Intake & Consent Forms for Estheticians: The Complete Guide

Estheticians need two documents before treating a client: an intake form, which records who the client is and what could make a treatment unsafe, and a consent form, which records that the client agreed to a specific treatment after its risks were explained. GlowForms sends both to the client's phone when they book, so they arrive at your door already signed.

This guide covers what each form should include, which treatments need their own consent, what to screen for, and how to handle records. It's written for licensed estheticians in the US. Rules vary by state, so check your state board and your liability insurer for anything that affects your license.

Intake vs consent: two different jobs

An intake form collects information: health history, medications, allergies, skin type and goals. Clients fill it once and update it when something changes, and at least once a year.

A consent form records agreement: the client confirms they understand a specific treatment, its normal reactions, its risks and the aftercare. You need one for each treatment type, and a new one when the treatment changes.

Mixing them into one long form is common, and it's where things get missed. Keep intake general and consent specific.

What an esthetician intake form should include

• Contact details and an emergency contact
• Date of birth — clients under 18 need a parent or guardian's signature
• Medical history — pregnancy or breastfeeding, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, epilepsy, history of cold sores, keloid scarring, skin cancer
• Medications — isotretinoin (Accutane) and when it was stopped, topical or oral retinoids, antibiotics, blood thinners, anything that makes skin sun-sensitive
• Allergies — products, fragrance, latex, aspirin
• Skin profile — skin type, concerns, current routine, recent sun exposure or tanning
• Recent treatments — waxing, laser, injectables or peels in the past few weeks
• Goals — what the client wants from their visits
• Photo consent — a separate yes/no for before-and-after photos
• Signature and date

GlowForms' facial & esthetician intake template covers these and can be customized with your own questions.

Which treatments need their own consent form

If a service isn't in your state's esthetician scope of practice, no form makes it safe to offer. Microneedling is the usual example — check your state board.

The contraindications your forms should catch

The point of intake is to stop a treatment that shouldn't happen today. Build these questions into your forms so the answer is in front of you before the client sits down:

1. Isotretinoin use in the past 6 months (many protocols wait this long; follow the client's prescriber)
2. Topical retinoids in the past week
3. Pregnancy or breastfeeding
4. Active cold sores or a history of them
5. Sunburn or tanning in the past few days
6. Waxing, laser, injectables or a peel in the treatment area recently
7. Blood thinners or a history of easy bruising
8. Keloid or raised scarring
9. Autoimmune conditions or diabetes (slower healing)
10. Pacemaker, metal implants, epilepsy or light sensitivity for device treatments

When a client says yes to any of these, the right move is usually to postpone, adjust the treatment or ask for their doctor's clearance — never to skip the question.

Download this checklist as a PDF to keep at your treatment station.

Paper vs digital forms

Are digital signatures valid?

In the US, the federal ESIGN Act and state electronic-transaction laws give electronic signatures the same legal effect as handwritten ones for most agreements. What matters is a clear record of who signed, what they signed and when. Ask your insurer if they have specific requirements.

How long should you keep client records?

There's no single national rule for estheticians. Your state board and your liability insurer set the expectation, and records for minors are often kept longer. Digital records make long retention easy: nothing to box up, nothing to lose.

How GlowForms works for estheticians

1. Pick your forms. Start from 250+ ready-made templates — intake, chemical peel, dermaplaning, facial, microneedling and more — and add your logo and your own questions.
2. Attach forms to services. When a client books online, they automatically receive the right forms for that treatment.
3. Clients sign on their phone. You see signed forms and their answers before the appointment.
4. Log the treatment. Add treatment notes to the client record, so their history is ready next visit.

Plans cost $9, $19 or $29 per month depending on how many services you set up, after a 1-month free trial with no credit card required.

GlowForms vs the alternatives

Check each provider's own pricing page before deciding; plans change often.

FAQ

This page is general information, not legal or medical advice.