A BTS Look at the Future of Skin Consultations

There are conversations happening behind closed doors right now (between tech founders, skincare brands, software developers and consultants like me) that would blow your mind if you’re a skin therapist or salon owner.

At a high-level (without breaking NDA contracts), we’re talking:

• AI-powered consultation tools being embedded directly into salon websites

• Tech platforms using ChatGPT to diagnose skin conditions and recommend treatment plans

• Skin analysis brands exploring ways to triage client concerns before they even walk through your door

It’s not sci-fi. It’s not five years from now. It’s happening. Right now. And yet, most of the professional beauty industry is none the wiser, and honestly, probably not ready to hear it.

These aren’t whispers - they’re full-blown whiteboard sessions with some of the biggest software and skin tech brands in the world. And they all revolve around one central question:

“How do we integrate AI into the skin consultation experience, without losing the soul of it?”

Because on one hand, AI can:

• Speed up data collection

• Offer product or treatment suggestions based on skin type, goals, and environmental factors

• Support less experienced or newly graduated therapists in refining their diagnostic skills
  

But on the other hand:

• Does it risk oversimplifying the art of the consultation?

• Does it remove the critical thinking and creativity that a trained skin therapist brings?

• Will it accidentally create a client-led consultation model if the tech is doing all the talking?

There are no easy answers. But these are the questions we need to be asking.

Here’s a reality check that might sting a little:

Clients are already uploading photos of their skin into ChatGPT and asking for advice. They're looking for product recommendations. DIY diagnosis. Home-care plans.

They’re doing it without our industry being involved.

So the real question becomes - would we rather they get that advice from generic online info, or from tools built by and for our industry?

Whether you’re a brand founder, a solo skin therapist or an educator, this is the moment to tune in.

This isn’t about replacing the skin therapist. It’s about supporting them. It’s not about making consultations robotic. It’s about making them smarter.

But it’s also a moment of choice.

If we sit this tech wave out entirely, we risk:

• Losing trust to DIY digital tools

• Falling behind on client expectations

• Becoming reactive instead of proactive
  

But if we lean in strategically, we open doors to:

• Smarter diagnostics

• Scalable consultation models

• And tools that empower therapists - not replace them

This article isn’t a warning - it’s a heads up. I’m not saying you need to integrate AI tomorrow. But I am saying this:

The future of skin consultations is being built as we speak. And the more we shape it with our voices, values and expertise - the better the outcome for everyone.