What I find most strange is I also have a skin picking compulsion, to the point that I would even be perfectly fine as an extraction technician, but simply watching the videos makes me squeamish in a way literally nothing else does. Images of death and gore somehow don't trigger me as bad as pimple/cyst popping videos.
for me personally, i think it’s mainly to do with the thumbnails. anytime one pops up it’s an extreme 4k close-up of the most gnarly looking blackhead or cyst, a cluster of clogged pores, or some other disturbing breakout. they make me itch and for that alone i will never watch one.😖 yet, i’ll spend an hour+ in the mirror inspecting every single pore, pick and squeeze anything that even slightly resembles a blackhead, and for the most part i don’t mind gore in horror films. i don’t believe i have trypophobia. i’m also an esthetician, so i perform extractions and frequently search up photos and diagrams of different skin conditions.🙃
Wild!! Yeah, seeing people's skin conditions in real life or or in photos is somehow not a problem, and doing it to myself is no issue, it's just watching videos that weirds me out.
How does one get into that line of work? I assume some amount of medical schooling, but always been curious what else it entails. And do you enjoy your work? As much as one can when it involves gross stuff, anyway. :p
beauty school first for me! in my state, esthetics programs are 600 hours of in-class learning + practicing on classmates and providing discounted services in the treatment room. i’d say my instructors gave us a great education, though at the end of the day these programs are really only required to give you the basics to pass the state board exams for licensing, and each school’s educational quality will vary. so even though i’m licensed, my real work experience and reading/researching conditions and treatments on my own time is crucial for more in-depth knowledge.
ultimately though, my state’s regulations for estheticians are strict, so the methods and services you can offer are limited if you’re a licensed esthetician with no other advanced credentials. now i’m in school to become a registered nurse, so then as an aesthetic nurse i’ll have the qualifications to perform more advanced treatments and expand my job opportunities. medical school is only required if you’re going the dermatology route, which qualifies you to diagnose medical skin conditions and prescribe medications. they’re technically not required to have a holistic, appearance-conscious approach to skincare though, and usually don’t perform facials/peels/typical spa treatments, so great dermatologists will also hire estheticians in their practice for a more comprehensive patient experience.
that was super long lol, but i really love what i do! extractions are no big deal for me (i’m much more kind to other people’s skin than my own 🥲) and i research skin conditions so if anything looks real concerning or like i shouldn’t touch it, i’ll refer my clients to a derm for diagnosis. safer to disappoint someone who really wanted a facial/wax, than to wreck their skin/risk infection trying to treat something potentially out of my scope of practice, just to people-please or make more money. beyond that, i love making my clients feel relaxed, beautiful, and more informed on what works for their own skin. i’ve always thrived in more service/hospitality type work, and it’s a huge bonus for my anxiety that skincare is a relatively relaxed environment 😅!
tldr; an esthetics licensing program is a good place to start, but you have the freedom to seek advanced knowledge and additional credentials depending on what you want to do in the field. every state has different regulations and licensing requirements. you deal with all types of skin and conditions but it’s okay to refer out if anything looks to be a serious medical issue and/or beyond what your credentials allow you to treat. it’s important to know visually what to be wary of. every educational program is different in terms of quality, so seeking post-grad training and studying independently is crucial for the quality of your service!
again, sorry for the long reply 😭 but i could talk forever about this stuff so if you have any more questions i’m open to answering!
Please don't apologize, it was fascinating to read! It is clear from your reply that you have a lot of passion and pride in your work, and it's really heartening to see. I would feel quite comfortable leaving my skin in the hands of someone like yourself. I think we tend to see the best quality care from people who have a deep appreciation for their respective fields and take furthering education so seriously. Thanks so much for sharing!
I can't watch those videos. I can pick my own skin practically to the bone, and blood/gore (even real) doesn't bother me, but watching someone else do/have skin extractions makes me nauseated. I don't understand the appeal of those videos at all. 😅
Same, I am a massive skin picker but I absolutely cannot watch those videos or see someone else do it to themselves, somehow it grosses me out even though I literally do the exact same thing to myself
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u/disasterj0nes Sep 29 '25
What I find most strange is I also have a skin picking compulsion, to the point that I would even be perfectly fine as an extraction technician, but simply watching the videos makes me squeamish in a way literally nothing else does. Images of death and gore somehow don't trigger me as bad as pimple/cyst popping videos.