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Sun Jul 23, 2006 1:08 pm |
I have thought about becoming a licensed esthetician, but I have a few questions to throw out to my fellow EDS Forum members before I get serious about this line of thought:
*Do you think it would be important that an esthetician have near-perfect skin? In other words, do you think prospective clients would only want a skincare professional that has flawless skin--someone a client could aspire to look like? Or would having some skin problems make you more sensitive to others' problems? I was thinking that if a person went to a skincare specialist that didn't look PERFECT, they might think: Does she really know what she's doing/talking about?
*Does anyone know what kind of money an esthetician can expect to make? I live in the U.S., in California. I know income would vary according to the type of job held, and I'm not even sure of the various opportunities (if any) that are out there. Relocation is always a possibility.
*Do you think this is a good business to go into? Especially for someone considering making a mid-life career change?
*Any other tips/ideas/thoughts?
TIA |
_________________ Me: NOT Fabulous 50--recent surgically-induced menopause, aging/sagging skin, life-long acne issues, hyperpigmentation. Seeking solutions~possibly even Holy Grail! |
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Mon Jul 24, 2006 8:01 am |
O.K., everyone. Please be brutally honest with me. Is this a profession coveted for "beautiful" people? Basically, would your "looks" be as important as your knowledge/technique? |
_________________ Me: NOT Fabulous 50--recent surgically-induced menopause, aging/sagging skin, life-long acne issues, hyperpigmentation. Seeking solutions~possibly even Holy Grail! |
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Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:07 am |
I think aesthetics is a career field that has many avenues to explore. Aestheticians can work anywhere from a salon and spa to a clinical environment depending on experience and training. Obvioulsy the clinical route would pay more, but working in a salon or spa can be rewarding as well depending where you worked. I for one would want to work with an aesthetician that is highly knowledgeable and experienced. They wouldn't have to have super flawless, perfect skin, but I would probably trust someone more if they did have pretty healthy skin overall or were able to work with their own skin problems such as roaseacea or oily skin etc. and keep them under control. I remember working in a spa where there was this aesthetician who wore the brightest colours known to man on her face and to top it of off she applied all her cosmetics like a mask. She was of the belief that the older you got, the more makeup you needed. Most of us thought she just looked like a clown. Now that would be someone I WOULD NOT want to work on my face, but as we all come from different schools of thought she might have appealed to other women. I think being aware of trends and new scientific developments and just being educated will help anyone out in this field. Starting a new career in as you say midlife is always scary but I commend your courage. I think if you are unhappy where you are at you should always try to move forward and grow and I think learning something new, even though you may not use it professionally in life, is a great thing and one that will never be regrettable. My advice to you is to follow your heart and if you decide to take this plunge, really research the schools and pick the best one you can find and afford. Good luck! |
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Mon Jul 24, 2006 7:18 pm |
Thank you for your input, wildflower. That was a very insightful response! |
_________________ Me: NOT Fabulous 50--recent surgically-induced menopause, aging/sagging skin, life-long acne issues, hyperpigmentation. Seeking solutions~possibly even Holy Grail! |
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Mon Jul 24, 2006 7:48 pm |
for a while i wanted to be an esthetician too.. my mom was encouraging me to go into it because she says that earning "women's money" (beauty/youth/image) is one of the best fields to go into to for career (think abt how much you put into treatments and products a year!). i think it is very important to have flawless or near perfect skin because you are selling the need and image of beauty --plus im sure anyone would doubt the esthetician's skills if her skin wasnt that great too. i think what will make a successful person in this field is to constantly update and be aware of new trends/developments etc as wildflower said. also, to have great communication and people skills.. most of the time what makes me a repeat customer to places is 1. price, 2. how much i like them. many people can provide the same or similar services for similar price, but its very hard to find a person you like a lot and look forward to seeing for treatments! |
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Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:14 am |
smqueen wrote: |
. . . i think it is very important to have flawless or near perfect skin because you are selling the need and image of beauty--plus im sure anyone would doubt the esthetician's skills if her skin wasnt that great too. . . . |
Thank you for your input, smqueen! I was thinking (fearing) this might be true. I've only been to one esthetician before (for microdermabrasions), and yes, she had awesome skin. The whole time I was there, I kept thinking: "I want MY skin to look like HERS!"
Everything else you said was helpful, too. I totally agree with you about 1=price and 2=how much you like the person/enjoy getting treatments from them. When I think about it, that's exactly how I choose a hairdresser, and the industries go hand-in-hand.
I still (even at 48!) get adult acne spots here and there--cystic spots on my chin and jaw line. It's not bad acne, but even 1 spot is devastating for me. I'm also working on getting rid of hyperpigmentation on the jawline--caused by years of reckless suntan booth usage. Things are improving, but I'm FAR from having a GREAT complexion. That's the reason I'm having doubts about going into this field. But the thing that attracts me to it is: becoming knowledgeable about skin care and educating other women about it (that's the teacher in me). Well, maybe I can learn to me a master of makeup concealer! |
_________________ Me: NOT Fabulous 50--recent surgically-induced menopause, aging/sagging skin, life-long acne issues, hyperpigmentation. Seeking solutions~possibly even Holy Grail! |
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Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:52 am |
i think how a therapist looks is irrelvant. I have horrible treatments with good looking therapists and vice versa. For me, it is all about the hands and how the look after my skin during the treatment, that they care about looking after me and my skin, how good they do the massage and extractions. Someone who has experienced bad acne or skin problems is exactly the person who knows how you feel when you go into them with your skin problems
I believe it would be a wonderful profession to get into and if you are good at it you will make a lot of money. Invest in some great training and really research schools in your area. |
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Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:19 am |
Haha oh wow, I've never noticed my esthetician's skin before. All I know is that she's a pleasant lady whom I feel comfortable with- and she's probably in her early 50's so I'd never sit there and think "ewww she has wrinkles, she has no idea what she's doing!".
Seeking, my advice to you would be the best esthetician you can be, and worry about your skin second. I think you'll be GREAT in this new career choice, which would be enough to win me over as a client Any hesitation on the customer's part would likely be due to ignorance about skin care, than how you look. I mean, at all different ages, ethnicities and skin types, it wouldn't be right to simply judge a person's talents and ability to work on *their individual* skin type. Go for it. |
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Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:42 am |
Belle wrote: |
i think how a therapist looks is irrelvant. . . For me, it is all about the hands and how the look after my skin during the treatment, that they care about looking after me and my skin, how good they do the massage and extractions. Someone who has experienced bad acne or skin problems is exactly the person who knows how you feel when you go into them with your skin problems . . . |
FrevaKZ wrote: |
. . . Seeking, my advice to you would be the best esthetician you can be, and worry about your skin second. . . I mean, at all different ages, ethnicities and skin types, it wouldn't be right to simply judge a person's talents and ability to work on *their individual* skin type. Go for it. |
Thanks for your input, Belle & FrevaKZ! I just worry that people have the mindset that you can't just "talk the talk," you also have to "walk the walk," but I'm TRYING to get great skin! And my complexion has improved a lot since I've been taking better care of it. I guess I've just been wondering if I have any right to want to be a skincare professional, considering that I'm not the picture perfection, myself. |
_________________ Me: NOT Fabulous 50--recent surgically-induced menopause, aging/sagging skin, life-long acne issues, hyperpigmentation. Seeking solutions~possibly even Holy Grail! |
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Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:31 pm |
you can be whatever you want to be, as long as your sure you really want it! some of the best perks for pursuing this kind of career is that when you are in school training, you are getting hands on and in turn your complexion is most likely to get really great. i goto dominelli spa here in vancouver (burnaby) every once in a while to get a massage or use the infra red sauna.. dominelli is a esthetics school and they offer treatments to the public for a low price so the students can get some hands on training. i love going here.. all the girls and ladies look happy and pretty with great skin, and i am 100% sure they didnt have that great skin before enrolling in the program! (i think they learned in class and practiced on eachother.)
by flawless skin i dont mean skin free of wrinkles and stuff like that --nobody can get away from signs of aging! but i mean they have a great radiance, glow and luminocity to their skin. it looks very very healthy and even complexion. not splotchy or dehydrated or full of acne.
ones appearance has nothing to do with the service being provided, but i still think it is very important to do justice the field. once you book an appointment at a spa or facility you dont know who is going to service you or what they look like.. you also dont know their skill level, so even if they are flawless or if they are like "us" the general public, your experience is really gonna be hit or miss.
in this field i think your appearance tells alot about you. eg. if you have the determination to work on your skin and upkeep i think that displays your work ethic and may reflect on your client's faith and trust in you to do a good job on them as well --its more of a good faith thing than discrimination against the esthetician's complexion or skill level. another example is if the esthetician comes to work on you with a lot of makeup on, and you can see that they cake on the concealer, i would be really nervous and regretful of getting serviced by her. i would be nervous just because you can get a hint on their beauty philosophy and in turn how that would affect you when she is servicing you (eg. maybe they just rush through to meet up to 'standards' vs. taking extra time and tlc to get the full benefit for the client). i think esthetician's philosophy should be "pure and simple" beauty. well, a lot of these things.. i think you can really see or feel as soon as you meet your esthetician for the day and judging from their apperance AND probably more so, how they interact with you.
lol anyway.. i think what i am trying to say is that appearance is just an add on in your customers faith to you.. but what matters most is your dedication to excellence (in training/learning/work ethic etc.) and your people skills. |
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Wed Jul 26, 2006 12:21 pm |
smqueen wrote: |
. . . some of the best perks for pursuing this kind of career is that when you are in school training, you are getting hands on and in turn your complexion is most likely to get really great. . . |
Thanks for your opinion, smqueen. At the very least, it would be fun and beneficial to take the Esthetician Licensing classes for this exact reason.
smqueen wrote: |
in this field i think your appearance tells alot about you. eg. if you have the determination to work on your skin and upkeep i think that displays your work ethic and may reflect on your client's faith and trust in you to do a good job on them as well. . . .. i think what i am trying to say is that appearance is just an add on in your customers faith to you . . . but what matters most is your dedication to excellence (in training/learning/work ethic etc.) and your people skills. |
I hear ya! |
_________________ Me: NOT Fabulous 50--recent surgically-induced menopause, aging/sagging skin, life-long acne issues, hyperpigmentation. Seeking solutions~possibly even Holy Grail! |
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Thu Jul 27, 2006 6:26 pm |
When I was in esthetics courses most of the girls (yes they were yourng) really did not have naturally flawless skin.
Most of us were there considering a career in esthetics and also hoping to learn about skin care and improving our skin.
Our instructor had beautiful skin and was one of those ladies that you had no idea how old she really was...maybe 40 to 50. |
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Fri Jul 28, 2006 7:38 pm |
autumn wrote: |
When I was in esthetics courses most of the girls (yes they were young) really did not have naturally flawless skin. Most of us were there considering a career in esthetics and also hoping to learn about skin care and improving our skin. . . |
autumn, Are you an Esthetician now? If so, can you give me info./advice on it? If not, why did you decide against it? TIA |
_________________ Me: NOT Fabulous 50--recent surgically-induced menopause, aging/sagging skin, life-long acne issues, hyperpigmentation. Seeking solutions~possibly even Holy Grail! |
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