10 Questions Every Esthetician Should Ask Clients During the First Consult
New Client Questions You Should Never Skip
Ah, initial consults.
If you’re anything like us, you probably love what a first consult represents–possibilities, opportunities, a whole spectrum of amazing skincare just waiting to be opened up! But, again, if you’re anything like us, you probably get mega-overwhelmed on the first consult, too.
Look, we get it. Consults are phenomenal, but they’re often supposed to be all-encompassing, and let’s face it, skincare is a broad spectrum. How can you zero in with the first consult and expedite your client’s path to skincare success?
With a trusty little list of must-ask questions that you always bring to the table for the first consult.
Don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered. We’ve laid down a few of the need-to-know, must-ask, gotta-have-these-answered questions that no first consult should go without.
And, of course, we’ll tell you why (duh).
Our advice? Read our list, take some notes, and make these questions YOUR OWN. Only you can know what’s absolutely crucial to ask every client, so consider these bad boys a lovely little jumping off point to get your own list going.
10 Questions to Ask Your Client During Their First Consult
These must-ask questions are just the start. Make these your guiding light as you develop your own list of custom questions to bring to every client’s first consult.
What’s Your Skincare Routine Like?
Preface this question with a little disclaimer–there’s no wrong answer, especially if they’re just diving into skincare.
This question is not meant to judge them or their routine, it’s to get a feel for their knowledge base, where they’re at, and what might benefit them.
Let your clients know that skincare isn’t about some super elaborate routine, it’s about narrowing down what works best for them.
Make sure they’re aware that even if their current skincare routine is simple and streamlined, it might still work just fine!
What Products Are You Currently Using?
Even if there’s no semblance of a routine, your clients are still probably using something on their skin–even if it’s not consistent enough to qualify for a routine.
Have your clients explain what they use (even if it’s only every now and again) to get a feel for their products, what might be contributing to their skin concerns, and what you could keep and swap out for a new routine.
Do You Have Any Skincare Sensitivities You’re Aware of?
The skin sensitivity question is huge to get out of the way. Why? Because even if a client can’t tell you exactly what they’re sensitive to, they can drop the names of products or topicals that they’ve had trouble with.
Then, with your skincare knowledge, you can backtrack and try to trace out what might cause their sensitivity. Then, you’ll know what to stay away from.
Talk to Me About Your Sun Exposure–Do You Wear Sunscreen?
This is a must on your list of questions. This inquiry is going to give you a much closer look at what your clients know about sun exposure, skincare, and how to maximize protection.
If the answer is zero, that’s OK–learning late is better than never learning at all. Make sure you use this consult to offer your clients options for sunscreen you approve of.
Are Allergies an Issue for You?
The last thing you want to do is set your client up for failure–and if you don’t ask them about their allergies, you could be putting them in harm’s way.
Maybe there’s an ingredient in your favorite product they’re allergic to. Maybe their response will change your entire skincare strategy you’ve been planning.
Whatever the case, you need to know if certain allergies exist–not only could this be terrible for your client, but it could be a liability issue for you, too.
What Are Your Primary Skin Concerns?
Maybe you can already tell what the issues are, but hearing your clients discuss what they’re struggling with is the real key.
You can’t always know what someone’s dealing with and you can’t always assume the issue–have them tell you so you can understand, from their perspective, what the issue really is.
What is Your Diet Like?
This isn’t an opportunity to, like, judge the way your clients eat (don’t be a weirdo, OK).
What this is is a fabulous opportunity to take a peek at how certain foods and nutrition groups could be contributing to whatever complaints they have or issues they want to correct.
Do they drink a lot of red wine? Is caffeine a big part of their diet? What about spicy foods that could cause redness or inflammation? Make sure you present this to your client in a very chill, non-judgmental way.
And of course, explain why you’re asking so they don’t think you’re just trying to poll them for a food survey.
Are You Currently Using any Prescriptions from Your Doctor?
This is a super necessary question because you want to make sure that nothing you use on them or recommend they use is going to interact negatively or cancel anything out.
Asking this question has the potential to be uncomfortable, so make sure you preface the question with why you’re asking it. Again, you don’t need their whole medical history–you just want to make sure nothing you use is going to work against that topical prescription or cause them any harm.
Do You Exfoliate–What’s Your Preferred Method & How Often?
Get the 4-1-1 on their exfoliation process. Is it chemical? Is it physical? Does it even exist? Exfoliating incorrectly (or not at all) can be the root of lots of skin concerns. This question is usually an incredibly helpful one during a first consult.
Do You Deal with Blotchiness, Redness, Itchiness, Burning, etc.?
Try to get the inside scoop on what their flareups (if they have them) look like. This is going to help you determine what’s causing them, how to avoid them, and how to heal them faster when they do happen.
We hope this list was extra helpful.
Remember, these questions should be the guide that helps you create your own, custom list of questions that will best benefit your target audience. (But if you copy our list exactly, we definitely won’t complain).
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