The Signifance of Identifying Heath Problems for Clients during skin consultations
As an experienced Medical Practitioner I see clients on a daily basis with a variety of different skin issues, ranging from skin diseases such as acne, rosacea and hyper pigmentation, congruent to this I also treat cosmetic problems such as wrinkles, sundamage and scarring- all of which can have a deep psychological impact on an individual. Over the many years I have been treating clients it is not only necessary to consider the problem you are treating, but other potential problems that the client could be suffering with also.
Many years ago I had a client who came to me complaining of tired, hollow eyes, the natural thought of an aesthetic practitioner would be to consider dermal fillers to help with this problem. However on assessment, I noted she had bulging eyes also, I asked the client if they had noticed this, and they hadn’t. I suggested they see an Opthamalogist firstly as safety is always at the forefront of my mind having worked in Laser Opthamalogy Previously. My instincts were right when the client called to thank me as she had thyroid related eye disease.
One of the main causes of exophthalmos ( bulging eyes) in the UK is thyroid eye disease, also known as Graves’ ophthalmopathy.
This is an autoimmune condition that affects around one in every three people with an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) caused by Graves’ disease. It is particularly common in women who are 30-50 years of age and people who smoke.
An autoimmune condition is where the immune system (the body’s defence against illness and infection) mistakenly attacks healthy tissue.
More recently a client with acne pustules at the age of 40 years, who was naturally distressed came to see me. They had spent a fortune on facials, expensive products, light therapy , herbal and Chinese medicine but nothing seemed to be helping. I went through an Indepth medical history with the client and her many treatments. It appeared to me that no one had suggested the need for antibiotic support during these treatments or the fact that the client was suffering with acne rosacea, she had often told therapists that her face felt hot, flushed easily and the products and treatments were aggravating her skin post treatment, she was told however this was normal and to persevere. Acne , Rosacea and acne rosacea are all medical skin conditions which in my opinion require medical supervision in order to get the best results for clients. A combination approach to firstly treat the infection, then repair the damage, reduce vascular damage and then maintain with appropriate skincare and regularly maintenance was how I managed this stressful condition for the client .furthermore addressing good nutrition, appropriate supplements and identifying stress triggers in relation to the skin disease.
Rosacea is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition which principally affects the face. Rosacea causes facial redness and produces small, red, pus-filled pustules (bumps). Rosacea worsens with time if left untreated. It is often mistaken for acne or eczema, or some other skin allergy.
The last experience I wish to discuss was a client who I treated last summer, she came in for her regular Wrinkle Treatments to help soften her crows feet, on assessment I noticed that she had a strange looking brown mark appear. I asked her about it and it was new , when I had seen her four months previously it had not been there. She had recently come back from a three week holiday where she had a lot of sun exposure. I was concerned by its appearance,
I Used the ABC method to examine the mole.
Asymmetry: If one side of the mole does not generally match the other side, this could indicate melanoma.
Border: The border should have smooth edges.
Color: Black may be indicative of melanoma. Red, white and multicolored moles should also be checked by a professional.
Diameter: The size standard for moles is that they should be smaller than the diameter of a pencil eraser.
Elevation: Moles are ideally flush with the surrounding skin. Raised moles should always be looked at by a dermatologist,
The mole appeared to have three of the above symptoms, so I delayed her treatment and advised her to see a specialist immeadiately. The client called me a week later and it had been the start of a basal cell carcinoma.