Before discussing birth control, it is important to understand the female hormone cycle. The average female hormone cycle lasts about 28 days, with the menstrual cycle taking place roughly between days zero and seven and ovulation occurring around day 14 or 15. The three main hormones involved are testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen. Testosterone is highest during the menstrual cycle while estrogen and progesterone are lower.  

When clients turn to their spas with skin issues, they may not take into consideration how their birth control may affect their skin health as many do not understand how exactly birth control works. Practitioners must not only be aware of clients being on birth control, but they also need to understand how clients’ skin is affected when they come off the medication. 

 “Skin care is for women.” “I’m not interested, thanks. I’m a guy.” “As a dude, why would I use skin care?” Do any of these phrases sound familiar?  More than likely, yes. But make no mistake, this is no longer the general consensus across the board. Cultural attitudes towards male skin care and grooming are evolving. 

Since the onset of the pandemic, men’s interest in male skin care practices has only increased. Most of this had to do with the additional experimental time men had to explore online shopping options for their skin care and grooming needs.  

Making the jump from employee to business owner can be a scary and somewhat daunting task. So many variables factor into the equation, like whether to be the sole owner and rent a suite or office or whether to go into business with a partner, perhaps several partners. An even bigger risk may involve opening a multi-service spa as an owner with employees. When spa businesses acquire staff members, will they be filed as a W-2 or 1099 employees? What is the difference? If spa owners take on opening a bigger space with rooms, will they rent some out? What booking software should be used, and does it include payroll, accounting, and marketing services?  

So much thought goes into every facet of running a business, even things one might not immediately think of as concerns. It is important to fully grasp what it takes to open a business to prepare for a successful, smooth-running operation. 

Maxie Frericks has been a licensed aesthetician for over 16 years. Her highlights include being the lead waxer and trainer for three European Wax Centers in Manhattan, contributor for numerous skin care publications, judge for The 2019 Skin Games, educator for Face and Body Summit, and featured in ASCP 2018 Skincare Summit: Waxing Ageless Edition. Frericks has since transitioned into a business consultant for aestheticians and spa owners. 

Working as a solo skin care professional is incredibly rewarding. You have total control over your business, from services you want to offer and at what price to marketing and advertising decisions. Your creativity can flow freely, and you can really have your hand in every aspect of your business. 

However, working on your own can also be isolating. You may find yourself missing the camaraderie of working with a team. Maintaining motivation can also be a struggle when you’re flying solo. The key to staying connected is to connect – literally. There are a few ways to do that so you can enjoy and reap the benefits of working as a solo provider without the isolation. 

Alisha Shumake is a licensed aesthetician of 15 years and owner of The More You Glow in Detroit, Michigan. She obtained a degree in small business management and has worked in a variety of different roles in the aesthetics industry such as sales, salons, and medical spas. Shumake decided to take the step into entrepreneurship in 2020, opening The More You Glow. In addition to providing corrective and age management-based treatments, she also strives to educate clients in product knowledge and the latest in treatment advancements to accomplish their skin care goals. 

The two most popular and profitable waxing services are eyebrows and Brazilian waxes. Not legs, arms, backs, chests, toes, bums, knuckles, or necks. There is nothing in the skin care professional’s handbook that says, “If you wax, you must wax every single body part or nothing at all.” This is your business. You decide what you want to wax and, more importantly, what you don’t.  

That may sound scary, and you may feel like you’re excluding people that want something other than what you offer, and that’s ok. Doctors specialize, teachers specialize, chefs specialize, so why not you? By specializing and creating a niche for yourself, you are telling people, “Hey, this is the only thing I do, and I do it really well.” When it comes creating an eyebrow and Brazilian business, it’s a no-brainer money-maker. Here are a few of the most important must-haves to build a booming eyebrow and Brazilian business. 

Founder and CEO of The Wax Chick, Crickett Enos is a licensed aesthetician, product creator, writer, speaker, and advanced waxing educator, specializing in eyebrow design and Brazilian waxing. With over 18 years of experience in the industry, she has trained and empowered thousands to wax with skill, confidence, and efficiency.  

One of the least productive approaches when it comes to a spa business is thinking, “We’ve always done it this way.” The aesthetics industry is constantly evolving, and the last few years have been a catalyst to speed up the pace of ever-changing consumers habits. As the world’s economy goes through ups and downs, it’s important to make sure you are maximizing your sales potential, particularly retail, which is one of the fastest and easiest ways to boost the bottom line.  

A fresh set of eyes can help you assess if you are creating an inspiring environment for clients to purchase from and if you are missing opportunities for retail sales. Make sure to bring your growth mindset before you audit your spa and don’t be scared of the not-so-pretty truths. Put yourself in the shoes of your ideal client and analyze your spa’s client journey. Here are the top touch points to look for when mystery-shopping your spa. 

Founder of the spa retailing coaching platform, The SPAcialist (@the_spacialist_pro) and a skin expert, Alice Pichery has been in the spa industry for 15 years. Born and trained in France as a licensed aesthetician and massage therapist, she traveled the world and expanded her spa and wellness culture before settling in Miami, Florida for the last 10 years. Acknowledged in the industry as a savvy cosmetics educator, spa trainer, and retail manager for high-end locations and brands, Pichery’s mission is to empower spa professionals to become the retail high-performers they were always meant to be, while remaining aligned with their authentic self and purpose. 

Stem cells are special cells that have the unique property of proliferating to make more of themselves and differentiating into more specialized cell types. Early in development, stem cells give rise to every tissue of the body. These early stem cells are called embryonic stem cells, and in humans, they are derived from the embryo five days after fertilization.1  

The embryo is composed of only about 20 to 30 cells at this stage, and all of these cells have the ability to generate any tissue or organ of the developing human body.2 The isolation and use of human embryonic stem cells is somewhat ethically dubious to some, but discoveries in stem cell technology allowed for the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells, which are stem cells generated from adult tissues that have embryonic qualities; no fertilized embryos are needed.3 

Besides embryonic stem cells, the body has adult stem cells. They are what maintain the body’s tissue on a daily basis and help heal wounds when they occur. Skin, hair, blood, and the lining of the gut are constantly being replaced with new cells that derive from these specialized pools of stem cells. In fact, humans generate about one trillion new blood cells every day to replace dying cells. These stem cells need to function perfectly for a person’s entire lifespan. Too few blood cells? The body will not be able to fight infections or move oxygen to distant tissues. Too many? That leads to cancer. These cells are different from embryonic stem cells, in that adult stem cells are more developmentally differentiated. For instance, a blood stem cell cannot become a tissue cell under normal conditions; it is already fated to become blood. 

Dr. David Stachura has a Bachelor of Science in molecular biology from Lehigh University and a PhD in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Pennsylvania. After obtaining his doctorate, he performed his postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Stachura’s career has focused on understanding the genetic control of adult stem cell biology by using both hematopoietic stem cells and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) as models. He is the chief scientific officer at FACTORFIVE. 

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Stress is widely acknowledged as a link between healthy and unhealthy individuals. Additionally, numerous reports show stress to have a direct impact on the gut, brain, and immune system.1 However, limited research is available concerning cortisol, a hormone produced in response to stress, and its effects on skin.  

With smartphones at the world’s fingertips, boundaries around businesses are more blurred than ever. With features like direct messaging and text messaging making everyone radically accessible, clients can reach service providers at any time of the day, and social media makes it easier than ever to work on off days. 

It is no surprise, then, that stress begins to pile up. Things happen at work that leave professionals feeling frustrated and burnt out. They may find themselves balancing clients who cancel at the last minute, working extended hours, and juggling others’ expectations of constant availability.