By Patricia Heitz     Make-up is by far the leading draw into the skin care products and skin care services we have! If you don’t offer and/or promote make-up services, you are letting thousands of dollars walk out the door in not just retail sales, but increased service sales. You are telling them it’s OK to go buy somewhere else! Women buy make-up, this is a proven fact. If only just a lipstick or blush, they do buy. Possibly, for the ones who don’t wear make-up, it could be that no one ever showed them how to apply it to look natural. Where do they buy their make-up? They buy from department stores, or from a multi-level marketing company such as Mary Kay, Avon, etc. Why? Do these people have more knowledge? In some cases, actually, yes! They know their product, how to promote it, and how to cross market it with other products. Do you know your make-up product? Do you have a make-up product to help promote your skin care services and other spa services? If the answer to these questions is “no”, then it’s time to start incorporating make-up into your spa. Read More

by Christine Heathman To help you acquire the most out of this edutorial, analyze the following points of reference, which will be found through the length of the series, while reading along to assist you in answering the final questions. - The aesthetician’s first point of difference to make a great client. - The backbone of your professional services proceeding skin treatments and product dispensing - Photo-dermatology skin analysis - Photo-dermatology analysis two-step approach - Analyzing the skin for Photo-dermatology analysis - Educating your client about the enemies of the skin - Nutrition and Photo-dermatology skin assessment - Circadian rhythms - The New Skin of Color - Pets and your client’s skin - The Second professional point of difference to make a great client - Best aesthetic treatments achieved - The “Mac Facial” attitude of yesteryear. - The clinical treatment room. - The third point of professional difference to make a great client. - Education and sales Read More

By Annette Hanson Temporary hair removal was first noted historically in the Far East, where it has long been a part of traditional culture. Hair removal was performed on brides so that their skin would be pure, soft and smooth on their wedding night. Sugar was prepared according to the family tradition, with ingredients including sugar, honey, and lemon. Just as the ingredients and formula differed by region, so did the method of hair removal. Some used the sugar itself while others used a string or piece of cloth that adhered to the hair. Today, the removal of excess or unwanted body and facial hair is a growing area for spas and salons. Depilatory waxing has now developed as a fast, efficient, and economical method of professional temporary hair removal. Waxing clients usually return for regular treatments so it is an easy way to build stable clientele. Profits from waxing average 200 – 400 percent and often, waxing can even reach 50 percent of a salon’s gross sales on beauty services. For such an important, core service, waxing is remarkably easy and affordable to any skin care treatment center. Comprehensive hands-on training for aestheticians in technique and safety can be Read More

by Victoria Bush After many years of ‘thin-is-in’ for the eyebrow, models and movie stars are showing a thicker, stronger brow for 2006. This year’s brow is both highly angled and highly groomed, but sometimes appears casual with less of a defined arch. Not everyone can wear the latest thicker brow style, especially if their own brows are thinned because of hair removal, hair loss as a result of aging, or too few hairs for other reasons. Unlike shoe, hair, and clothing trends, eyebrow trends are slower to change and people may be less likely to follow them based on their existing brow line. But one thing is for sure, symmetrical and well-shaped eyebrows, whether thick or thin, are always in style. Whether your eyebrows are beautifully natural, like Gwyneth Paltrow’s, or beautifully groomed, like Oprah’s, as long as you take care of them your eyebrows will enhance your beauty, instead of detract from it. Your clients need to know this. Post these words somewhere in your salon. Read More

In High Definition by Joseph Anthony An internal sense of well-being or “beauty” enables an individual to present a glowing self confidence in the world today. Surveys conducted by universities and economists have concluded and support that external beauty contributes greatly to personal and professional success. I was very honored last year to be part of a “Beauty and Labor Marketing” survey, which had a demographic group of 7,000 respondents between 30-70 years old. From this survey, the economist concluded that people who are perceived as “very nice looking” earn about 10 to 25 percent more than those viewed as “average”. Their findings held true even when education and experience levels were comparable in the two groups. It was also found that attractive women increase their salaries at a much faster rate. So it stands to reason that today's baby boomers are in search of that well-groomed appearance, so they are received more positively in today's society of “Youthfulness”. Read More

Transition Article by Jane Wurwand   Whoever coined the phrase ‘Never look back' was not blessed to live the life I have and have a career and colleagues they loved and enjoyed spending time with. With great thanks and even greater excitement, this is my last ‘Questions and Answers' column of this type for DERMASCOPE magazine. I am planning a brand new format to launch in the August issue with hopefully even brighter, more original and thought-provoking ideas for you to think about, talk about and DO something about! I really love writing for you each month and I thank everyone at DERMASCOPE for the years of opportunity to do so and for being so supportive of my new ideas for a fresh format. Special thanks go to Will and Patricia Strunk and Saundra Brown, who over the years have never once edited, censored, or directed my words and have never given me anything but encouragement and gratitude. I will continue to write from my heart as a skin therapist in the hope that some of my wild ramblings will resonate with many of you who feel as I do, that we have the greatest profession in the World and Read More

by Anne Willis The aesthetic industry is opening itself to what is unique about contemporary times, detaching from outdated procedures and instead adjusting them to our current needs. Cultural, environmental, and dietary changes within our society have altered how our skin interacts with traditional treatments. In order to provide optimal results to our clients we must begin by acknowledging various skin conditions that are on the rise in our culture, understand their source and adjust our procedures accordingly. Read More