This is a No Judgement Zone

What I would like to say to all my clients (and potential clients) is this:  this is a No Judgement Zone. I live in a glass house. While I have opinions about - well, let's be honest, everything! - this is a No Judgement Zone.   My job is to take care of your skin in a safe and clean space. My job is to help you meet your skin care goals. My job is to help you find your glow. It is NOT my job to pass sentence over your skin, or how you live your life, or what is going on with you.  My job is NOT to police or babysit you.

I was thinking about this when I was filling out one of my intake and consent forms with a client.  I ask a LOT of questions on the intake - as it says at the top of the form the more I know about a client the more effectively, efficiently, and safely I can take care of them - but did I mention it's a LOT of questions?  I ask everything from your medical practitioner and emergency contact to your ancestry to what medications you are taking to whether or not you have any metal pins anywhere in your body.

None of questions are frivolous - each one is directly related to your safety in my studio.  If there were an emergency, after I called 911 I and started CPR I would need to know who to call (emergency contact and medical practitioner).  I do several different treatments, many of which have contraindications so I need to know what medications and supplements you are taking, and a number of things about your medical history.   Some treatments, like peels or microdermabrasion, affect different skin types differently, so I need to know how your skin behaves in the sun and it really helps to know a bit about your ancestry (I am Korean with skin that rarely burns, so there are some peels and treatments I need to avoid, while there are others that will work better on me than a client who has, say, Northern European ancestry and starts to get rosy if she even thinks too much about the sun).  Knowing how you take care of your skin and what your skincare goals are helps me to customize your skincare and treatment to successfully meet your needs.

What I had not considered was how some clients might feel about writing down this information knowing someone else (in this case, me) was going to see everything they wrote.   Maybe they are taking antidepressants, or they are being treated for a disease or have a condition they would prefer to keep private. Maybe they feel embarrassed because they can't remember the last time they washed their face, or they never wear sunscreen.  Maybe they have never had a facial before and they don't know what to do and are afraid to ask.

Don't be afraid.  This is a skincare studio not a torture chamber (Brazilian waxing or multi-layer peels notwithstanding!)  As I said at the top, I live in a glass house: I am in no position to judge anyone nor do I have any inclination to do so.  I suspect people would also be surprised how many other people are going through something very similar to what they are.

Would I prefer you wash your face before you go to bed or wore sunscreen every morning or only bought your products from me?  Well, of course - your skin would look better, my job would be easier, and I would make more money - I am not a saint. Do I judge you or find you wanting or like you less or take worse care of you because you don't do one or any of those things?  Absolutely not. This is a No Judgement Zone.