Aesthetic Standards and Training Director

Sarah Schornak, MA, is the Aesthetic Standards and Training Director at Cosmetic Skin & Laser Center and provides aesthetic treatments in Petoskey. We sat down with Sarah to talk about her nearly two decades with CSLC, her approach to restorative aesthetics, the patient experience that has stayed with her throughout her career, and why feeling good in your own skin is at the heart of what she does.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you enjoy outside of work?
I’ve lived in Petoskey for the last 25 years, but I was born and raised in Detroit. I went to school and started my career in the Metro Detroit area before moving to Northern Michigan in the early 2000s. I joined CSLC in 2008.

I’m married and have three young adult children. Outside of work, I love being outdoors and exercising. That’s a huge part of why I love living in Northern Michigan. Being outside brings me peace. Water and trees are my tranquility.

What inspired you to pursue a career in aesthetics?
Bad acne. I had really severe acne as a teenager and went to multiple dermatologists, had facials, tried vitamins and tried so many different approaches. Nothing seemed to work for me. I eventually went on Accutane in my early 20s.

It took me a long time to feel comfortable and confident in my own skin. When I finally got there, I wanted to help other people experience that same feeling.

How did you first find CSLC?
I was already working as an aesthetician somewhere else when I came to CSLC for laser hair removal. I had a lot of unwanted dark hair, so laser hair removal was actually my introduction to CSLC.

At that point in my career, my approach to skincare was much more holistic. I was making tinctures and concoctions and trying different ways to help heal people’s skin. Coming in for laser hair removal introduced me to another side of aesthetics, and eventually I joined CSLC.

Have you personally tried the treatments you offer? Which are your favorites?
I’ve tried almost all of them. I would have to think pretty hard about what I haven’t tried at this point!

One of my favorites for my own skin is RegenGlo. I don’t necessarily love having it done, but I really love the results. As someone who has acne scarring, and as my skin has changed with age, I like combining microneedling with the additional superficial radiofrequency energy for collagen stimulation and skin rejuvenation.

What’s your philosophy when it comes to aesthetic treatments?
I believe in restoring and enhancing what you naturally have rather than trying to augment your appearance into something that feels far removed from you.

Especially as I age, restoration has become such a big part of how I think about aesthetics. I’m not necessarily trying to get back to what I looked like years ago. I want to be the best version of myself for where I am now. Restorative aesthetics, to me, is about finding that balance.

What treatments do you most enjoy performing?
I love treatments that leave people feeling transformed. Laser hair removal is a great example, as are microneedling and treatments for acne scarring. I love seeing what those treatments can do for someone over time.

But if we’re talking about what I love actually performing in the moment, I love giving facials. I love that element of touch and being able to give someone a relaxing, healing experience. There’s something very personal about that.

What are some of the most common concerns patients come to you with?
Wrinkles, acne scarring, loss of elasticity and skin laxity are some of the biggest concerns I see. Often, people simply feel like their skin has changed and they want to know what they can do to feel better about it.

Is there a patient experience that has stayed with you throughout your career?
There is one that still makes me emotional when I talk about it.

When I first learned laser hair removal, I was treating patients at our original Traverse City location. A young woman in high school came to me with significant facial hair growth. Her mom brought her in, and we completed a full series of laser hair removal treatments.

Her mom told me that she had been struggling so much that she was being homeschooled and didn’t feel comfortable looking people in the eye. By the end of her treatments, she had completely changed.

That experience showed me how powerful this work can be. Sometimes a treatment isn’t simply about changing something physically. It can change how someone moves through the world and how they feel about themselves.

Celebrities and bad plastic surgery can make people nervous about aesthetic treatments. What do you tell patients who are afraid of looking overdone?
When someone looks obviously overdone, a lot has usually been done. Good aesthetic treatments shouldn’t announce themselves. You should see subtle changes without immediately knowing what someone had done.

Our goal is never to create an outcome we wouldn’t want associated with our work. Sometimes that means talking someone out of doing more. Knowing when enough is enough is incredibly important.

It’s also why I believe so strongly in using multiple modalities. We don’t age in only one way. If you focus exclusively on filler or neuromodulators while ignoring skin quality, pigmentation, collagen loss and the other components of aging, the result can become unbalanced. The most natural results come from looking at the entire picture.

What do patients often misunderstand about Botox and dermal fillers?
Initially, many people don’t realize that Botox and dermal fillers are two completely different things and work in completely different ways.

It’s also important to understand that these treatments aren’t permanent. With a neuromodulator like Botox, if you try it and decide it isn’t for you, it wears off. If you love it, maintaining the result requires ongoing treatment.

There also isn’t one standard dose or placement that works for everyone. Treatment should be customized to your anatomy, your movement and your goals. Botox isn’t simply about making someone “frozen.” It’s about strategically relaxing movement while still creating a result that feels like you.

What’s one thing you wish every new patient knew before coming in for a consultation?
I always appreciate the vulnerability it takes to come in and talk to a stranger about something you feel insecure about.

Whether someone is coming in for body treatments, weight loss, acne scarring or another concern, it can be difficult to sit down and talk openly about something that affects how you feel about yourself. I don’t take that trust lightly.

What makes CSLC different from other med spas?
We work to treat the whole person. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to creating a treatment plan.

During a consultation, we take into account everything we can learn about someone: their lifestyle, time, budget, short-term and long-term commitment, whether they have an event coming up or whether they’ve recently experienced a major life change. All of those things matter when we’re determining what makes sense for that individual.

How have you seen aesthetics evolve in recent years?
It has become much more personalized. There are still trends, of course, but I don’t think everyone is trying to achieve the same look anymore, and I love that.

There isn’t one version of beauty. Not everyone wants the exact same lip shape or the exact same features. Even with something like IPL, I’ll have patients tell me, “Don’t take away my freckles.” I love that people are increasingly embracing the features that make them individual rather than trying to look like someone else.

Where do you think aesthetic medicine is headed next?
I think we’ll continue to see much more in regenerative aesthetics. PRF, exosomes, regenerative approaches and advances in fat transfer are all part of that evolution.

People are increasingly interested in treatments that work with their own biology and stimulate natural processes. I think the science will continue to advance in ways that give us new options for creating results without relying exclusively on traditional approaches.

What does confidence mean to you?
Feeling good in your own skin.

That connects so much of what I love, both personally and professionally. I spent years as a yoga instructor, and the part of me that loved teaching yoga is the same part of me that loves giving someone a facial. There is something powerful about helping people feel good in their own skin.

When you genuinely feel that way, it’s a different kind of confidence. It comes from within.

What’s a skincare myth you love busting?
That dermaplaning makes your hair grow back darker and thicker.

It doesn’t change the hair follicle. The hair may feel different as it grows back because it’s been cut at a different angle, but dermaplaning doesn’t make it thicker or darker. Hormonal changes can alter hair growth, which sometimes happens around the same time someone begins dermaplaning, but what you’re doing at the surface isn’t changing the follicle itself.

What treatments could you personally never give up?
Laser hair removal, Botox and microneedling.

Laser hair removal was transformative for me because unwanted hair drove me crazy. Botox is another one I personally love, and microneedling has been incredibly valuable for my skin over the years, particularly because of my history with acne scarring.

What’s one skincare product you always have in your routine?
As I’ve gotten older, eye cream has become a must. Keeping the skin around my eyes hydrated makes such a difference, especially when I’m wearing makeup or concealer.

I recently started using Plated Skin Science’s eye serum, too, and I’m really enjoying it so far.

And finally, what’s your coffee order?
Coffee? My answer is always yes.

My go-to is a shaken espresso with oat milk, upside down, preferably with a dark roast.