TIL my mentor was dead wrong about using steam on acne clients

My boss at the spa in Austin told me to always do 10 minutes of steam before extractions on acne clients. Said it softens everything up and makes it way easier. I did that for like 8 months straight and clients kept coming back with more breakouts the next week. Finally a dermatologist who comes in for facials told me steam can actually inflame active acne and spread bacteria. Switched to using a warm towel for like 2 minutes max and the difference has been unreal. Has anyone else gotten bad advice from a senior esthetician that just didn't hold up?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy_foster7923d ago

You said "clients kept coming back with more breakouts the next week" and I'm wondering if maybe that's just acne doing its thing. Acne is stubborn and takes time to clear up, even with perfect treatments. I've seen clients blame their breakouts on everything from steam to the weather to their pillowcases when really it's just their hormones acting up. Plus a warm towel for 2 minutes is basically the same as steam in terms of opening pores, just less dramatic. Feels like you might be overcorrecting based on one dermatologist's opinion. Is it possible the real issue is something else in your routine, like what you're using for extractions?

mila_flores823d ago

Ask @amy_foster79 this: have you actually tracked your clients' breakout patterns against their own hormonal cycles? Ngl I've seen estheticians blame their own tools when it's really just clients coming in during their worst week of the month every single time. The warm towel vs steam thing is such a tiny difference that I really doubt it's causing more breakouts. Honestly I think you're right that the extractions or products might be the real variable here. Tbh it sounds like you're giving clients too much credit for controlling their own breakouts when most of them just want someone to blame something on.

cora_scott7723d ago

The dermatologist just gave you one opinion and you scrapped everything you were taught about steam overnight. Warm towels and steam both add heat and moisture to the skin, so the difference is way smaller than you think. Maybe your extractions technique or products are the real reason clients are doing better, not the two extra minutes of steam.