Being an esthetician is a very exciting job. You get to help your clients feel beautiful, develop friendships with them, and do what you love. However, there are some risks involved with being a professional esthetician. Today we want to cover the most common claims and how you can overcome them, so that you don’t put your business or reputation at risk.
Allergies to Products
A client reacting negatively to any of your products—whether that be eyelash glue, wax, makeup, etc.—is the most common claim submitted. There are many times when a client may not know their exact allergies, or the client simply isn’t aware of any allergies.
Let’s say you do your client’s makeup for their wedding pictures and you apply foundation onto the skin like normal, but the client calls you a couple of days later telling you that she now has a rash all over her face. Your client is now an unhappy bride and she can file a claim. Perhaps you can ask your client what brand of makeup they normally use, so you know what is safe to apply on their skin, or you can compare ingredients from that brand to the ingredients in your makeup.
Maybe you are applying fake eyelashes on your client and their skin reacts negatively to the eyelash glue. To avoid this claim, you can sample a little bit of the glue on the face, perhaps toward the temple area, to see how the skin reacts. Wait a few minutes before proceeding and if it seems okay, you can move forward with using that glue on your client.
Do all you can to make sure you understand beforehand any allergies or sensitivities your clients may have, so that you can avoid claims and keep your clients happy.
Burns
Trained estheticians do everything in their power to make sure their clients are safe and satisfied when performing their services. However, when waxing, it can sometimes be difficult to make sure that the wax is the perfect temperature, and you may end up burning a client and damaging their skin. Everyone’s skin may react differently or be more sensitive. You can try the wax in a small area on your client’s skin before covering the specified area to make sure that their skin doesn’t react negatively to it, and that it’s the right temperature. Waxing in sensitive areas can lead to professional liability claims, so make sure that you wax with caution.
Another burn that is a common claim is a facial or a chemical peel gone wrong. This can either result in an allergic reaction, like mentioned above, or a burn on the affected skin. When preparing the facial or chemical peel, review any allergies or hesitations from your client, to be sure that it will be okay on their skin and not cause any problems or negative reactions.
Misuse of a Tool
Another common claim is the misuse of a tool. For example, you could accidentally poke your client’s eye with an instrument—like tweezers when applying fake eyelashes. You could be threading your client’s eyebrows and put just a little too much pressure on their skin, also resulting in damage or harm to their face. Whatever the case, you will want to make sure that you are properly trained with all of your tools, have a steady hand, and if you’re not feeling well, perhaps take the day off so you can serve your clients safely.
Use of Incorrect Chemicals
Being an esthetician is also being a problem-solver. When a client has a problem with their skin, they come to you to fix it. You may encounter new problems that you haven’t solved before. We have even heard of an esthetician using acetone on a client’s eyes to get eyelash glue off, causing the client to lose eyesight. If you are unsure of how to help your client, ask your fellow estheticians for their advice, and remember your training so that you are safely using the correct chemicals and tools on your clients.
Beauty and Bodywork Insurance
Beauty and Bodywork Insurance (BBI) offers general and professional liability coverage. This means that you can get coverage for common slip-and-fall accidents, and also for malpractice claims. Esthetician Insurance is available starting at $9.99/month or $96 per year and can be purchased online in ten minutes or less. To understand better why you—as an esthetician—need insurance, take a look at this blog. Feel free to reach out to our licensed insurance agents with any questions you may have. Join the tens of thousands of beauty professionals that enjoy affordable insurance from BBI.
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