What to ask at your first skincare consultation

A consultation at ABK SKIN is sixty minutes in person. You talk through your skin concerns, review the products you use now and leave with a plan. You will get more from that hour if you arrive with a few things ready.

What to bring

• Your current products. Bring them, or photos of the labels. The consultation includes a review of what you are already using.
• A short history. Past treatments, peels or prescriptions, and anything that has irritated your skin before.
• Your calendar. If you have an event coming up, say so. Some treatments, such as the Hydra-Peel, are best booked one to two weeks ahead, and a Perfect Derma Peel can mean up to a week of peeling.

Questions worth asking

About your skin

• What do you see as the main thing to work on first?
• Is anything in my current routine working against me?
• What should I expect to change, and over what timeline?

About treatments

• Is this a one-off appointment or a series? BioRePeel, for example, is recommended as three to four treatments spaced 10 to 14 days apart.
• What is the downtime, and what should I avoid before and after?
• Would a membership make sense for how often you recommend I come in?

About products

• Which products would you add, and which would you remove?
• Is there a strength or formulation that suits me better? Some products in the ABK shop come in more than one, such as Retinol Complete 0.5 and 1.0.

What a consultation is not

An esthetician consultation does not replace a visit to a dermatologist. If a spot is new or changing, or your acne is severe or painful, ask whether you should see a doctor as well.

Booking it

The in-person consultation is listed in every category of the ABK SKIN booking menu as "Consultation." No price is listed for it online, so check the current terms when you book.