Is Getting More Referrals A Goal You Have?

Getting Your Guts Up To Ask

Obtaining referrals can be difficult if you're not used to asking. But once you've adopted the habit of asking you'll obtain enough referrals that it will be hard to follow up on them. A study conducted by Bill Bishop and Associates of Orlando, Florida found that 60-80% of referred leads buy stuff.  They buy an average of 23% more than cold suspects.  They are also four times more likely to refer you to other lead than cold prospects.  It clearly makes sense to ask for referrals.  I know, I know, its awkward to ask people for referrals.  All I can say to that statement is, GET OVER IT! If you've done a great job for a client and given it all you got, that person will be glad to suggest others that you can help.  But if you're not used to asking, even the phrasing of the question can be difficult. 

Make it your own, feel comfortable, and spit it out.

I have attended many classes on selling yourself and services.  They all give you guidelines to help with asking for referrals, but they always seem forced and ridged. REMEMBER- Your not asking them to join a cult or a pyramid scheme, your just asking for support.   It does help if your salon or spa offers a referral program. If your spa does not offer an incentive for referrals, ask the owner if you can develop something. For example:  If you refer 5 people, you get a free or half off facial.  Here are some samples to help you out. Take these samples and make them your own, you can add to or take away somethings, but get in the habit of asking. Try them out on your friends and family to see how it comes across.

1) Thank you so much for coming to see me Mary, you are such a great client. I wish I had more clients as loyal as you. If you have any friends as good as you are please send them my way.

2) You- Did you enjoy your service today Mary?
    Mary- Oh, I loved it, best facial I have ever had.
    You-  Thank you Mary that means a lot. Please tell your friends and family about me.
              I would love to give them the same service I give you. We have gift certificates available.....

3) Thank you Mary for coming in to see me, I hope you enjoyed your service. I wanted to let you know we are doing free skin evaluations and eye treatments now, so please tell your friends and family about that. If you have a referral program you can say: If five people come in and say that you sent them, then I will give you a free eye treatment for your next facial ( or whatever you and the owner decide).

4) We are running a special next month on chemical peels and eye treatment, if you can give me five emails of people that would be interested I will give you a 10.00 off coupon for your next facial. 

5) Mary- My friends have been telling me how great my skin looks.
    You- That is great Mary, I hope you are telling them about me? 


Avoid "Do you know anyone...."- it is easy to say "no".  Also, avoid telling your customer what your need is, i.e, to win a sales contest, or to hit your quota for the month. Put your request in the context of helping. Your approach should be comfortable for you. But whatever the approach, always ask.

My Name is Free Radical and I Suck!

All you hear people talk about are free radicals, and antioxidants.  So what are these pesky little blood suckers?  I decided to write this post because a lot of every day consumers have no idea what free radicals are.  All they know is that FR are bad.  I was also surprised to find that many estheticians only know a small bit about FR.

Brief Information About Atoms(I know, I know, trust me this will help you understand)
The basic building block of all cells is the atom.  All Atoms have protons, neutrons, electrons and a nucleus.
Electrons hold atoms together to make a molecule and orbit the atom in one or more shells (rings around the atom)  The inner shell is full when it has two paired electrons. When the first shell is full the electrons move to the second shell.  The number of electrons in the outer shell determines the chemical behavior of an atom. The goal of an atom is to always be balanced.

How Free Radicals Form
Molecules create cells.  Free radicals are created at the molecular level and then when the damage is not repaired it affects living cells.  A free radical is any molecule that has one or more unpaired electrons, they react with a healthy molecule in a destructive way.
The goal of an atom is to always be balanced. Free radicals are molecules that have at least one unpaired electron and then go around just taking electrons from other healthy molecules causing damage (oxidative stress).

Did You Know: The body produces free radicals naturally.

- Breathing- Oxygen is a potential free radical accelerator.

- Inflammatory Immune Response

- Production of Energy- when the universal energy  molecule used by the body is produced, free radicals are

released.

A healthy body can naturally neutralize free radicals, but a body under stress must have help to neutralize them.  The damage that free radicals cause can be minimized by antioxidants.

How Do Free Radicals Damage The Skin

Free radicals cause damage to the DNA in the cells and the fibroblasts that produce collagen.  Free radicals also produce biochemical damage that can lead to eventual skin cancers and abnormal growths.  The end products of this inflammatory biochemical reaction can cause the skin to produce self-destruct enzymes such as collagenase, elastase, and hyaluronidase, which destroy collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid (hydrates our skin and cells).   This destructive assaults to the skin happen every day.  When enough of this damage accumulates, we see signs of wrinkles, elastosis (sagging skin), dehydration, and skin cancer.

A Short Film About Free Radicals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn8TvZxTqow&feature=g-upl

Why do we put each other down?

I decided to write this blog post to expand on my Facebook status update from two days ago.

Facebook Status. 
As a spa consultant I see so much fighting, cattiness, ruthlessness, in this industry among women. This has to stop, or this industry will fail. We as women need to help one another. We are the ones standing in our own way of success. You may not like someone you work with, and they may not like you, and that's fine. You may not like them, but you need to respect them as

a human. The best advice I have given as a teacher and a consultant is. STAY OUT OF IT!
1) Don't mix business with your personal life- If you don't want people to judge or make comments about you and your life, then don't talk about it.
2) Stay out of the break room- Your coworkers will bring you down talking about who they hate. So get on the floor and sell some product and promote yourself.
3) Come to work, do your job, be nice and respectful to others, but don't join in on the negative talk.

My Story

My first job as an esthetician was great, the only thing that was not great was the other estheticians I worked with.  When I interviewed for the job, the lead esthetician did a quick interview with me to scope me out.  I think she saw me as sweet, young, and maybe a little naive; so posing no threat to her business I was in the door.

My First Week on The Job

1) I was cussed out by the lead esthetician because I was talking to one of her clients that had questions about a product. Mind you she had left her client upfront to go eat lunch.

2) While training me, she told me all the wrong protocols to follow.

3) Told me I was not going to make it in this business because I was too young.

4) Told the staff that I gave the worst facial she has ever had. (Funny thing is I never gave her a facial for the interview)

5) THE WORST OF ALL- She would pass gas while giving a facial; and then I was told by her clients later that she blamed it on me while I was training with her. I am not even kidding. 

The Lessons I Have Learned

When I started teaching esthetics five years ago I made a promise to myself. That promise was to train my students to the best of my ability, and prepare them for situations like this.  I have never viewed my students as a threat to my future career, but rather sent them out as an experienced guide for others to follow.  The main thing that I want you to take away from this is. We all know from life experiences that when someone puts you down, makes fun of you, or tries to sabotage your career, it's because they feel threatened by you.  Just keep this in mind

1) Be confident in your skills and in your own skin.

2) Don't compete, just strive to learn and grow with your fellow estheticians.

3) Don't get involved in the drama, get bitter, or plan revenge on your enemies. (They will shoot themselves in the foot eventually.)

4) Help your fellow co-workers. If you help others they will help you, I promise.

5) But if all else fails just remember that sometimes hatters gonna hate. Just go into work everyday with a positive outlook, and if your clients love you and keep coming back, then don't sweat the drama.

And one last thing:  If a co-worker is sabotaging your career and your name; the best thing to do is plan a meeting with the owner and co-worker to talk through the situation, explain your concerns, and stand your ground.  Trust me, no one likes to be called on the carpet for their actions and it will usually stop.

 

What you have to look forward to (Aging)

Signs of Aging

• Dry skin increases. As we age our oil production goes down.  When our  skin is dry  wrinkles show more.
• The signs of photodamage becomes more apparent, such as  hyperpigmentation & hypopigmentation, texture roughness, precancerous lesions, and increased bruising.
• Thinning of the dermis- reduced as much as 20 % .
• Decreased cell turnover.  Rate slows from 30% to 50% between ages 30 and 80.
• Reduced ability to repair damage.
• Loss of temperature control.
• Reduced immune response.
• Collagen content per area of skin surface decreases at 1% per year as we age, and dermis develops fragmented elastic.
• Elastin structure changes, and the diminished capacity to support microcirculation, and skin strength.
• Melanocytes decrease 8 % to 20% per decades which leads to increased cancer risk.
• Hormones- estrogen slows during perimenopause and stops after menopause.  Skin is directly affected by the reduction of estrogen and has its own estrogen receptors.

Are You Likable?

The Likability Factor- How personality impacts your professional success.
Lets face it, life is a popularity contest.  Being an instructor I can't tell you how many times I have to talk to my students about this issue.  Some of you may be saying, "I am 30,40 even 50 years old, this had nothing to do with me."  Well, you are wrong.  I have had to sit students down twice my age and have a discussion about how they are in school to learn, they are not here to make friends, and how I can't make people like them.  I have taught long enough to know on the first day, which students are going to make it in this business, and it all boils down to their personality (aka. likability)  The Likability Factor is "the consistent ability to produce positive emotional experiences in other people."


The Problem
Oh, I'll tell you what the problem is.  Self-evaluation is the problem, no one does it.  "It's not you, it's me." No, it's you!   Year after year I have students graduate, and every year I have a hand full come back and talk about how they just couldn't make it in this business. I can tell you that 99.9% of the time, it's the person that always acts like they are better than everyone else, knows it all, and seldom smiles.  I preach from day one about the four factors that you need to succeed in this business are, skills, drive, likability, and knowledge .  We have all experienced bad customer service in our life, and we know how it makes us feel.  You can give an amazing facial, but if you don't smile, if you aren't easy to talk to, and if you act like you don't care, then that person is not going to come back.  In this business we have to adapt to different personality's, and sometimes you have to bite your tongue fake it till you make it.  If you are giving it everything you have, and you still can't retain clients, then you need to look at yourself and how you come across to others.  Keep an open mind, and ask people who you know, to be truly honest and tell you what they thought of you the first time you met.  We have all met people that we may have not liked the first time, but later we changed our mind.  It happens, the problem is, when you are trying to gain clients, and they are paying you money for a service, if they don't like you then they are not going to pay money to a person they don't like.  Who says, "Hey, you were really rude to me, and acted like you don't care, let me give you more of my hard-earned money."

The way people are
In the beauty service industry we are dealing with the most personal of all the senses, touch.  You don't just let anyone touch you.  You have to feel comfortable with that person, if you don't, then you will not enjoy the experience.  We all know how doctors have become. They get you in, listen to half of what you say, prescribe a pill, and get you out the door.  You leave saying, "he didn't even listen to me, what the heck just happened."  We can get that way too.  "Come on in and let me give you a half butt service, pretend I am listening to you, buy these products they will make you look 30 years younger, buy this package of services, now get out because my next appointment is here".  Am I right?
The Factors
An improved attitude will do more than just win you friends. By being likable, you gain as well. Professionally, likable people sell more, have less turnover and are less likely to get laid off.  Why?  People who like you will have a tendency to believe in you.

1) Friendliness- Learn to spot situations where you tend to react in an unfriendly manner, and ask yourself what the consequences would be if you were friendly instead.  Focus on your body language: Smile at a stranger, maintain eye contact during consultations, use good posture.  Make a conscious effort to smile and genuinely nice.  If you are in a bad mood, don't express it to your clients, they are not paying to hear about your husband, kids, coworkers, pain in the butt boss, they have problems of their own.

2) Relevance- Being relevant depends on the connection you share with someone.  With e-mail, and texting, we are loosing that human interpersonal connection.  We are becoming cold, detached, and impatient.  Increase your quality of communication with your current friends by calling them, scheduling real face time.  When I started out, I called all of my first time clients, or anyone that purchased something, just to make sure their skin or product was working for them.  It is a simple gesture that makes you stay relevant.

3) Empathy- Learning to recognize and understand others feelings, that means being a good listener and paying attention to non-verbal cues.  Go out of your way to remember the clients you meet and your conversations with them, When you remember others, they know that you value them.

4) Realness- Be genuine! You need to be true to yourself.  Define your values, and let them guide your life. Be true to others by giving them credit when it's due, admitting your mistakes and being open about your dreams and fears. Know who you are, so people can know you.
It is so important to do a self-evaluation.  You may not like what you find, but in order to grow we have to know. :)

Antioxidants- What are they?

Last week I talked about free radicals.  If you didn't get a chance to read it or watch the video you should. Now I would like to talk about Antioxidants.  We all know that they are found in vitamins, minerals, fruits, and vegetables.  As I discussed in my free radical post, antioxidants stabilize damaged cells by giving them electrons. Antioxidants are naturally occurring chemicals in foods that help to counter the harmful effects of oxygen free radicals, which form during normal metabolism and through external factors.
Did You Know

• A healthy body can naturally neutralize free radicals, but a body under stress must have help to neutralize them.   The damage can be minimized by antioxidants known as free radical scavengers.
• Not all antioxidants will neutralize free radicals.  If an ineffective antioxidant is used, higher damaged producing free radicals will be converted.

Nutrition and Skin
How the skin reacts to diet and hormones is important for the esthetician to understand when designing a healthy aging program for the client.  An acupuncturist once told me that we need to start thinking of food as medicine.  It's so true, everything we take into our body shows in our skins complexion.  Food is the best way to get all over our antioxidants. It is recommended that a blend of multiple antioxidants be taken internally to minimize free radical damage. Every fruit and vegetable has a variety of different antioxidants. These nutrients are designed by nature to work together in your body, and research studies have shown that antioxidants are much more powerful when they are consumed in combinations.

• Beta-carotene -- Found in dark green, dark yellow and orange vegetables and fruits.
• Selenium -- Found in meats, fish, cereal, dairy products, Brazil and some other nuts.
• Vitamin C - Found in orange juice, kiwi, grapefruit, strawberries, watermelon, green peppers, cauliflower and broccoli.
• Vitamin E
  

Brightly colored foods like tomatoes, broccoli, blueberries, and apples are excellent sources of antioxidants.
Almost all fruits and vegetables lose at least some level of antioxidants while cooking. The smallest loses were recorder with artichoke, green beans and garlic.
The fruits that are very rich with antioxidants are popularly called „super fruits“. Blueberries are usually most talked about super fruits.
Herbs and spices are excellent sources of antioxidants which means that adding them to your food may protect your organism against different diseases.

Avocado's Aren't Just Good For Taco Night

Using Avocado's for skin and hair beautification date back to the Aztec civilization.  Avocados are similar to our skin's oil.  It has a great ability to heal and soothe dry irritated skin.  Expressed oil from the seed improves skin tone, and increases hair growth.

Benefits

• Aid in weight loss
• Provide a good source of Vitamin B,C,E,K,A, Niacin, Biotin,Folate, Riboflavin.
• Contains 14 minerals such as iron, copper, magnesium, zinc,calcium, and selenium.

How To Use
- Remember that avocado treatments are a one time use and should be made fresh for each treatment.

•  Mask For Sun Burn - Mashed half of an avocado with a 1tsp of honey, and 1/2 tsp of lime juice.
• Mask For Everyone- Mashing half of an avocado and apply to freshly clean skin or hair for five min will add luster and shine.
• Oily Skin Mask- egg white from one egg, 1 tsp of lemon juice, half of an avocado in blender, and leave on the skin for 20 min. Remove with tepid water.
• Dry Skin Mask- half avocado, and two tbsp of honey, leave on for 10 min.
• Dehydrated Skin- half avocado and 3 med chunks of fresh pineapple, leave on for 20 min.
• Eye Treatment- Place thin slices of avocado under your eyes for 20 min. (This really does work well!)

Do you like Pina Coladas? Coconut Oil

Well, this post isn't about how Pina Coladas are good for your skin, but I  really wish they were. My number three all time natural ingredient for the skin is coconut oil.  This year I went to a big spa trade show and all people kept talking about was coconut oil, so of course I had to try it.  I have rid my cosmetic closet of a lot of things because I simply did not need them anymore after using the oil.  I use it for leave in conditioner, shaving creme, body lotion, lip treatments, I even use it in my green tea that I drink.


It's better than the average drug store facial moisturizer, hair serum, and body lotion.  If you look at a lot of products on the market the first ingredient is water, water is the universal solvent in products and is very important.  When it comes to having water in moisturizers and lotions though, water makes the skin feel like it is being moisturized but as soon as the water dries, your skin becomes dry again.  Some commercial lotions and moisturizers also contain petroleum-based ingredients that suffocate the skin.  Coconut oil has been used in many countries for thousands of years.

What to look for when buying:  Look for extra virgin, that has not been bleaches, refined, or deodorized.  And just so you are not surprised it is not in liquid form, it is solid. When you manipulate it in your hand it turns to liquid. Warning! A little goes a long way, it takes a little getting use to how much you need to use. A spoon full is enough to moisturize your whole body, the tip of your pinky will provide enough for deep conditioning treatment, and half of that is good for your face and leave in conditioner.

Uses

- Hair-  It is wonderful for hair for giving it a  shiny complexion.  Regular massage of the head with the oil ensures your scalp will be fee of dandruff and even lice.

- Skin- It helps in treating various skin problems including, psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.  Coconut oil is wonder for people that have chronic dry skin.  Warning- If you have sensitive facial skin and are prone to acne it is probably not a good idea to use.  People say it is fine for acne prone people, but I was not able to use it on my face.  If you want to try, you should do a patch test on one area of your face for a few days. Also, the oil is great for hydrating your cuticles.

-  Bruises- Works great as it speeds up the healing process by repairing damaged tissue.

- Fungi-  Coconut oil is effective on fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush, and diaper rash.

- Weight Loss- It is easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes.  It increases metabolism by removing stress on the pancreas. Warning- You don't eat the coconut oil buy the spoon full, you cook with it.

- Kidneys-  Coconut oils helps in preventing kidney and gall bladder diseases, also helps to control blood sugar and improves the secretions of insulin.

-Chronic Chapped Lips-  Use a old toothbrush and exfoliate your lips with it, then apply a tiny bit of coconut oil onto your lips and massage it in.

Benefits of Egg Whites

Health Properties of Eggs

• High in Protein, Vitamins, and Minerals.
• Eggs contain selenium and B complex.  Selenium helps prevent the hardening of the arteries, and B complex helps in the development of red blood cells.

How to Use on The Skin

• Egg whites can be used as a mask to tighten the skin.
• To make, just separate two eggs into a bowl, whip the egg whites with a fork for 10 seconds.  Apply with fingers, and leave on the skin for 30 minutes, or until they dry completely.
• Hydrate The Skin- 2 egg white, olive oil, and honey.  Mix two egg whites with a teaspoon of honey and 1/2 a teaspoon of olive oil.  Apply and leave on for 10-15 minutes.
• Puffy Eyes- Apply one egg white under the eye and leave for 10 minutes.
• Skin Irritation- One full egg whipped for 10 seconds and apply to the face for red irritated skin.  Eggs contain amino acids that help to reduce inflammation.
• Hair Moisturizer- Take 1 teaspoon of honey, 1/2 teaspoon almond oil or olive oil, 1 tablespoon of plain no sugar yogurt, and 2 egg whites.  Apply to hair and leave on for one hour.
• Blackhead Remover-  THIS IS AWESOME!!!!    All you need is one egg white, fan brush, and tissue paper.  Take one egg white and beat for 10 seconds.  Paint the egg whites on your face in a thin layer.  Take one piece of tissue paper and cut holes for your eyes,lips, and nose.  You can also just cut pieces and place them in certain areas on your face.  When you apply the tissue paper do it gently so the paper doesn't come apart. Take the fan brush and paint another layer of egg whites over the tissue paper.  Let dry and peel off, rinse with luke warm water. Then look in amazement at all the blackheads.  Gross, but very cool.

Warnings & Considerations
Make sure you use organic eggs if possible.  Eggs that are not organically produced contain traces of hormones, pesticides or herbicides.  Eggs can sometimes cause skin irritations on some people so always do a patch test.

Oatmeal For Irritated Skin
Oats have anti-inflammatory properties.  I recommend using colloidal (finely ground) oatmeal.  Oats are thought to have an antihistamine effect to the skin.  By lowering levels of histamine, which triggers inflammation as part of the immune systems recovery response.

Works Great On

• Acne - it clams the irritation, dries out the excess oil.  When someone has acne they have a lot of bacterial in and on top of the skin.  The bacteria causes irritation because our immune system is trying to kill the bacteria.  Studies have shown that by calming the irritation associated acne it will reduce breakouts.  When people have acne they try to put everything under the sun on their skin to dry it out, they scrub it to death thinking that will stop the breakouts, and that is not the right approach.  All the products for acne on the market today have acids, peroxide,alcohols in them.  All this does is cause more irritation and that is not good.
• Eczema & Psoriasis- Oatmeal has anti-itch properties in it.  It returns the skins pH to normal, and if you have either one of these you know that your skin operates at a high pH.  Oatmeal also provides your skin with a natural moisturizing barrier.
• Skin irritation from wrong product use, chemical peel burns, after extractions.

Everyone can benefit from using oatmeal on their skin.  Our skin is always being bombarded with pollutants, free radicals, and chemicals that our body can't understand and handle. Our body systems are stressed, over worked, over processed, which leads to inflammation.  It is a fact that inflammation ages the skin almost as fast as sun exposure.

How To Use- If you buy whole oatmeal you can put it in a food processor to grind it into a powder form for easier use. I do prefer organic oatmeal, some companies add a bleaching additive to make the oat whiter.

• Mask- You can add two tbsp of ground oatmeal, and slowly add water to turn into a paste.  You can also do 1tbsp of oatmeal and 1 tbsp of plain yogurt for a wonder mask.  The oatmeal calms the skin and provides a protective barrier, the lactic milk lightly exfoliates and adds probiotics to the skin that will control yeast which is great for people with rosacea.
• Add to cleanser
• Make a poultice- You can use cheese cloth.  Do not use ground oats, just put the whole oats in cheese cloth, soak in warm water for a min, ring out the water, and massage into your skin.

Why So Blue? Aging & Self-Esteem Part 2

I JUST WOKE UP ONE DAY AND I WAS OLD!- What your client is going through.
“Mid-life astonishment is characterized by an amazement and despair at loosing one’s physical and sexual attractiveness, multiple losses accompanied by age, awareness of accelerated aging both physically and mentally, and recognizing our culture’s stigmatization of aging.   This process can lead to a loss of self-esteem, shame, depression, and social isolation.”
In our culture there’s a great deal of emphasis on youthfulness and appearances.  Clients often describe appearance changes caused by aging this way: “ I woke up one day and all of a sudden I looked old.”  They come to the esthetician to try to change this before trying something more invasive.   For some, the thought of getting work done or going under the knife is uncomfortable and vain.  They feel some guilt when starting to focus on themselves and are unsure about what’s normal for an aging face. 

What We Can Do.
Working with clients that have hit the realization that they are getting old can sometimes be difficult because they want it fixed now.  It doesn’t help that our culture gives women a false sense that all of their aging problems will be going in one bottle.  It is our job to be honest with clients on what we can help with and what we can’t.   The goal of a standard esthetician is to improve how the skin functions.  We cannot take a person that has elastosis, and hyperpigmentation and make it go away, it’s not possible.  I have an apron that says, “Esthetician not a magician”.  When I started practicing, I noticed every time I had a new client that was dealing with age related issues, they would leave happy with the results, but there was always a small level of disappointment.  I quickly figured out that clients experience a level of disappointment after a facial, because in the back of their mind they believe that when they get up from the table all of their wrinkles will be gone.  They are happy that their skin is glowing and feels great but those gosh darn wrinkles are still there.  Clients see on TV that they can get great skin from a 30 dollar bottle of moisturizer, and they just paid you 60 so they should be looking good when they leave your table.  It's our job as estheticians to help them understand that it takes time to help improve their skin, and know that we cannot fix 30 years of damage in one day.

In Summary 
1) Educate your clients
2) Be Honest - Set realistic expectations
3) Take before and after pictures so they can see the changes
4) Be Compassionate- Listen to them and be compassionate

Why So Blue? (Aging & Self-Esteem) Part 1

First Day On The Job!
When I got out of school and landed my first job in a spa, I was trained by an esthetician that was twice my age.  Her age was not big deal to me, but for some reason it was to her.  The first amazing piece of advice she gave me was, “You are not going to make it in this business because you are too young; and older people will not respect you or listen to your advice because you can't relate to them.”   Wow, thanks for your words of wisdom lady.

What I Noticed in the Following Months
My trainer looked wonderful for her age, she exercised everyday, ate really healthy, took lots of vitamins.  All of her clients were amazed by how great she looked; which was great because she helped her aging clients understand that they can look great by taking care of themselves and their skin.  Her clients would buy all of these products, expensive services, and followed all of her recommendations.  One day she decided that she was going to get lipo and a facelift because deep down she was not happy with the way she looked. In my opinion, if a little nip and tuck makes you feel better about yourself, then you shouldn't be ashamed about getting it or denies having it done. My problem is when people lie about getting work done.   She couldn't hide it from her existing clientele but when it came to new customers she made it seem that she got her astounding looks by the products and services she offers (false advertising).  This set of events caused me to do some real soul searching and find out what clients need when it comes to aging gracefully.

The Lessons I Learned
I have concluded that the major thing that customers want from their esthetician is honesty.
I decided to write about this topic because it's important for estheticians to understand what our clients are going through, and how we can help them through the process on an emotional and physical level.  Honesty and sincerity are the keys to helping people deal with aging.  For example, don't tell a client that all of their hyperpigmentation will be gone by the end of a 125.00 dollar bottle of serum.  When someone is having issues with their skin you never want to make empty promises or claims, it will only end in disappointment for them and a loss of respect for you. Stay tuned for part two tomorrow.

Theories of Aging

There are many theories about how we age. Is aging a disease or an inevitable process that all biological creatures must experience, or can it be prevented?

Intrinsic aging defines the natural signs of aging as a genetic process.
Extrinsic aging refers to the visible signs of aging as a genetic process.

Internal and external factors directly relate to two separate groups of aging theories.

1) preprogrammed Aging that is due to genetic factors.  It suggests that aging is determined by a predetermined biological clock that starts at conception, and that genes play a strong role in the aging process.
Theories associated with preprogrammed theory include- Programmed Longevity, Telomerase Theory, Immunological Theory, Pacemaker Theory, Genetic Theory.

2) Damage-Based Theories- These theories refer to aging that is influenced by environmental or lifestyle factors that cause damage to cells and body systems.  These theories focus on the damage that happens at the molecular level then move outward.

• Free Radical Theory- states that aging is caused by accumulated free radicals attacking the DNA, proteins, and fats of living cells, causing cell death.
• Membrane Theory- states it is the damage done by free radicals in the cell membrane that causes change in the cell's ability to transfer chemicals, heat, and electricity.
• Cross Linking Theory- (Glycation) Relates to the binding of protein and simple sugars (glucose) to protein.  When cross linking occurs, protein is damaged and unable to perform as intended.  The result is thick, dry,sagging, yellow skin.
• Wear & Tear Theory- indicates the war and tear on our whole body system accelerates the aging process.  This theory lead the way to the free radical and cross linking theory.
• Inflammation Theory- This theory is new.  It states that chronic inflammation result in accumulated damage to the body.  The theory explains that the inflammation cascade is a long strenuous process on the body, cells and tissue.  Once the inflammation cascade is started it should end when the immune response is activated without an invader or does not receive the signal from T-cells that tells the immune cells to stop.

Conclusion
If we take a cross-section of all the theories you can see that no one theory is independent of the other.  They all lead to aging.  We cannot always see the decline of our bodies, but eventually all damage will become apparent.  Depending on your theories about aging changes how you approach treating clients.  If you believe in the pre-programmed approach, you have to ask yourself can we even help aging skin?   The reality is that no one theory can stand on its own, they depend upon one another.
What is your opinion?
Resource-  Milady's Aesthetician Series, Aging Skin, Susanne Schmaling.

How to Handle Emotions in The Treatment Room

This is the second part to treating aging clients. As I said in the last post, aging clients are going through a lot of emotions because so much is changing in their life, and you have to be able to handle strange emotions that may arise from them. We as estheticians deal with the power of touch, when we touch a person they feel a since of security, comfort, and compassion, which can lead to expressing emotions that we put deep in our subconscious .  Most estheticians who have worked with clients for years will have stories of emotional breakdowns on the treatment bed, or the disclosure of uncomfortable information.  Estheticians are not therapists but are often put in the position of therapists.

Most estheticians get into this field because we love being around people, and we love to make people happy and feel better about themselves. I am the type of person that wants to help people when something is wrong.  At one point in the beginning of my career I was going through some boyfriend problems. I was talking to a coworker about my issues and every time I would make a statement she would quickly say, “you should have done this, and you should have said that.”  It was really frustrating because deep down I just wanted to talk to someone, and that is when I realized that all people really need is someone to listen to them.  When you see a therapist they don’t tell you want to do, they let you talk and guide you to figure it out yourself.   It can be very uncomfortable for us when dealing with emotional clients.

We have all had those clients that never stop talking when they get on the table, and I would always think that I was not doing a good job because they couldn't relax.   A lot of women hold their emotions in and don’t tell even their closest friends what is going on because they don’t want to be judged; therefore they talk to us and that’s OK.  Our job as an esthetician is to care for their skin, help them relax, and proved a place of solace for them.
Guidelines for Working With Emotional Clients

1.  Stay Calm
2.  Don’t try to solve the clients problem
3.  Use good listening skills and offer support when appropriate.
4.  Do not give advice; stay neutral.Most of the time, they just want someone to listen.
5.  Don’t try to be a therapist.
6.  Try to limit the conversation.The best thing you can do is say little and give them an excellent treatment. Direct them to breathe and relax during their treatment.

Milk of Magnesia = Awesome Makeup Primer

O.M.G!!!!!!!!!  Milk of Magnesia is the best makeup primer for oily skin. This is the best DIY skin care trick I have ever used, and that's saying a lot. I saw this the other day and just had to try it for my extremely oily skin that I could not get under control. I had to have a historectomy when I was 29; now that I am about to turn 32 I have started to notice that my skin is going through some crazy changes and one of them being excessive oil, and acne around the chin. If you study face mapping you know that the chin area represents hormonal changes brought on by the androgen hormone.  I have tried all kinds of matte foundations and not much has worked.   I have never been able to use primers because my skin is very reactive. I decided to give this little DIY trick a try, I have used it for a week now.  I was amazed at how well it works. Not only did it dry out my existing pimples, it calmed the redness down, and provided a matte finish to my skin all day.
Here is a list of what Milk of Magnesia is good for.

• Acne and or Very Oily Skin
• Sunburn
• Deodorant ( It really does work. Its a better alternative to aluminum based antiperspirants)
• Seborrheic Dermatitis
• Dipper Rash
• Poison Ivy
• Calms skin that suffers from Rosacea

DON'T USE FLAVORED MILK OF MAGNESIA AND ALWAYS SHAKE UP THE BOTTLE BEFORE USING IT.
Ways to Use It

•  You can use it as just a mask once or twice a week for skin that is combination oily or just to dry up pimples. Just apply on clean skin and leave on for 20 min. It will dry up the excess oil in your Tzone. Rinse off with lukewarm water
• Makeup Primer for Oily Skin-  If you have just an oily Tzone I would recommend you  apply it to that area only because it will dry out the rest of your face. If you have oily skin all over then take a cotton ball and apply a very thin layer to your face and let dry before applying makeup.  You may have to work with it a few times to get the consistency  or combination that is right for you.

As always, do a patch test. Milk of Magnesia is an Alkaline substance so it could over dry your skin, but if you have truly oily skin it won't. If it does start to over dry your skin then use every other day as a primer, or just as a mask.

WHAT!! MY ANTI-AGING PRODUCTS ARE AGING ME FASTER!

How can my anti-aging products be aging me faster? There is a little saying that states, "too much of a good thing can be a bad thing."  Just look at diet cookies; just because they are only a hundred calories does not mean the whole box is a hundred calories, same goes with skin care.

Real Life Scenario:

• Esthetician- So what brings you in today Mary?
• Client- I just turned 35 and my skin is going crazy with acne, I have never had it before! I think I have adult acne.
• Estheticain- Ok. So you have never had a problem with acne before besides your monthly breakouts.  What has changed in your skin care regimen?
• Client- Nothing.
• Esthetician- Ok, so you have not changed anything. What product line do you use?
• Client- I use this product line from the drug store called Aging Eraser (not a real line). I also have a prescription for a retinoid.
• Esthetician-  How long have you been using it?
• Client- 1 Month.

BINGO!  Did you know that the majority of Anti-Aging products on the market today are meant for women 60 and older.  30 year old skin is still producing oil and functioning properly, 60 year old skin does not produce much oil, and their cell life cycle slows down.  Anti-Aging products are ment for skin that does not produce oil.
Once a women hits 35 she start to see cumulative damage to their skin and begin to freak out.  It doesn't help that product companies put at 20 year old on the cover of an ad for aging products (which makes our job a lot easier, NOT)    We as estheticians and the public haven’t quite accepted that too many topical anti-aging products with active ingredients might actually do more damage than improvement. Retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids, peptides and vitamins, to name a few, can all be extremely effective in fighting signs of aging like wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. But when used incorrectly, they can be harmful.
"Using too many products on your skin, especially more than one anti-aging product, tends to irritate the skin which in turn may make aged skin more noticeable. "Applying more than directed can cause clogged pores, a blotchy complexion or other unwanted effects," says New York dermatologist Susan C. Taylor, MD."

WHY DO WE DO THIS?
So why are we all slathering on tons of anti-aging beauty products? Because we are impatient. As consumers we are told to want and expect instant results from active ingredients, but most products and ingredients take time to work. "It’s very important that you allow time for a product to work. While a moisturizer can immediately plump up fine lines, most products take at least six weeks to work and sometimes, it can take up to three months."

If you don't see results from active ingredients after six weeks, or if you believe the product you know and trust has "stopped working," talk to your dermatologist and then and only then should you consider trying a different product. THIS GOES FOR ESTHETICIANS AS WELL!  Do not give your client more products just to make a cheap 10% commission.  Our job is to take care of the client.  The best thing I ever adopted in my practice was taking  before and after pictures.  When we look in the mirror we see everything wrong  with us, we don't focus on the good things, or even the small changes, hell we just want to look 20 again.
Just be beautiful in your own skin, and accept things you can't changes. Products can only do so much, it's up to you take care of your skin inside and out.