What A Cosmetic Nurse Knows About You, Just From Looking At Your Skin

One time, when I was getting Botox from a new provider, the injector smiled as she stuck the needle into my forehead.

“I can tell you’re good about using sunscreen,” she said. “The needle is going in smooth as butter.”

She was right. I diligently apply SPF 30 or higher every day. And the insight made me wonder what else a cosmetic injector or aesthetic nurse could assess just by looking at or touching a patient’s face.

We interviewed three cosmetic injectors who revealed what they could tell about a person’s skin care and lifestyle habits from a single visit.

They can see your dedication (or not) to sun protection.

Skin and health experts agree that protecting your skin from the sun with SPF on a regular basis is vital for maintaining healthy skin and decreasing your risk of skin cancer — and if you’re not keeping up with your sun protection, a cosmetic nurse can tell.

“Patients that are using sunscreen and retinoid diligently typically have very clear skin,” said Ginille Brown , a registered aesthetic nurse and the founder of Ginille Beauty Aesthetics in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, if a patient has “copious amounts of fine lines, [it] usually means they do not use a retinol or sunscreen,” added Denisse M. Serrano , an aesthetic physician’s assistant with SkinSpirit in Park Ridge, New Jersey.

If a patient’s skin has a “leathery” look to it, that could be a sign that they’ve made a habit of using UV tanning beds or tobacco, noted Serrano.

They can tell if you’re using the correct skin care ingredients for your skin type.

If you’re slacking on your skin care practices or if your skin care routine isn’t well-suited for your skin’s particular needs, there are signs a cosmetic nurse can spot.

A patient with “very dry,