When the right thing is a referral to a physician

Published: 2026-09-05

Where cosmetics ends and medicine begins. On skin lesions, on hair loss, on conditions that call for investigation — and why "no" is sometimes the most professional thing I have to give.

Why this is the post that matters most to me

Cosmetics and medicine are two different fields, and the boundary between them is not a matter of ego but of safety. I work inside my field, and I state its edge out loud.

I say "no" when the expectation is not realistic, when the skin is not yet ready for the treatment you asked for, when everything is wanted at once — and when it is a matter that requires a physician. In that last case I refer onwards rather than trying to stretch the boundary.

That does not get in the way of my work. It is part of it.

Skin lesions

The clinic offers treatment of benign skin lesions, and suitability is established at the skin analysis only.

What matters for you to know, and I say it to everyone who comes in with a lesion: I do not diagnose lesions medically. A diagnosis like that is made by a physician with an appropriate examination, and the skin analysis I perform is not a medical diagnosis.

A lesion that looks atypical to me — in its shape, its borders, its colour, or a change that has occurred in it — is referred for examination by a dermatologist before any treatment, and I do not treat it. Not after we see how it responds, not let us start and find out. Before.

If a lesion has changed — in size, colour or shape, if it bleeds or itches — the address is a dermatologist, not a cosmetician. Even if the appointment is far off, and even if it looks small.

A skin analysis is not a medical diagnosis, and I do not pretend otherwise.

Hair loss

The clinic's hair treatments are for encouraging hair growth on the scalp, and they suit cases where thinning stems from the condition of the scalp or from weakened follicles.

But hair loss is also a symptom. It can stem from medical conditions, from medication, from nutritional deficiencies or from hormonal change — and none of those are solved at the scalp. A situation that calls for medical investigation is referred to a physician before we start, and that is checked at the consultation.

A cosmetic treatment layered over an untreated medical problem is, at best, a waste of money.

Conditions that change suitability

Some things are checked at the consultation for everyone, before anything is booked:

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. They change suitability for some treatments and sometimes postpone them.
• Medical conditions and medication. Some affect suitability directly, some affect the pace. Certain prescription medications change the picture entirely.
• Active infection in the treatment area. Postpones, without exception.
• A tendency to scarring or to hyperpigmentation. Changes the choice of method and the intensity, and sometimes the timing.

I teach podiatrists to work with patients who have diabetes, and within that teaching the subject is exactly this: skin that heals more slowly and a lower risk threshold. That knowledge is applied to everyone who sits in front of me — if you have a condition like that, tell me at the consultation and we will adapt the pace and the method. To be clear: this is teaching knowledge about treatment safety, not medical treatment, and podiatry is not a service the clinic offers.

Why this is better for you

The women who come to me after being burned somewhere else usually say one of two sentences: "they promised me and I did not get it", or "they damaged me". Both start in the same place — someone was not willing to say no.

"No" is sometimes the most professional thing I have to give. It is also what lets me say "yes" with confidence, when it genuinely fits.

Every process here starts with a skin analysis and a conversation, and only then is a plan built. You can see all the treatments at the clinic or read the full story.