6.2 Record Keeping, Professional Ethics & Personal Hygiene

1. Where This Fits

General Theory domain II covers (A) the client consultation, including the intake form and contraindications (see section 6.1), (B) record keeping, (C) professional ethics and (D) personal hygiene. These items rarely ask for a number. They test judgment: what belongs in a record, what an ethical esthetician says or does, and what a clean, professional appearance looks like.

2. Record Keeping

Why keep records? Records protect the client: they show allergies, prior reactions, medications and what worked. They protect the esthetician by providing proof of consultation, consent and the products used if a complaint arises. They make results repeatable, so the next esthetician can continue a peel series safely.

What a service record contains:

Update the record at every visit. Ask whether anything has changed, such as a new medication, pregnancy or a recent procedure, and note it before you begin. A three-month-old intake form does not show that the client started a prescription retinoid last week.

Minnesota recordkeeping duties that are written into the rules:

• keep a record of training on any new product, technique or device for as long as you use it (Minn. R. 2105.0190, subp. 1a);
• keep continuing education proof for four years after each class (Minn. R. 2105.0200, subp. 5);
• salons keep employee time records, and time records for space lessees for four years (Minn. R. 2105.0390);
• salons with autoclaves keep use, spore-test and maintenance logs for 36 months (Minn. R. 2105.0375, subp. 4a); and
• keep equipment and product instructions and manuals on the premises (subp. 7, item F).

Minnesota's cosmetology rules do not set a specific retention period for client service records, so follow your salon's policy and your insurer's advice.

Confidentiality. Client health information is private. Store paper records in a locked cabinet and digital records behind passwords. Do not discuss clients' conditions with other clients or on social media, and do not post client photos without written permission. Share records with another provider only with the client's consent or when the law requires it.

3. Professional Ethics

Ethics are the moral principles that govern professional conduct. Many of them are enforceable in Minnesota because they appear in statute or rule:

Other ethical practices the exam expects:

• Honest recommendations. Recommend products and services because they suit the client, not to hit a sales target. Never claim a cosmetic cures a medical condition.
• Informed consent. Explain what a service involves, its expected results, its risks and aftercare, so the client can decide. A signed waiver never permits an unsafe or out-of-scope service.
• Refer medical conditions. Estheticians do not diagnose. Suspicious lesions, infections and severe acne go to a physician, and you should say so tactfully.
• Respect boundaries. Drape for modesty, explain before touching sensitive areas (for example, during body waxing), and stop if the client withdraws consent.
• Treat everyone fairly. Serve clients without discrimination, and keep conversation professional and client-centered.
• Maintain competence. Take continuing education seriously. Minnesota's four professional practice CE hours can include business management, professional ethics and human relations.
• Keep your word. Be on time, honor quoted prices, and handle complaints respectfully.

4. Personal Hygiene and Professional Image

Personal hygiene is both an infection-control measure and part of professional credibility.

• Hands and nails. Wash hands before every service (the Minnesota requirement), keep nails short, clean and smooth so they do not scratch skin or tear gloves, and cover any cut on your hand with a glove or finger cover.
• Body and clothing. Bathe daily and use an unscented or lightly scented deodorant. Wear a clean uniform or smock daily and change it if it becomes soiled with product or wax.
• Hair. Keep it clean and tied back so it cannot touch the client's face or your work surface.
• Breath. You work inches from the client's face, so brush regularly and avoid strong-smelling food during work hours. Never smoke or vape while providing services (Minn. R. 2105.0375, subp. 7, item K).
• Fragrance. Keep perfume minimal or none. Many clients are fragrance-sensitive, and some have allergies or asthma.
• Jewelry. Avoid rings, bracelets and dangling items that harbor bacteria, tear gloves or catch on the client.
• Health. Stay home when you have a contagious illness. Do not work on clients with an infected cut or rash on your hands.
• Posture and ergonomics. Keep a neutral spine, set the stool and bed to the right heights, and take breaks to prevent repetitive-strain injuries.

Scenario: A client asks, "Can you just take off this mole while you're doing my facial? My friend says you have a blade." The ethical and legal answer is to decline, explain that removing lesions is outside an esthetician's scope and requires a physician, note the lesion's appearance on the record, and recommend that a dermatologist evaluate it.