Clinical Aesthetician Contributes in Haiti
by Anna D. Rinehart

During my recent trip to Port Au Prince, the capital of Haiti, I found great depths of physical despair and emotional deprivation. At first glance, it seemed as though no one would be concerned about their skin care appearance. However, when people asked what I do and I replied, “Medical Aesthetics Clinical Skin Care,” I was met with great enthusiasm.
Adventist de Haiti Hospital located in Port-Au-Prince provides tremendous support to facilitate healing of the people. The physicians and nurses who were there provide much needed help in various medical situations.
The group I was traveling with had 11 volunteers from all aspects of Metroplex Health System from Killeen, Texas and a registered nurse from Scott and White Hospital in Temple, Texas. Each physician, nurse, and clinical aesthetician provided their broad nursing and aesthetic experiences to help the people of Haiti.
As a clinical aesthetician I was able to evaluate various skin conditions for both the patients and nursing staff. Questions were asked about how to best care for their skin in regards to dry, oily, and acne prone skin conditions. Because we did not have clinical skin care products available we used basic over-the-counter products to deliver skin treatments. Few of the facial treatments were of great technical skill but they were of tremendous psychological value and temporary
physical relief.
Aestheticians have a great sense of compassion and skillful touch of the hands. Those that have gained a broad medical and aesthetic education can be of a great benefit to the people of Haiti. If you are interested in contributing to future Haiti trips please contact Anna D. Rinehart at 888-769-3223.