Virtual skin consultations: how to run photo and product consults that clients act on
I started offering virtual consults to grow my income without adding more hours of service time. A virtual skin consultation is the easiest way into virtual esthetics, because you already do it. Every "can I send you a pic of my chin?" DM is a consult. The difference is whether it is a scattered thread you answer for free at 10pm, or a consult with a clear shape, a record and a result the client can act on.
There are two kinds worth offering, and they suit different moments.
The skin analysis (photo) consult
Use it for a new client who found you online, a regular between visits, or anyone whose question starts with "what is going on with my skin?".
Ask for the right photos. Most bad virtual consults start with bad photos. Ask for the same set every time, with a short tip for each:
- Front of the face, then each side, at eye level.
- Natural daylight facing a window, no flash, no filter, no makeup.
- A closer shot of the area that bothers them.
- Hair pulled back, glasses off.
Ask what they use now. Cleanser, treatment products, moisturizer, SPF, anything prescribed. Photos of the bottles save a lot of back and forth. Half the answers are in their bathroom cabinet.
Ask the questions you would ask in the room. Allergies and reactions, medications that affect the skin, pregnancy, recent treatments, what they have already tried and for how long, and what result they actually want.
The product consult
No photos needed. It is for "what should I be using?", a routine refresh when the season changes, or the client who has run out of something and does not want to guess. You review the routine they describe and send picks with a note on why each one is there. It is quick for both of you, and it is often the consult regulars book most.
Stay in scope, and say so
A virtual consult is cosmetic advice. It is not a diagnosis, and photos hide a lot. If something looks like it needs a doctor, such as a changing mole, signs of infection, or a rash that will not settle, say so plainly, recommend they see a doctor or dermatologist, and note that you did.
Licensing is set state by state. Advising someone in another state may be treated differently from advising a local client, so check with your own state board before you promote consults nationally.
If you use an AI tool to help read photos, treat it as a second pair of eyes, not the answer. You are the professional, and the plan should be yours.
What to charge
There is no single right answer, and it depends on your market. Common approaches:
- A paid consult, with the fee credited toward products or a first treatment if they go ahead.
- A free product consult and a paid photo consult, since the photo consult takes more of your time.
- A free consult for existing clients between visits, as part of the relationship.
In my own business, I either charge for the consult or let the fee count as a credit toward products. Whatever you choose, decide it before you share the link, and take payment the same way you take it for everything else.
End with something they can act on
The consult is only worth something if the client does something afterward. Every reply should end with:
- A short plan. Morning and evening, in order, in plain words.
- The products, each with a reason. "This one because your barrier is stressed."
- A way to buy each one, right there in the message. See shoppable homecare plans for the options.
- A follow up date. A few weeks later, ask for a photo in the same light so you can both see what changed.
Getting consults in
A public consult link is what turns "DM me" into a booking. Put it in your Instagram bio, on your website and in your email signature. Anyone can use it to request a consult. For a regular, skip the link and invite them yourself.
Keeping it in one place
The weak point of DM consults is that nothing ends up on a record. In SlickChart, both consults are built in. Clients request one through your consult link or your invite, take the photos you ask for with a tip for each shot, tell you what they use now, and answer your questions on their own phone. You can turn on AI to help you read the photos. Your picks go back with a note on why, they land in the client's own app, and each one is shoppable. The whole consult stays on their client record, so when they come in for a facial months later, you can see exactly where you started.