Can I treat a client with a thyroid condition?

Short answer: yes, in almost all cases. A stable, medicated thyroid is not a contraindication — levothyroxine is not photosensitising and does not bar waxing, laser or facials. What changes is comfort, skin quality and heat tolerance, and those differ depending on which direction the thyroid is going.

Underactive (hypothyroid, often Hashimoto's). Expect dry, thin, slow-healing skin and puffiness around the face and ankles. Dry skin lifts more easily during waxing — pre-oil properly and avoid a second pass over the same area. Thinning hair and sparse outer brows are common, so manage expectations before brow lamination or tinting.

Overactive (hyperthyroid, often Graves'). Heat intolerance, sweating and a fast heart rate are the practical issues. Hot stone, saunas, steam, infrared and body wraps are frequently unbearable rather than dangerous — offer a cooler alternative. Where Graves' affects the eyes, lids may not close fully and eyes run dry: that makes lash extensions, lash lifts and prolonged supine work genuinely uncomfortable and higher risk.

Neck work. Avoid deep pressure over the front of the throat, particularly with a visible goitre or known nodules. This is standard massage practice, not thyroid-specific caution.

Two referral triggers. Recent radioactive iodine means following the hospital's own contact restrictions — ask for dates. And a client on carbimazole with a sore throat or fever needs their GP that day, not a treatment.

Record what you asked and what they said. Never speculate about an undiagnosed thyroid from hair loss or weight change — suggest a GP visit and move on.