Having gone through this rotation, I appreciate the socioesthetician information that I learned throughout. As a pharmacist, we always offer advice for our patients about the safest and most effective products to use. Having a socioesthetician background is definitely helpful to make good recommendations. For instance, we learned about the ingredients in the products we use everyday. Chemicals like DEA, formaldehyde, and parabens can be harmful to the body in more ways than one. They can cause hormonal imbalances, skin irritations, dermatitis, and may even be carcinogenic. Other chemicals like Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) act as antioxidants, preservatives, and stabilizers and can be mostly found in cosmetics like lipsticks and eyeshadows. Diethanolamine (DEA) is an undesirable chemical that acts as a foaming agent and pH adjuster most commonly found in cosmetics like foundation. Another group of chemicals found in nail polish, hair sprays, perfumes, lotions, soaps, and shampoos are Phthalates dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), and diethyl phthalate (DEP). Being aware of such ingredients, pharmacists can have a well rounded knowledge not just about skin care but also about products used on a daily basis. We also discussed complementary and alternative medicine; which can be used for a variety of reasons including prevention of illness, maintaining general wellness, reduction of pain, treatment of certain health conditions, as well as supplementation to conventional medicine. Furthermore, we looked into the use of fermented food as a prevention mean for breast cancer. As pharmacists, we always advice patients to have healthy well balanced diets, which include fermented food and probiotics, not only to prevent cancers but also to increase their energy and maintain a healthy weight.
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Modificato il: 11 giu 2020
Socioestheticians in pharmacy
Socioestheticians in pharmacy
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There are roles for socio-estheticians everywhere such as retail pharmacy and even within hospitals. They can help patients with recommendations on dangerous ingredients within a product, what can help reduce stress, and other complementary alternative strategies for those who want something more than just conventional medicines. One of the things socio-estheticians can do is help many patients who suffer from chronic illnesses. This includes diseases such as cancer, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, etc. Sometimes cancer patients may have negative feelings towards their appearance because chemotherapy is tough on the body and can impact areas such as the nails and hair. Certain chemotherapy agents such as taxanes and anthracyclines have shown to affect the nail bed by causing splitting, crumbling, and breakage which can lead to opportunistic pathogens growing underneath the nails and infiltrating the deeper layers of the skin. Socio-estheticians can offer advice to patients in terms of how to care for their nails, what products may be safe for the nails, and antibiotics or antifungals that may be appropriate to use in these patients.
Socio-estheticians can also help patients who suffer from acne and provide better ways to care for their skin. Depending on the severity of the patient’s acne, socio-estheticians may recommend over-the-counter products such as salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide for more mild cases. For the moderate to severe cases of acne vulgaris they could recommend adapalene or a retinoid such as isotretinoin. Pharmacists can warn patients and provide counseling on the harsher chemicals that may be teratogenic. The teratogenic drugs such as isotretinoin need to be monitored more carefully with patients and providers being a part of an iPLEDGE program. However, these products do produce positive results for most patients who have been taking them for a long time. Other formulations for skin care products include chemical peels, phototherapy, or even vitamin and mineral supplementation. Some patients may find relief in different formulations compared to other patients. For example, a patient who is usually non-adherent to continuous and strict regimens may not want to use phototherapy due to the frequent visits to a clinic. Other patients may not feel comfortable taking drugs and want a more natural way to take care of their skin, so they may want to use natural oral supplements such as zinc or vitamin B3.
Another strategy that is becoming popular within healthcare field is integrative and complementary health approaches which is similar to palliative care. Socio-estheticians can play a role in this aspect of pharmacy because they help patients by treating their symptoms and providing pain relief. In this area of medicine, multiple providers collaborate with the patient and treat their entire body rather than treating each individual organ. Some of the techniques used in these approaches may include conventional medicines in combination with massage therapy, meditation, acupuncture, changes in a patient’s diet, etc. These approaches are usually used for patients who suffer from chronic or terminal illnesses. Integrative and complementary health approaches have been shown to provide patients with necessary relief of their symptoms. Some studies have demonstrated that more patients “felt better” when they participated in this approach compared to using conventional medicines alone. Some of the conventional medicines that are strenuous on the body include chemotherapy agents, biologics, antidepressants, and antipsychotics. Many patients find it hard to take these medications and sometimes have to keep switching prescriptions until they find one that is right for them. This may also have a psychological impact on a patient because they may feel that none of the medications are working. However, if the conventional medications are coupled with complementary alternative approaches, the patient may find relief faster and may have a more positive outlook on managing their disease.