valw69•2mo ago

Vent: A client's reaction at the state convention last year made me rethink how I talk about extractions

I was working a booth at the big esthetics convention in Atlanta, doing free mini pore cleanings to show off my technique. A woman sat down and I was explaining each step as I went, like I always do. When I got to the extraction part, I said something like, 'Okay, here comes the good stuff, let's get this gunk out.' She flinched hard and said, 'Please don't call it that, it makes my skin sound dirty.' I finished the service, but her comment stuck with me. I realized my casual talk, meant to be friendly, could actually make people feel bad about their skin. Since then, I've changed my words to things like 'clearing congestion' or 'releasing impurities.' It feels more respectful. Has anyone else had a client point out wording that bothered them? How did you change your consult talk?

3 comments

3 Comments

aaron8452mo ago

Seriously, you're way overthinking this, it's just honest talk.

ninasingh2mo ago

Honest talk" is what people call it when they want to say something rude without getting in trouble for it.

avery_foster311mo ago

That client's reaction is actually part of a MUCH bigger pattern I've noticed everywhere. People use "just being real" or "keeping it honest" as a pass to say stuff that's lowkey mean or judgmental, especially about bodies. Like how people call food "guilty pleasures" like you should feel bad for eating a cookie, or how they say someone "let themselves go" like aging or changing shape is a moral failure. Language shapes how we see ourselves, and calling skin "dirty" for having normal pore function is the SAME energy as calling someone lazy for having messy hair. Your client trusted you with her face in a vulnerable moment and you actually LISTENED when she set a boundary. That's rare and GOOD. Most people double down with "oh I didn't mean it THAT way" instead of changing their behavior.