I used to scrub clients' faces way too hard during extractions

For about 2 years I was really aggressive with extractions thinking that was the only way to get everything out. Then I took a course with a woman named Rebecca at the Aesthetic Institute in Austin who showed me that gentle pressure and proper prep work actually gets better results. Now I spend more time on prepping the skin and way less time digging. Anyone else have to unlearn this habit?

3 comments

3 Comments

jake7474d ago

That "digging" part really hit home for me. I used to think if I wasn't leaving red marks on someone's face, I wasn't doing a good job. It took a mentor literally showing me a before and after of gentle vs aggressive work for it to click. Now I spend way more time just getting the skin ready with a good enzyme or steam, and the extractions practically slide out. My clients stopped dreading their appointments too. It's a tough habit to break since it feels like you're being lazy at first.

ward.anna4d ago

Okay but I gotta push back a little here. I mean yeah, nobody wants to leave someone's face looking like a battlefield, but sometimes I think we've swung too far the other way. If you're really getting everything out with just a steam and a gentle touch, then great, but I've seen plenty of "gentle" facials where all the deep stuff is still sitting there a week later. There's a difference between brutal digging and actually getting the job done. Sometimes you need a bit of pressure to break up a stubborn cyst, and that might leave a mark for a day or two. It's not about being aggressive for the sake of it, it's about being honest with the client about what their skin needs.

green.noah4d ago

Right there with you on this one. That shift from thinking you have to go in hard to realizing prep work does most of the heavy lifting is a real game changer. It's funny how counterintuitive it feels at first, almost like you're cheating or being too easy on the skin. But once you see how much less trauma there is and how much better the results hold up, there's no going back. The hardest part for me was unlearning the pressure and trusting the process instead of my own hands. Really glad you found that course and mentor to show you a better way.