Assessment of the Patient and Treatment Plan

Introduction to the client

The person selected for this assignment is Client B. He is a 50-year-old male who works over fifty hours per week as a property developer and frequently visits construction sites. The client plays golf approximately once a month, and he also often eats out with his friends. He uses shower gel and applies a high street post-shaving balm on a daily basis. Overall, the condition of Client B is good for his age, but he has become more aware of skin aging and notices some small pigmentation patches on his face.

Consultation techniques and detailed assessment

As noticed by Tighe-Smart (2018, p. 248), “effective assessment of the patient and their skin is vital to deliver a holistic and multimodal treatment plan.” Therefore, it is essential to use several consultation techniques, including asking questions, listening to Client B, and examining the pigmentation visually and manually (De Pietro, 2019; Plensdorf, Livieratos, and Dada, 2017). Further, according to Tighe-Smart (2018, p. 248), it is essential to categorize skin type with the help of the Fitzpatrick scale and then use a Wood’s lamp to “identify oiliness, dehydration and pigmentation.” These assessment techniques will allow for drawing specific conclusions about the diagnosis and then creating a proper treatment plan. If necessary, after the examination, it is possible to take a skin biopsy.

Diagnosis

Overall, it is possible to say that there is nothing severe and dangerous happening with Client B’s face, and if a skin biopsy is taken, it is unlikely that cancer will be diagnosed. Consequently, there are several other factors that allow making a diagnosis, which as hyperpigmentation, particularly sunspots. As noticed by Bioderma (2021, para. 5), a leading skincare brand, “the sun and age are the main causes of pigment spots,” and construction workers are among those people who can get pigment spots earlier than others. Further, darker pigmentation may be caused by the post-shaving balm Client B uses (Ferencak, 2020).

Short- and long-term objectives

In order to achieve better results and consider the treatment plan successful, it is essential to determine short- and long-term objectives. Since the condition of the patient is neither dangerous nor severe, the treatment plan does not involve too many tasks. Short-term goals mostly include educating Client B about their skin needs and those factors that have caused hyperpigmentation. In order to make sure that sunspots do not get worse or spread to other parts of the client’s body and to protect Client B from the development of skin cancer, it is required to educate them about sun exposure. As for the long-term goals, they include making the pigmentation patches less noticeable.

Treatment plan

Overall, liver spots are harmless and do not require any serious treatment. However, some people wish to make the patches lighter, and there are certain ways to do that. For example, cryotherapy, medications, laser and intense pulsed light (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2020), chemical peels, or collagen induction therapy (Tighe-Smart, 2018) can be helpful. It is essential to select a treatment technique individually based on the type and color of the patient’s skin and some other parameters. To achieve the short-term objective, it is necessary to explain to Client B the causes of their pigmentation and recommend further individual actions and homecare.

Homecare and other recommendations

Homecare is an integral part of any successful treatment because achieving proper results without the client’s individual efforts is almost impossible. It is essential to provide Client B with specific recommendations that will allow him not only to make his pigmentation patches less visible but also to reduce the risk of developing skin cancer. First, Client B needs to use cosmetic products that are individually selected by a specialist based on the patient’s skin type (Plensdorf, Livieratos, and Dada, 2017). He also has to begin to use SPF sunscreen and wear a cap that will create a shadow on the face and more closed clothing to protect his skin (De Pietro, 2019). Finally, avoiding being in the sun for a long time should become Client B’s new rule.

References

Bioderma. (2021) Why do I have dark spots on my skin? Web.

De Pietro, M. A. (2019) What you should know about hyperpigmentation. Web.

Ferencak, K. (2020) Your skincare routine could be making your pigmentation way worse. Web.

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2020) Age spots (liver spots). Web.

Plensdorf, S., Livieratos, M. and Dada, N. (2017) ‘Pigmentation disorders: diagnosis and management’, American Family Physician, 96(12), pp. 797-804.

Tighe-Smart, S. (2018) ‘Skin revitalisation: an exploration of the methods used in aesthetic dermatology’, Journal of Aesthetic Nursing, 7(5), pp. 248-254.