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Celebrity Aesthetician Sonya Dakar Surrenders License After Viral Client Complaint
Nearly a year after Victoria Nelson’s viral TikTok accused celebrity aesthetician Sonya Dakar of leaving her with burns and permanent scarring, the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology has formally disciplined Dakar. In a new video posted this week, Nelson revealed that Dakar surrendered both her esthetician license and establishment license as part of a stipulated board order that takes effect on July 22, 2026.
“The discipline in this case was the surrender of both her aesthetician and establishment licenses,” Nelson said, explaining that Dakar will no longer be able to legally practice or operate under those licenses in California once the order becomes effective.
Nelson also shared that under the agreement, Dakar cannot apply for reinstatement for three years. If she does seek reinstatement, she must first pay $70,972.27 in restitution to Nelson and $17,731.25 in investigative and enforcement costs to the state. Under the order, the allegations tied to Nelson’s complaint are now considered admitted and will remain part of Dakar’s disciplinary history in any future licensing review.
How It Started
When Nelson first visited a celebrity skin-care expert in Beverly Hills for what she believed would be a routine facial, she could not have predicted it would alter her face and her life. Nelson, who once praised aesthetician Sonya Dakar as her “L.A. mom,” later posted a viral TikTok recounting how an unexpected chemical peel left her with burns, scars and years of costly corrective treatments. The high-strength peel, along with follow-up microneedling sessions, were procedures not permitted under California’s licensing laws for aestheticians.
In her original account, Nelson said what was presented as a no-downtime peel caused immediate burning and visible whitening of the skin, a clinical sign of deep injury. She said she later underwent additional corrective treatments, including microneedling, and spent more than $60,000 trying to repair the damage.
“It shouldn’t be on the consumer to know what is within and without someone’s license,” Nelson said.
@victoria.nelson sorry, it’s a bit long but it’s long overdue. This is my story about how celebrity esthetician, Sonya Dakar burned, scarred and irreparably damaged my face. I’m perpetually consciously and subconsciously covering it up, but I’m not sure why I’m the one who feels ashamed and like I have to hide something in this situation. In an ideal world, this would’ve all been handled privately and professionally..but after doing everything in my power to take the “right” steps and handle things the “right” way through the proper channels, unfortunately, I have been left no other option but to publicly share about such an incredibly vulnerable experience. All I ask is that you please be kind, and please.. be safe 🤍
The case quickly reignited broader concerns about scope of practice in aesthetics. In California, aestheticians are licensed to perform facials and superficial peels, but cannot legally perform medical-grade chemical peels, microneedling, lasers, injectables or procedures that penetrate beyond the epidermis.
What Went Wrong
Nelson said Dakar continued treating her with microneedling sessions for the next two years following the peel, despite California regulations prohibiting aestheticians from performing microneedling or medical-grade peels. The case became a flashpoint for ongoing concerns over providers working beyond their legal scope.
“Unfortunately, outpatient aesthetic care is unregulated and has become the wild West,” says Mary Lupo, MD. “People must be their own advocate. The main problem with non-core specialists doing these procedures is that a weekend course or online training does not substitute for years of accredited residency training. These non-qualified ‘providers’ quite simply do not know what they don’t know and have no idea how to recognize a complication and manage it to avoid serious and more long-lasting sequelae.”
The Risks of Out-of-Scope Care
The United States has no federal oversight of aesthetic treatments, leaving each state to set its own rules. Those rules vary widely. According to Bloomfield, MI dermatologist Linda Chung Honet, MD, this variability leaves consumers exposed.
“Because there is so little federal regulation in place, the responsibility falls largely to each state to provide its own guidelines. These can be rudimentary and widely variable, resulting in unsafe practices and poor outcomes.”
“It is critical to have treatments like this performed in a medical office where a properly trained physician is overseeing care and available to step in if complications occur,” says Boca Raton, FL dermatologist Jenna Queller, MD. “We need stronger legislation and oversight of med spas and aesthetic practices to better protect patients. Until then, the safest choice is to ensure advanced procedures are performed by qualified, board-certified core aesthetic physicians. A chemical peel is a medical procedure. It is a controlled chemical burn and needs to be performed correctly.”
The experts agree complications can be severe when procedures are performed by those without medical training. Shreveport, LA dermatologist Skylar Souyoul, MD pointed to Nelson’s outcome as an example.
“The aesthetician should have known immediately that they put the wrong thing on her face. Chemical peels frost, and the frost color tells you the depth that the peel went, and her frosting was very bright white, indicating it penetrated deep.”
“A chemical peel is not a beauty treatment,” adds Cliffside Park, NJ dermatologist Jason Chouake, MD. “It is a controlled chemical burn that, if done incorrectly, can cause permanent scarring, pigment loss or disfigurement. I have seen patients who went to non-core providers and ended up with lifelong damage because the person holding the acid had no idea how to judge clinical endpoints or manage a complication.”
What Happens Next
In her latest update, Nelson said she was initially disappointed the matter settled before reaching a formal hearing, which meant she would not have the opportunity to testify publicly or hear Dakar’s defense. But she ultimately called the outcome “the right thing.”
The board’s order closes the administrative case, but not the broader legal fight. Nelson confirmed her separate civil lawsuit against Dakar remains active, meaning questions of damages and additional liability could still be decided in court.
Nelson also explained that if Dakar attempts to practice without a valid license after July 22, she could face additional enforcement action from the state. For now, Nelson says the outcome is about accountability and consumer awareness.
“This isn’t a woe-is-me video,” Nelson said. “It’s a be-warned video. Not everyone offering services should be offering them.”