Posted on: April 13th, 2010 by Beauty Schools Directory 1 Comment
Skin care giant Dermalogica is no stranger to beauty schools around the world. A long time favorite of esthetic programs and skin care experts, the brand recently opened a new undergraduate skin therapy academy in New York City.
After founding nearly forty of their postgraduate International Dermal Institutes around the world, opening an undergraduate facility was the next logical step. The 6,000 square foot space is state-of-the-art and is the only LEED-certified trade school in Manhattan. Students will learn using popular Apple products, including the iPod Touch, iPhone and the new iPad device. The academy building includes a classroom, lab, MicroZone stations that offer 20-minute express treatments, a Skin Bar for skin analysis and a Treatment Room. According to Dermalogica founder Jane Wurwand, the academy will offer a skin therapy education unlike that found at most cosmetology schools:
“In most states, undergraduate skin therapy programs are offered by cosmetology schools — typically run by hair care companies and hairdressers — where hairdressing is the focus. There is a need for schools that are solely focused on skin and the business of skin, which requires an entirely different business model than hair.”
Spa fans can visit the 10-bed treatment room to receive a discounted facial — $50 as opposed to $110 at the nearby Dermalogica retail-spa outpost — by a student eight weeks into training, under the direction of a licensed skin care therapist. Dermalogica-trained skin therapists do extractions gently by hand, rather than use the metal comedone tool to remove clogged pores, which Frost said can damage skin and break capillaries.
Interested in enrolling? Classes begin May 18th and after completing 600 hours of training in less than 18 weeks, the licensing requirements of New York State, the academy will help assist you in job placement across the 7,500 salons and spas that carry the Dermalogica line. Visit dermalogicaacademy.com to enroll or for more information. Don’t live in New York? No problem! Find an esthestics program near you!
Posted on: February 18th, 2010 by Beauty Schools Directory 1 Comment
Tennis super star Serena Williams has accomplished pretty much every thing a tennis player dreams of. She’s won over $30 Million in prize money, Olympic Gold Medals and more titles than I can count! And let’s not forget her partnership with Mission Skincare, and her uber-popular line of handbags, jewelry and clothing sold on HSN. Once a girl has accomplished all that, what’s left for her to do? Go to beauty school, that’s what!
Serena recently posted an entry on her blog sharing that she’s enrolled in a Florida nail tech school near her home. What made her decide to enroll? Her love of a good mani/pedi!
“No one likes getting their nails done more than I do. As a matter of fact I go every 4 days to get a manicure and every 7 days for a pedicure. So, I had a brilliant idea to get certified to be a nail tech. Besides the fact that I am coming out with a nail collection from a company called HairTech, I thought “Serena this is a no brainer.” Immediately after I came home from the Australian Open I researched some schools and enrolled in a course that allowed me to complete 240 hours (that’s what u have to do to get certified at least in Fla.) at my own pace. 240 hours may seem like a lot, but I intend on completing it within the year.”
Serena snapped some pics of herself and her classmates on their first day at nail tech school. Take a look!
“Today was my first day and boy was I excited! When I got there, they immediately had us do pedicures on each other. I wanted to make sure I did it just the way the real salons do it, so I began with asking the girl if she wanted any water to drink. I was so relieved when she said no, because honestly, I didn’t have any to give her. Then I asked her to pick a color and she said French!! I’ve never done french, but I was determined to not butcher it. Luckily, thanks to my weekly pedicures I took my time and it came out great. I know it wasn’t just me thinking I did good because all of the other girls kept asking if I had done this before. They thought I was on that show called “I get that a lot!”
“My next class is in a few days, but I’ll keep you guys posted on my progress. Don’t be surprised if you hear about a part time job I’ve picked up at a local nail salon.”
How awesome is that?! What do you think about Serena’s decision to go to beauty school? How would you react if a celeb turned up in your cosmetology school class? Let’s hear it!
Posted on: December 10th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments
One of our BSD blog posts in recent months names getting your own business cards as one of the top 5 ways to jump-start your beauty career. That’s great advice! Just remember that as a beauty professional, you’re expected to be creative.
Now, don’t you wish you were the creative genius who first came up with these bad boys? These are business cards for Glammer Education Institute of Hair Design, via YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF. Brilliant!
So, where can I get some of those to play with? Glammer Education Institute of Hair Design suddenly seems pretty appealing, doesn’t it? Give your school and services the same kind of spark.
What’s the most creative marketing beauty marketing technique you’ve seen at a salon or school recently?
Posted on: October 21st, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory 3 Comments
Have you ever wondered where hair extensions come from? According to Oprah.com, 1000 tons of human hair are imported into the U.S. every year. The finest quality hair comes from India.
One Indian landmark in particular is famous for exporting human hair. The Venkateswara Temple in Southern India earns around 18 million a year selling hair to exporters. As one of Hinduism’s holiest sites, worshipers to this temple leave an offering of their hair for Lord Venkateswara. Cutting off hair for religious reasons is part of a ritual called tonsuring.
Some salons sell this “temple hair” anywhere from $2000 to $4000 depending on the length of the extensions.
Hair from India is also collected by village women who pool their hair together and sell it to exporters. Other women collect hair after it falls out naturally and sell it.
If you want to learn how to do hair extensions and become a professional hairstylist, find cosmetology schools near you.
Posted on: October 7th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments
Women who have been victims on India’s sex industry are receiving an opportunity for a second chance at a career and at life. In India’s capital, New Delhi, sex workers are being offered free training in hair styling, beauty and makeup. Free transportation is also being provided for the women interested in the opportunity.
Spearheading this endeavor is beauty and hair expert, Amzadd Habibb. “This is my way of giving back to the society. I have always wanted to do something for these people and I was just waiting for right opportunity and right people,” Habibb said. He has organized a 24-hour haircutting event to raise money for all the equipment needed.
If you or someone you know are interested in a new career or second chance, perhaps you should consider cosmetology school training to start down a new career path.
Posted on: September 18th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory 1 Comment
As the fight over health care reform continues to rage across the national landscape as people debate cost vs. quality, recent studies have noticed a unique trend. Hairstylists are a great help in steering their elderly clients to much needed health services that often save their lives.
In a recent, small exploratory study, more than 80% of Columbus, Ohio area cosmetologists and hairstylists surveyed said that older clients often or always shared their health problems during appointments.
“Hairstylists are in a great position to notice when their older clients are starting to suffer from depression, dementia, or self-neglect,” said Keith Anderson, co-author of the study and assistant professor of social work at Ohio State University. “While not expecting too much beyond the scope of their jobs, we may be able to help stylists direct elderly people in trouble to community services.”
The study included stylists from the Columbus area who responded to mail surveys. It was reported that about one-third of their clients were 60 years old or older.
Eighty-five percent of stylists described their relationships with older clients as “close” or “very close.” About 72% said their role was like one of “family” to some of their older customers.
“This is one reason why I think hairstylists are especially suited to seeing problems in their customers,” Anderson said. “Their older clients may sit in a chair for an hour or longer while they’re having their hair done, and this may happen once or twice a month. So stylists are in a good position to recognize when things change with a client, and when they may need help.”
He went on to say that stylists are in a unique position to discuss pain, depression or anxiety with their clients. The main issue Anderson is now trying to bring to the forefront is helping cosmetologists and stylists learn how to refer aging clients to appropriate health and community services.
“It seems like a perfect setup – stylists have access to older adults who may need someone to point them to the help they need. But at least this sample of stylists suggests they don’t know what services are out there to help these folks,” he said. “We can’t expect them to do everything, but our results suggest that most stylists care about their clients and would be willing to help them,” he said.
Have you ever had to suggest medical or psychological help to one of your clients? Did your beauty school teach you about signs to look for in your clients that may indicate they need your help? Tell us about it!
Posted on: September 10th, 2009 by Heather 15 Comments
Susanne S. Warfield is the leading expert on the business, legal and liability issues that affect physician and esthetician relationships working in a medical or spa setting. Warfield is a 27-year Licensed Esthetician and is NCEA Certified. Her career started as an Esthetics Instructor at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, where she taught the 2nd year of a two-year degree Esthetics Program. When she moved to the United States, her advanced training was put into use and she spent almost 14 years working with a dermatologist in New York City. See Susanne S. Warfield’s profile on the Beauty School Lounge.
As you do your research looking at the field of medical esthetics, you are probably seeing ads for medical esthetic, paramedical and become a medical esthetician. Esthetician training and esthetician licensing varies from state to state, and at the time of this article there was no such license for any of the aforementioned terms. The average number of hours of esthetician licensing training on a national basis is 600. The separation of the esthetician license from the standard cosmetology or hairdressing license has allowed some schools to become licensed to teach only skin care, thereby raising their hours and standards. There currently are only two states – Utah and Virginia – that offer a two-tier Esthetician Masters program for 1200 hours. There are several more states that are in the process of updating their statutes – which is sorely needed – but more on that in another article.
From the National Coalition of Estheticians, Manufacturers/Distributors & Associations, Use of Esthetician Titles. It is the position of the NCEA that estheticians represent themselves according to their licensed title, as designated by their state licensing board or regulatory agency, and that estheticians must not promote themselves or allow any employer to market them otherwise.
Esthetician Medical Training Certifications
There are several companies, schools, and associations that offer “certifications” to estheticians upon completion of a course. These courses may have required participation time ranging from minutes to hours to days.
Some courses are teaching advanced procedures using machines and products that are well beyond what the esthetician license and scope of practice allows. Therefore, obtaining liability coverage would then become a major priority for the esthetician practicing. However, in a dermatology setting, it would be up to the physician and their risk manager if the esthetician should be permitted to perform these advanced procedures, under the direct supervision of the physician of course.
This Isn’t General Hospital – It’s the Real Thing
One of the most important factors in deciding whether to work in a medical setting is: Do you like medicine? Specifically, are you comfortable dealing with illness and medical problems on a daily basis? Not that the fields you’re likely to choose will bring you into contact with a great deal of sick people, but your clients will all be patients and all of them will have a medical or aesthetic concern.
While dermatology and plastic surgery, the esthetics areas you will most likely fill in the medical setting, generally involve less serious medical problems, they’re still not for the squeamish. Plastic surgery, after all, is still surgery. And some plastic surgeons perform reconstructive surgery to repair the trauma of accidents or the disfigurement of diseases such as cancer, burn survivors or genetic defects. And dermatologists treat skin cancer various, sometimes disfiguring rashes and infections as well as various diseases that affect the skin.
If you cannot stand the sight of blood or if you find illness or disfigurement overwhelming, then you probably should consider esthetician career paths other than a clinical setting. On the other hand, most of us can get used to the sights and the situations that are likely to come up in dermatology or plastic surgery, and if you enjoy helping others and if you appreciate the privilege of working intimately with people who depend on you, the rewards of working as an esthetician in a medical setting can be tremendous.
One area that I haven’t touched on at all is the medical spa environment. If I had 10 people in the room and asked them what their perception of a medical esthetician is, I would probably get 10 different answers. For purposes of this article, the NCEA position on a medical spa is:
A medical spa is a facility that during all hours of business shall operate under the on-site supervision of a licensed health care professional operating within their scope of practice, with a staff that operates within their scope of practice as defined by their individual licensing board, if licensure is required. The facility may offer traditional, complementary, and alternative health practices and treatments in a spa-like setting.
Working in this type of facility may take you in several different directions depending on the philosophy of the owner, supervising physician and the corporate vision of what a medical spa is.
In conclusion, try to talk to other estheticians who may already be in the medical field, ask your school guidance counselor for advice, or several website such as PCI Journal offer newsletters and other books that may help you decide which of the career tracts is right for you.
Posted on: August 13th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory 4 Comments
Tiffany Hall is a licensed esthetician and certified massage therapist, as well as a makeup artist with more than 16 years of experience “painting faces,” as she likes to put it. Tiffany is passionate about skin care, waxing, sanitation and supporting local business. She graduated from David Pressley School of Cosmetology in 2004 with a diploma in esthetics, Origin Institute of Massage Therapy in 2005 with her massage diploma, and Dale Carnegie in January 2009 in Human Relations and Communications. Follow her on Twitter @msesthy or become a fan on Facebook.
You’ve finished your cosmetology and esthetics training, passed your cosmetology board exams with flying colors and now you are ready to take on the world. Bright eyed and bushy tailed you have put together an esthetician resume and cover letter that gets results. “You’re hired!” Those words are music to your ears and they have given you the confidence boost that you need in order to live your dreams of being an esthetician, performing waxing, facials, cuts, colors or round brushing. You can’t wait to tell all of those who have loved and supported you throughout your beauty school journey and start your first day.
Taking the Helm: On-the-Job Training
It’s your first day on the job and you are in your treatment room or station at the salon, and Mrs. Smyth walks in unexpected and needs a facial wax. She is headed out of town for business tomorrow. You are the only one available and the receptionist books her with you. Yay – your first official client! Your esthetician career is off to a great start.
You go through your mental check list:
Wax Melted √
Strips √
Applicators √
Gloves √
Client form completely filled out √
In the midst of you servicing your first waxing client, the owner walks over and says, “Take good care of Mrs. Smyth, she’s a regular. Oh, and by the way we use one applicator per client.” You hesitantly comply with her wishes after all she is the owner and you don’t want to make any waves on your first day. The receptionist tells you before handing you your only tip (Mrs. Smyth’s) that the owner would like to speak to you. The walk to the back office is one of the longest walks you’ll ever take. You get there and nervously sit down, and ask, “Is something wrong?” She says “Yes, Mrs. Smyth complained about how long it took you to wax her and that your gloves kept sticking to her face, and I noticed that you used too many supplies for that one service.”
Don’t Rock The Boat, Baby?
You are at the pinnacle of your career, you work in a posh Midwest salon, and the potential for growth is endless. Just one problem – they are unsanitary! I mean DISGUSTING. They break every sanitation in the book. They double-dip during waxing, don’t wear gloves, their wax pots are a health code violation, and you, the germaphobe, are forced to go along with their unsanitary practices. After all, your job is on the line. In your heart you know that double-dipping and not wearing gloves while waxing is risky business, but you need your job. So you grin and bear it.
Making Waves
Sanitation during body waxing is a very touchy subject and has been known to spark the most heated debates among spa and salon professionals. So much so that people are afraid of losing their jobs if they speak out. If sanitation is an important issue to you and you are unwilling to compromise (good for you!), take these steps to find the right
Put it in writing. Use your resume and cover letter along with your application to state your intentions upfront to perform the highest quality, most sanitary waxing services.
Take a stand or take a walk. If you are serious about sanitation and unwilling to take the risks associated with double-dipping and not wearing gloves while waxing, do not compromise your standards.
Be on the lookout. There are countless spas and salons out there that practice safe sanitation when performing waxing services. Keep going until you find the right one.
Ask and you shall receive. During any routine interview the interviewer will ask you if you have any questions. This is your chance to ask about their sanitation practices and inform them early on that it is important to you.
Call in reinforcement. You’ve been gainfully employed, and aside from the waxing violations things are perfect. Before you approach management concerning their sanitation fiasco, do your research. Find others that share your point of view on safety and sanitation and broach the subject with management in a respectful manner with solutions in mind.
Put yourself in their shoes. This may be very embarrassing for them. Take their feelings into consideration and assure them that it is in the spa’s best interest to provide the safest services to your clients.
As trained, licensed estheticians, you know the benefits of body waxing are endless. As we are in peak season for waxing and sun, remember what you learned in cosmetology school about safety and sanitation for waxing procedures, and put your clients’ health first. It is a win-win for everyone. Your clients leave safe and happy, your salon has repeat customers coming back for the highest quality services, and you will always know you’ve done the right thing.
Can you imagine the man down at the barber shop who cuts your father’s hair performing a Brazilian wax? How about giving manicures and pedicures? The answer is a resounding “no.” Many barbers just want to continue the barber shop tradition and keep the services they offer simple – haircuts and shaves. But in some states, to become a barber, men have to receive their cosmetology license which includes cutting, coloring, waxing, manicures and pedicures. This is causing many men, who just want to be traditional barbers, to choose another career path.
Many new age barbers, barber-stylists, take pride in variety of services they offer including permanent waving, soft-curl waves, texturizing, coloring and more. It’s great that barbers are evolving their craft, and there is obviously a market for this. But, we shouldn’t force the traditional barbers to learn how to do manis and pedis in addition to their hair design craft. Some men want to create the atmosphere and offer the barber services they remember from their childhood. And I think we should honor that tradition and those barbers.
What do you think about barbers pushing for traditional barber licenses? Any barbers out there care to weigh in?
Posted on: July 30th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory 4 Comments
Tori Allen is President and CEO of Brainchild Associates, with more than 10 years of experience as a communications professional. She specializes in experiential branding and consumer marketing for businesses and individuals. She has helped numerous clients in the beauty and cosmetology industry. Follow Tori on Twitter @brainchildassoc or visit her Facebook fan page.
You’ve looked forward to the day that you were no longer a beauty student for a long time now. Becoming a cosmetology professional is what you’ve been waiting for and now that you’ve graduated it’s time to build a name for yourself as a respected and elite professional in the beauty industry.
But how do you do it? Your talent is an art form. You look at each client as an empty canvas and you know exactly what to do to bring out the beautiful glamour queen or king that lies within them. YOU may know that you’ve got what it takes, but how do you transfer that into the minds of your potential clients?
Here are five solid steps to give you the definite edge when it comes to quickly position yourself in the cosmetology business through personal branding. Many of these tips involve social media, so get your computer out and prepare to join the ranks of the savvy marketer. It’s all about EXPOSURE!
1. Photos, Photos, Photos! Constantly Build Your Portfolio
Keep a camera with you at all times. Take photographs of every new style, color, cut, weave, or anything else you want to brand yourself with. Use your best photos to create a mobile cosmetology portfolio on your cell phone and online cosmetology portfolio on your dedicated website, blog site or social media profile. (Create a free online cosmetology beauty LookBook on My Social Beauty.)
Keeping photographs of your work will help you in more ways than just giving your potential clients an idea of your capabilities. A portfolio can help you to recognize your strong areas and may even drive you into developing a highly profitable niche for yourself. Furthermore, you can post your photos online or send them via email with coupons for your services.
2. Join Twitter Right Now! (Even Before Graduating)
Twitter is a way to network with individuals in the beauty industry as well as potential clients. Joining Twitter should be high on your list because you can start networking long before you have an online cosmetology portfolio. I suggest targeting PR professionals, salon owners, area business owners and brands that will help grow your business. Twitter resources such as Twellow and WeFollow are great for identifying key cosmetology contacts you’d like to network with, whether locally, regionally or nationally. If you’ve been Twittering the entire time you are in school you may have well over 5,000 followers! And guess what? You can post your portfolio link right on Twitter and invite everyone to check it out. This drastically increases the chances that people will visit your site and visit you for your excellent services. (Follow Beauty Schools Directory on Twitter @BSDiva.)
3. Get Your Own Business Cards
As simple as this sounds, there are so many hairstylists that either don’t carry business cards with them or don’t have them at all. Lack of business cards means lost opportunities. You can easily order full color business cards online for a minimal fee. I recommend fold-over type cards that have enough room to showcase some of your best work. In the beauty industry, seeing is believing. Individuals have a natural fear of trying new things and although hair grows back, no one wants a bad haircut or style. Proudly show off your work every chance you can and you will gain the attention of potential clients.
Another option for business cards is to give extra cards to some of your best customers. Tell them to sign their name on the back of the card and recommend you to others who comment on their hairstyle. After two or three recommendations that come in with these cards, give your faithful customer a free haircut and style. Always reward your walking, talking billboards. Verbal recommendations are the best and most sought after type of exposure. Take care of your customers and they will take care of you.
4. Build a Blog
Creating a free blog is an easy step to having your own little piece of web real estate. On your blog you can give advice on hair care products, certain styles, tips and trends. As you build up a following of readers, you will be recognized as an authority in your field. A blog is also another place to house your entire cosmetology photo portfolio. I don’t recommend putting an overwhelming amount of time on social media since it can become rather time-consuming. Set small goals for developing your blog and social media accounts. Posting one or two times per week won’t take long at all and after a year passes by, you can easily have 100 blog posts online.
5. Volunteer Your Services
Lastly, there is no more meaningful way to demonstrate your passion for hair then to volunteer your services. This is a very strategic way to expose your aspiring hair talents, network with prospective clients and be a part of premium initiative that might even be life-changing! Premium volunteer opportunities include makeovers for participants of nonprofit award ceremonies and charity events as well as local TV, film and theater productions. Volunteering with local photographers may also present the key opportunity to connect with target clients and expose your talents through a winning editorial feature!
Conclusion
These five recommendations are just a few ways in which you can build up a fast client base right after graduation from cosmetology school. As your business grows you must continue to brand yourself through networking opportunities, participating in charities and keeping yourself in the spotlight whenever possible. And since YOU are your number one selling tool, remember to always look your best and present yourself with an air of success!
Skin care giant Dermalogica is no stranger to beauty schools around the world. A long time favorite of esthetic programs and skin care experts, the brand recently opened a new undergraduate skin therapy academy in New York City.
nearby Dermalogica retail-spa outpost — by a student eight weeks into training, under the direction of a licensed skin care therapist. Dermalogica-trained skin therapists do extractions gently by hand, rather than use the metal comedone tool to remove clogged pores, which Frost said can damage skin and break capillaries.
Tennis super star Serena Williams has accomplished pretty much every thing a tennis player dreams of. She’s won over $30 Million in prize money, Olympic Gold Medals and more titles than I can count! And let’s not forget her partnership with Mission Skincare, and her uber-popular line of handbags, jewelry and clothing sold on HSN. Once a girl has accomplished all that, what’s left for her to do? Go to beauty school, that’s what!
Susanne S. Warfield is the leading expert on the business, legal and liability issues that affect physician and esthetician relationships working in a medical or spa setting. Warfield is a 27-year Licensed Esthetician and is 
