Had a client last month who insisted on a $300 peel without a patch test

She came back three days later with second degree burns on both cheeks and told me her friend said it would be fine, now I won't do any high strength chemical exfoliation without a signed waiver, has anyone else had a client push back on patch tests?

3 comments

3 Comments

dakota_taylor391mo ago

Man, that's rough. Nothing worse than someone who thinks they know better than the person holding the bottle.

gonzalez.vera1mo ago

Did you at least take photos of the burns? That's the only thing that would save you if she tries to sue. People don't get how serious chemical peels are, they see influencers slapping on 30% TCA at home and think it's no big deal. I tell every client straight up that skipping a patch test is like not checking if you're allergic to peanuts before eating a whole jar, and I've had three walk out on me this year alone. They come back crying when their face swells up from the cheap stuff they bought online and then expect me to fix it for free. Good on you for going to waivers, I started doing that after a client lied about using retinol and ended up with blisters all down her neck.

hernandez.brooke1mo ago

Whoa, I actually see it differently than most people here. @gonzalez.vera, I get your peanut allergy comparison, but patch tests aren't foolproof either and some clients just want to trust the process if they've done their research. Waivers make way more sense to me since they actually protect you from liability without making every client jump through hoops.