The client history form is one of the most important documents you need to have when you are performing treatments on your clients. It is a document that your client will complete. He/she will give you important information about their physical health,  nutritional health, medications, physical activity, allergies, skin care regimen and more.

In addition to the physical assessment of the skin, a review of this document will assist you in developing a plan of care for your client. You will review this document to gather information on what kind of treatments are appropriate for your client.

I really recommend discussing the questions on the client history form with your client after she/he has completed it. I have had the experience where my client indicates ‘No” on the history form but in the interview reveals “Yes, I do get cold sores.”

What to Look For On The Client History Form

Here are some of the questions you should ask yourself as you read through the client history form:

• Is your client taking any medication that is photosensitizing?

• Has your client had any medical procedures that would compromise his/her recovery time after a facial treatment?

• Is your client eating a healthy diet or is your client’s diet dominated with processed foods?

• What is your client’s water intake?

• Is your client physically active with a lymphatic system that is active or is the lymphatic system sluggish?

• Does your client work in an office with a lot of HEV light?

• Does your client tan?

• Is your client going to be compliant with a multi-step home care routine, or is your client going to be committed to only one or two steps?

• Is your client coming to see you in preparation for a special event? If so, when is it? Nothing is worse than applying the last layer of the four-layer chemical peel and having your client tell you she is having the peel done so her skin will look amazing in photos for her daughter’s wedding in TWO days.

The client history form is also a safeguard in the event of an adverse reaction. You have documentation of what the client has told you about herself. I once had a client come in the day after a treatment with an unusual swelling. When questioning her to try to figure out what had gone wrong, she confessed that she hadn’t been truthful on her history form. I didn’t know, so I treated based on the knowledge available to me. She didn’t think telling me was important until she had a negative reaction. If she had decided to pursue a legal action, the information she had provided me on the history form was crucial to the decisions I made in treating her.

How to Use the Client History Form

Reviewing your client’s history will help you determine a plan of care. You can mentally checklist the treatments you offer and determine if your client is a good candidate for that treatment. Of course, you always want to complete the skin analysis before you make your final recommendation.

The history form is a great conversation starter to develop a home skin care regimen. Based on your client’s information, you may want to have her using particular products or avoiding certain ingredients.

Look for Red Flags

When you review the history, you are looking for red flags that could indicate your client is not a candidate for a particular treatment. For example, if your client is allergic to aspirin that would mean she is not a candidate for a salicylic acid chemical peel.

Look for Yellow Flags

You are also looking for yellow flags to alert you for the need to take precautions while performing a treatment or adjust your treatment protocols. If your client indicates she had Botox® injected in her forehead two days prior, you are not going to perform the same facial treatments as if she had Botox® injected two months ago.

It is extremely important the client history form be updated at every appointment. The client doesn’t necessarily need to complete the pages again, but you need to have a place where you indicate that you have asked the client if she has had any changes in the information.

Show her the form and have her review it. Clients may forget in between appointments that they have been on antibiotics, or just started a new blood pressure medication or have learned they have a new allergy. Document that you have asked the client about any changes to the history.

A client history form is a vital tool for providing your clients with the best possible outcome for any treatment you provide. It is also a great tool in helping your client achieve healthier skin with home care products.

To make things easier, we've created a client history form template just for you to use. Download it here.

Photo: sheff

Breaking It Down

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