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 27th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory 3 Comments
Ok – the 1980s are over. Take a look at photos of your parents when they were teenagers. Is their hair the same as yours now? Their clothes? I doubt it. Styles change over time. The once popular bouffant, feathering and perm styles are no longer part of today’s hair culture. Imagine going to a hairstylist who was still using techniques and styles that were 20 years old. Chances are, you won’t get the cut you want. Imagine going to a salon that wasn’t up-to-date in safety and sanitation procedures. Terrifying, right?
Luckily, there are countless continuing education options for cosmetologists to avoid problems like these. Many states require some continuing cosmetology education for cosmetology license renewal and provide options for seminars and classes to complete those hours. There are also online cosmetology classes and courses to take at beauty schools and community colleges. The beauty school you graduated from might be able to give you some guidance or offer some continuing education classes themselves!
Get your groove back. Even after you’ve finished your required hours, it is always wise go above and beyond your state cosmetology license renewal requirements! The more you know, the better you can serve your clients. When you know the best new techniques and the latest, hottest styles, you can get younger clients that seek someone who is knowledgeable in these areas. Those young clients who are impressed by you early on will become loyal clients in the long term, returning to you when they need a simple cut or an entire overhaul, and recommending you to their friends and family.
Knowing the newest styles and techniques can definitely help you grow your beauty business, but other areas of continuing education can help you as well. There are numerous options for continuing education classes that cover how to start and run your own cosmetology business. In these, you can learn customer service skills and how to handle difficult clients, as well as new safety and sanitation procedures. With the help of continuing cosmetology education you can have a nice, clean salon with knowledgeable and modern professionals that keep the clients coming in.
What cosmetology continuing education classes have you taken? How often do you continue your career education with additional beauty school classes? Which have been the most or least helpful? Does your school have continuing education programs?
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!
Posted on: July 9th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory 3 Comments
California cosmetology license-holders should keep an eye on their mailboxes for fishy-looking “bills.” This week, the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology (Cal-BBC) posted a warning on its website of a scam targeting beauty licensees in the state.
The Cal-BBC warns that a business called the “California License Renewal Service” has been mailing fake “renewal notices” to California cosmetology licensees. These notices offer to file the licensee’s renewal application and fee with the board in exchange for a “service fee” of up to $40.
The Cal-BBC wants cosmetology professionals within the state to know that the California License Renewal Service is neither associated with, nor endorsed in any way by the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. When the time comes for you to renew your cosmetology license, the board will mail you its own notice within 90 days of your license’s expiration date.
The real notice will include instructions on how to file for renewal directly with the board. Most importantly, there is no service charge associated with filing your license renewal directly with the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology.
Check out this copy of the phony cosmetology license bill and warn all your California beauty friends to beware. Scammers are trying to get their hands on a piece of your hard-earned money!
Posted on: July 2nd, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory 2 Comments
The recession has unfortunately extended into summer. Most economists are say signs point to the recession lightening up by the end of the year – but I can’t wait that long for a haircut, can you?
Since the recession hit, the concept of a “staycation” has become incredibly popular. Many luxury resorts and vacation spots around the world offer salon-and-spa services, and that salon-and-spa pampering is often an integral part of the trip for some vacationers. But with so many people staying home and trying to save money, they may feel that salon-and-spa days are out of their reach. As a cosmetology student, this can is the perfect opportunity for you to swoop in and save the day. Your cosmetology school can offer all the services of a day spa at lower prices than the big-name hotels and spas.
Clients are looking for a lower-cost spa experience, and you are looking to get hands-on practice in cosmetology techniques, so you are a perfect match for each other! This situation provides a huge opportunity for beauty students and cosmetology schools. In the past, people have been wary of the service they’ll receive from students at a cosmetology school, so having clients on a budget come in for pampering services in is a great way to prove how modern, professional and enjoyable cosmetology student services can be. You’ll gain a great deal of experience in your area of cosmetology before you graduate and possibly even build up a client-base that comes with you when you start your career.
So, as a beauty student at cosmetology school, make sure you spread the word on the low cost and high quality of the services your cosmetology school can provide. The recession is usually a bad thing, but it can be a great opportunity for you.
Is your cosmetology school doing anything to take advantage of these new opportunities? Do you see more clients on a budget coming through your doors?
Ivan Zoot holds the world record for the fastest haircut at a mere 55 seconds. Wow! Of course, that’s for the Guinness Book of World Records, but still. Is speed-cutting a skill that can take you anywhere? I’m just not sure.
On one hand, we’ve all heard the saying that time is money. In most other industries, a quick turn-around with a quality result is one of the most important things a business can provide.
On the other hand, when a client comes into a salon, whether it’s for a day of pampering or just a quick trim, they like to feel relaxed, right? They like to be able to sit in your chair and chat, or read a magazine – anything but feel rushed.
So, which is more important – quality or speed? What are you learning or did you learn in cosmetology school? To be quick and efficient, or to linger over each client and make them feel special? Or something in between?
We’re so excited to invite you to create a profile, explore My Social Beauty and make it a fun and informative place for the beauty, cosmetology and esthetics industry. The best way to get ahead in today’s Internet world is networking. By creating a profile on My Social Beauty you can meet and network with beauty students, teachers and professionals in your area of expertise. You’ll make new friends, learn more about your field of beauty and advance your education and career.
If you’re a professional now, you probably remember having lots of questions when you first started out. With the Lounge, you’ll have a chance to answer beauty questions from amateurs, and we all know a little good advice can help someone feel more confident! You can also get some questions of your own answered! Maybe you heard about a new technique and you want a little more info, or perhaps you have a beauty problem and need some advice from a professional. Ask away!
In addition to Q&A, the “Conversations” section of the Lounge is teeming with discussion about the latest happenings in the world of beauty – from general news topics to beauty jobs and careers. In “Tutorials” you can view, comment on, rate and post your own tutorial videos to get more involved with your Lounge friends.
So, we are officially inviting you to visit My Social Beauty, set up a profile and have fun with it!
Posted on: June 11th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory 3 Comments
When a soldier is serving overseas, looking good is on the bottom of the priority list. Whether they’re in the deserts of the Middle East or out to sea on a Navy ship, their job serving their country is what is most important. So although they may not focus on their looks, they definitely deserve pampering more than most.
This is where your salon, spa or cosmetology school can help support our troops. Lisa Hoffman, wife of actor Dustin Hoffman, has started a trend by donating more than $1 million worth of Lisa Hoffman Beauty products to troops and their families. Your salon or school may not be able to make a donation at that level, but everything counts.
Here are some fast, easy ways to support the troops:
• Collect donations at work or at school that can go to an organization that helps the soldiers. Operation Gratitude accepts monetary donations that go toward the shipping costs of sending the packages.
• If you receive small containers or bottles of health and beauty products from your suppliers you can donate those through Give2TheTroops. They have a wish list of all the health and beauty items soldiers have requested.
• Your salon, spa or school could offer discounts to soldiers and their families. The soldiers need to relax when they get home and it’s tough for their spouses and children to be at home without them, so they could use some pampering too!
These are just some small ways your school or business can help our troops overseas. A care package including their favorite shampoo or a soothing lotion would let them know we’re all thinking about them while they’re gone.
Is your beauty salon or cosmetology school participating in one of these charitable programs to help the troops and their families? Do you have any other ideas to help the soldiers?
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.
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 
