ingredient history and current skin condition. A hypoallergenic label does not guarantee a product will be free of irritation or allergy.
Limited superficial extraction may be appropriate for selected noninflamed blackheads. It is not necessary for every patient, and careful technique reduces avoidable trauma without removing risk. Extraction can still cause irritation, bleeding, pigment change, infection, or scarring.
You leave with aftercare instructions for your specific service. Expect gentle cleansing, no picking or scratching, moisturizer, and strict sun protection after any exfoliating treatment.
Safety Considerations
Facials and superficial peels are generally well tolerated, but as with any skin treatment, risks exist. Common side effects include temporary redness, stinging, dryness, peeling, and irritation.
Less common risks include acne flare, allergic or irritant reactions, infection, cold sore reactivation, and darkening or lightening of the treated skin. Uncommonly, a burn or scar can occur. Risk depends on the product, technique, skin condition, skin tone, and aftercare.
Contact our office promptly for severe or worsening pain, spreading redness, blistering, pus, fever, significant swelling, a cold sore outbreak, or persistent pigment change. Seek emergency care right away for hives, trouble breathing, throat swelling, vision symptoms, or rapidly progressive facial swelling.
These services may not be appropriate for everyone. Your provider will review your medical history, medications, allergies, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and any conditions that affect healing.
When to See a Dermatologist First
Esthetic care can complement medical care, but it does not replace it. See a dermatologist before booking an esthetic service for painful, deep, or scarring acne. The same applies to a persistent rash, open sores, suspected infection, or a spot that is new, changing, bleeding, or not healing.
Acne, melasma, rosacea, and eczema are medical conditions. They call for medical evaluation, and any peel or light-based treatment for them must be physician-directed.
Our dermatologists, Dr. Monica Rani, MD, FAAD, and Dr. Stavonnie Patterson, MD, FAAD, evaluate these concerns.
You can learn more about our team on ourabout page.
Schedule a Consultation
If you are considering professional skincare, we would be glad to help you choose an appropriate path. An aesthetic consultation begins with a review of your goals, skin, medical history, and current products. Recommendations are individualized, and the number of sessions, tolerability, and duration of any improvement vary from patient to patient.
Our licensed aestheticians, Amaris Moreno, Licensed Aesthetician, and Victoria Garcia, Licensed Aesthetician, provide the esthetic services described here. They work within the Illinois esthetics scope as part of a physician-directed team. Medical procedures are planned separately by a dermatologist before any treatment is delegated.
Request an appointmentorcontact our officewith any questions.
Individual results and duration of results may vary. Outcomes are not guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no standard schedule that fits every patient. Timing depends on the service, product strength, your skin’s response, your medical history, and your provider’s instructions.
More frequent treatment is not necessarily better. Acne or concerning sun-related changes should prompt a medical visit rather than an automatic esthetic schedule.
Esthetics education focuses on superficial cosmetic skin services. Cosmetology covers a broader mix of hair, nail, and skin services.
Exact training requirements and legal scopes vary by state. Neither license authorizes the diagnosis or treatment of skin disease.
Esthetic services are cosmetic and self-pay in most cases. Coverage for medical evaluation or treatment depends on your plan, your diagnosis, and the billed service.
Please confirm benefits directly with your insurer. Ourinsurance pageexplains how medical and cosmetic visits differ at our practice.
Many services can be performed appropriately across a wide range of skin tones. Not every product or procedure suits every patient, though.
Inflammation, peels, and burns can cause darkening or lightening of the skin, and pigment risk deserves particular care in deeper skin tones. Treatment selection and provider experience with your skin tone matter.
Follow the preparation instructions provided for your specific service. Before treatment, disclose all medications, supplements, retinoids, exfoliating acids, and any isotretinoin use.
Also mention recent waxing or procedures, pregnancy or breastfeeding, allergies, cold sore history, easy scarring, and active skin conditions. Do not stop a prescribed medication unless the prescribing clinician instructs you to do so.
