The complaint revealed more about Dakar’s past, notably that the celebrity aesthetician had already had her license revoked twice, including in 2009 after she reportedly “assaulted and attacked a board inspector” by attempting to bite her and pulling her hair.
In addition, complaints had been previously filed against Dakar for allegedly injuring a client and for use of a radiofrequency microneedling machine, which was not covered by her license. (In California, an aesthetician is not permitted to do microneedling on clients, because it penetrates the uppermost layers of the skin.) If you search Dakar’s name on California’s Board of Barbering and Cosmetology’s license database, you’ll see that her establishment license for the Sonya Dakar Skin Clinic in Beverly Hills has been revoked several times too, including in 2022 after a board inspector found “multiple code violations,” including devices like laser machines that the state considers “for the practice of medicine.”
Nelson’s lawsuit states that Dakar’s actions “constitute unlawful, unfair, and fraudulent business practices, including practicing as an esthetician while unlicensed, performing treatments outside the scope of an esthetician’s license, engaging in deceptive billing, fabricating online reviews, and physically harming clients.” Nelson alleges that Dakar claimed she was “authorized to perform microneedling, extractions using a lancet, chemical peels, and other invasive procedures, but she was not,” and also “falsely represented to [Nelson] that she was authorized to conduct post-burn care.” The suit also claims that Nelson was charged for services and products she did not receive, as she said Dakar kept her credit card on file. In the lawsuit, Nelson states that she spent about $71,000 with Dakar and is seeking restitution.
Backing up, who exactly is Sonya Dakar?
If you’re not familiar, Dakar is a Los Angeles-based facialist who was particularly popular in the mid-2000s and also launched an eponymous skin-care line. The Sonya Dakar Drying Potion, a sulfur-based liquid for drying pimples, won an Allure Best of Beauty Award in 2008. When interviewed for a feature about top facialists in the February 2007 issue of Allure, Dakar spoke of her childhood in postwar Berlin and when asked about her skin type said it was “perfect.”
Five years after that interview, Dakar personally, and the parent company of her Beverly Hills clinic, filed for bankruptcy. In her filing, Dakar listed between $10 million and $50 million in assets, and between $1 million and $10 million in liabilities. “Much of that debt likely stems from the multiple lawsuits members of the Dakar family have brought against each other since 2008,” reported the Wall Street Journal at the time. Her clinic remained open. In 2020, two former employees filed a discrimination suit against Dakar, alleging that she would “openly make discriminatory comments against people who are African-American, Latinx and Muslim.”
What’s the current status of Nelson’s lawsuit against Dakar?
Nelson’s latest suit is still ongoing, but on June 24, 2026 she posted a video update. In the video, Nelson, who appears to be reading an email (which is also shared as a screenshot in the video) from the Board, says that as of July 22, “Sonya Dakar can no longer legally practice or operate in the State of California. Both her aesthetician and establishment licenses are being surrendered to the California State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology.” According to the video, Dakar is also required to deliver her pocket license and any wall certificates to the board and is not allowed to petition to reinstate her license for three years after July 22. Nelson decline to share the letter with Allure; we also reached out to the board directly but were not able to independently verify that Dakar’s license had been surrendered.
