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I think there's a lot of confusion when it comes to the roles dermatologists and estheticians play in the skin care community. Let me debunk this for you in a short but sweet post.
Dermatologists and estheticians are both skin care professionals.
Study.com states that,
“The key distinction is that dermatologists are medical doctors and qualified to diagnose and treat medical conditions that affect the skin. Estheticians concentrate on the skin’s appearance and may use facials or other treatments to improve the skin’s appearance or care for concerns such as acne.”
Dermatologists can treat medical conditions of the skin.
Most of the time, you will return to your dermatologist to either refill a prescription or if you are receiving professional treatments. While estheticians can administer almost the same treatments dermatologists can, estheticians are not qualified to administer medical treatments. Examples include excision of lesions, treating skin cancer or administering cosmetic procedures such as botox injections and fillers.
The downside of a dermatologist office is that office visits are typically short; you do not always get the opportunity to figure out the root cause of your skin concerns since a prescription is being written.
Estheticians are trained to improve the appearance of skin.
Estheticians are trained to learn all the layers of skin and specifically deal with the epidermis or top layer of skin. They receive in depth training of product ingredients unlike dermatologists.
Skinpen.com states,
“Estheticians may work in spas, salons or medical settings under the direction of dermatologists.”
You get the benefit of receiving longer visits with an esthetician along with personalized skincare treatments. Estheticians also can perform extractions, dermaplaning, microneedling and intense pulse light/lasers to treat a variety of issues. They are there to walk through your healing process from any medical treatment or post-facial procedures to make sure you heal and maintain your skin at home.
I personally don't like doctors. AT ALL. This includes dermatologists (keep in mind that I've never seen one) so my preferred route would definitely be an esthetician. The thing is, finding a good and qualified esthetician is Nairobi is HECTIC! Anyone who works at a spa and or salon here calls themself an esthetician so nitpicking is a whole other activity. I may have found one (fingers crossed), but I'm yet to go in for a treatment. I'll be interviewing her as well for my blog so I will keep you updated on both whether she's just another "esthetician" and how my treatment goes. Be on the lookout for that!
xx
As you go through life, grow through it.
Nailah.