Professional Understanding and Awareness for Treating Aesthetic Clients with Diabetes

What should an aesthetician know about treatment diabetic clients? Good question, considering the fact that diabetes has become almost epidemic in not only the United States but most of the industrialized world.

When we discuss diabetes we are referring to a condition formally known as diabetes mellitus, which is characterized by sweet urine. The main types are type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1, or juvenile diabetes or childhood onset diabetes is usually treated with insulin. The celebrity Mary Tyler Moore has had this condition most of her life and been a vocal spokesperson for diabetes research and treatment.

Type 2 diabetes has become the most common form in our society. It is often associated with obesity, but even people who are not overweight often suffer from it. The sedentary lifestyles we live today, the poor eating habits and lack of exercise all are major contributors. Symptoms usually include frequent urination, an increased thirst and consequently an increased intake of fluids, and an increased appetite. With type 2 diabetes the symptoms develop more slowly than with type 1. Glucose concentration in the blood will be raised beyond the normal threshold of reabsorption and part of the glucose, or sugar, remains in the urine. This results in increased urine production and lost blood volume replaced by water in the cells of the body, thus causing thirst and dehydration.

Be aware of these symptoms since your clients will often use you as a sounding board for their general state of health. As a clinician they will assume that you need to be aware of physician changes, and at times they may not have noticed these changes themselves, or have associated them with a condition. If you suspect a client has diabetes be sure to give them a heads up. Keep some literature explaining the condition and the methods of treatment and recommend that they see a physician.

When treating a client who is a diabetic remember that one aspect of diabetes can be poor circulation. Diabetes patients sometimes have extremities amputated when the poor blood flow results in deterioration. This can include fingers, toes, feet and other body parts. This also means they will have less feeling in these areas and poor healing. For this reason if a patient has diabetes you may want to recommend that they avoid chemical peels, microderm abrasion, dermal filers or any procedure that requires healing.