Choosing what type of skincare professional to go to can get confusing. Sally Wohlgemuth, Aesthetician at NorthShore, has all the information you need; she answers questions, talks about some of the popular procedures you'll come across and advises on the appointment process. She even shares a few of her own expert skincare tips!

What is the difference between estheticians and dermatologists?

Dermatologists and Aestheticians are two different professionals with a similar focus: skin care and wellness. Both have expertise in skin health, yet they work in different ways that can be quite complementary. 

Dermatologists are physicians and skin health experts. They are qualified to treat skin cancers and tumors, manage conditions that cause skin inflammation and infection, perform surgical procedures, interpret biopsy results and manage cosmetic disorders, such as hair loss, acne and aging-related skin changes. In other words, dermatologists focus primarily on the skin medically, whether it is for treatment of a skin disease or for cosmetic enhancement. Dermatologists are medically trained professionals who have specialized training in cosmetics and the treatment of skin diseases. 

Aestheticians specialize in products and services to maintain optimal skin health. Consistency is the key to optimal health and estheticians provide services that are scheduled on a higher frequency to accommodate this consistent need. The initial esthetician educational requirement varies from state to state. Often, aestheticians will continue education post-licensure to be able to work with physicians and dermatologists. In this role, estheticians provide post-procedure care and ensure that the integrity of the skin’s natural function is left intact.

One other key point of difference when selecting your skin care professional is philosophy. There are incredible benefits to working with an esthetician - just ask your dermatologist. Together, dermatologists and aestheticians create a team of professionals you can count on to improve your skin’s beauty, wellness and health.

Are all aestheticians medically trained?
No; however, some aestheticians will continue education post-licensure to be able to work with physicians and dermatologists. In this role, estheticians provide post-procedural care and ensure that the integrity of the skin’s natural function is left intact. Personally, I am also a medical assistant and have taken several advanced training courses to hone my skincare skills. My specialty is advanced chemical peels and laser skin resurfacing. 

What conditions do aestheticians commonly see patients for? 
In a spa environment, estheticians primarily see patients who are looking to relax, balance their skin, remove blackheads, impurities and seek tailored product knowledge advice. 

In a medical spa or physician’s office, patients are looking for more advanced treatments or procedures to assist with specific skin ailments and issues. A few of the many are deep wrinkles, acne scarring, hyperpigmentation, broken capillaries and various benign skin lesions.

Click the links below to find out more about the treatments aestheticians perform

Facials| Back Facials| Photofacial| Chemical Peels| Microdermabrasion| Microneedling| IPL for Vascular Lesions| Laser Hair Removal| Pixel| Skin Tightening|

Popular Treatments

Facials
A custom facial experience includes a comprehensive skin analysis, in-depth cleansing, customized exfoliation, extractions, regenerative facial and décolletage massage and a restorative paraffin hand treatment. Each facial is results driven with the goal of balancing and protecting your skin from premature aging.

Back Facials
A purifying treatment for the often neglected back area. Cleansing, exfoliation and extraction of clogged pores are the main focus of this service. Immediate benefits of a back facial include reducing clogged pores, evening out skin tone and helping to address other common imperfections. Your back will immediately feel clean and hydrated.

Photofacial
Photo Facials deliver intense pulsed light which is applied in a series of gentle pulses over the treatment area. Without damaging the skin, the light penetrates the skin and is absorbed by the pigmentation. The heat impairs the lesion, and the body begins its natural healing process. Delivering gentle, subtle improvement, intense pulsed light (IPL) gives your skin a younger appearance. Your skin will appear naturally even-toned and healthy.

Chemical Peels
Chemical peels improve skin condition and leave you with clear, vibrant, radiant skin. Your personalized treatment will improve fine lines, hyper-pigmentation, sun damage, texture irregularities, acne, firmness, elasticity and skin tone. A comprehensive skin analysis is given to determine which of our customized chemical peels will be most beneficial for your skin condition. The peel will stimulate, nourish & protect for healthy, beautiful skin.

Microdermabrasion
Reduce age spots, crow’s feet, uneven skin tone and texture, fine lines, wrinkles and sun damage with this safe, effective skin resurfacing treatment. Your skin is massaged with densely packed diamonds to precisely and painlessly exfoliate and rejuvenate. Diamond microdermabrasion gently removes the top dry/dead skin layers of the epidermis and stimulates the rebuilding of collagen and elastin for firmer, healthier and younger looking skin.

Microneedling
An innovative treatment that uses a controlled induction of the skin’s self-repair mechanism by creating micro “injuries” in the skin. Treatments are performed in a safe and precise manner with the use of a sterile micropen needle head. Microneedling triggers new collagen production and allows the delivery of key nutrients for optimized rejuvenation. The result is smoother, firmer and younger looking skin.

IPL for Vascular Lesions
Vascular lesions are the result of vessels forming directly under the skin. Common vascular lesions include broken capillaries, rosacea, port-wine stains, hemangiomas and cherry angiomas. Unfortunately, these lesions will not go away without treatment. However, they do respond quite well to laser and light-based therapy. Many common vascular lesions are quite easy to treat and results can be seen quickly.

Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal remains one of the world’s most popular aesthetic procedures. Anyone with excessive body hair or hair in the wrong place is most likely a good candidate for laser hair removal. Likewise, anyone tired of tedious plucking, daily shaving and wasting money on waxes or other hit-and-miss solutions can also benefit from laser hair removal.

Pixel 
For aged skin, laser skin resurfacing treatments can remove years of damage in as little as one quick treatment. Patients who present with acne scars, fine lines & wrinkles, irregular texture and even sun-induced “blotchiness” or redness can benefit from laser skin resurfacing. Minimal downtime and excellent results. Treatments can be performed on the face, neck, décolletage and hands.

Skin Tightening
Utilizing Near Infrared Technology (NIR) a high power light source in the near infrared spectrum to achieve a safe an effective sub-dermal heating, stimulating the growth of new collagen and tightening laxity while also imparting a youthful glow to the skin. Your skin will appear more vibrant and refreshed.