As Jack Frost nips at our noses, it is a common tradition for families to escape to higher elevations for vacations in the snowy landscape. Unfortunately, with temperatures dropping and swim suit weather long gone, it is easy to forget about the dangers of sun exposure and importance of wearing sunscreen. What most people do not know is that UV rays during the winter are much harsher than those in the summer. After months of unprotected exposure, consumers often begin showing the visible signs of sun damage, such as darkened freckles and age spots. This creates the perfect time of year to highlight services that rejuvenate and repair the skin.

Spas are relaxing, pampering and non-invasive places of retreat from daily life, right? Although partly true, thinking this may limit the possibilities available. Of course we do not need to go to the other extreme, deliberately causing pain and trauma. Yet we can balance the treatment mix to include more treatment modalities in capturing a wider client and/or treatment base.
Spa service is well founded with a long tradition in many parts of the world – as people move around, they bring with them high expectations of service, and will demand the same high quality of spa service everywhere they seek treatment.

Do you believe the way a person thinks can affect their skin? My observations as a practitioner show that it can. When individuals de-stress their minds, they look younger and their wrinkles are reduced. De-stressing the mind and body de-stresses the skin.
I’ve noticed unresolved issues kept inside over extended periods of time will dry some individuals’ skin, while anxiety and a lack of self-confidence can also cause the skin to break out. Individuals without the guidance of a mentor, a parent, or a boss can find it more difficult to make important decisions. Frequently, they are emotionally sensitive, have volcanic type pimples, picked skin, and rapidly aging skin.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S. with more than one million new cases diagnosed last year. The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2009, approximately 69,000 people were diagnosed, and 8,650 died of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. As skin cancer diagnoses rise, it becomes increasingly likely that one of your patients will become affected. Although aestheticians are not licensed to diagnose cancer, they can play an important role in recognizing suspicious lesions and referring patients to a dermatologist for assessment.

In this age of chemical exfoliants, aestheticians have many choices to make when deciding what to use when treating client's skin. In our struggling economy, we all work hard to make the best choices when choosing which products to use so as to maximize results while minimizing costs in the treatment room. We also have to carefully consider these factors when recommending to our clientele what they should use for their home care regimen to complement the treatments we provide.

The skin care industry has come a long way since the days of the mini facial and the basic bikini wax. Sure, in many salons and spas around the globe these simple procedures may still stand strong and actually be the "bread and butter" of the institution. However, it is unlikely that these treatments alone are what give your spa the edge it requires to be able to stay competitive with neighboring salon businesses and attract new clients to your facility.

The modern skin specialist in the medical and aesthetics field are constantly being led to believe by manufacturers that peeling of the skin is the top of the line when it comes to removing wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, or superficial scars. The real truth is; the removal of dead and dying skin cells is only step one in effective skin revision. New skin cells are partially controlled by desmosomes. The proliferation of new skin cells to the surface of the skin has a definite pattern or rhythm.

Over the past 15 years, men’s skin care has grown dramatically! No longer are our male clients tagging along with their significant others. They are coming for themselves to relax, rejuvenate, and to have their specific skin concerns met. I can assure you that once they have a facial, they will be hooked!

Most aestheticians that I have worked with are uncomfortable treating a man because of lack of education. Yes, male skin is slightly different than a woman’s and they have different skin concerns than women. But for the most part, human bodies are very similar with a few exceptions, and the skin is no different.

Exfoliation is the name of the skin rejuvenation game. Whether treating acne or aging skin, professional exfoliation is of primary importance in determining any treatment’s direction. Indeed, chemical and physical professional exfoliation has a most illustrious history from wine and milk baths (tartaric and lactic acid) to pumice polishing (microdermabrasion) and the blunt knifelike instrument called a strigils, used by the ancient Egyptians for scraping the skin (the forerunner of dermaplaning).

There haven’t been too many topics capturing more attention recently than the growing male market in skin care and spas in general. Google the topic and you will be bombarded with nearly 47 million entries.

It’s interesting to pause for a moment to consider why there’s been such an explosion of information about men’s skin care and, along the same lines, such a surge in men’s participation in spas and interest in skin care. Perhaps it’s a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg dilemma: Is the increase in information prompted by men’s increased interest or vice-versa?