Beauty Salon Basics Essay Sample

When operating a beauty service it is important to remember it is a service. This mean that people come to you with questions and the need for advice on products and information specific to their skin, hair and nails. When you operate a business that involves products and services it is critical to know the particulars of what you have and offer since this type of business is aimed at creating a loyal clientele. In order to accomplish this, you must be able to make the best recommendation possible for each client and know which products and services will make a difference in their life (Mackie, 2003).
It’s also critical to be aware of what competitors’ products and services are available and which are popular which what segments of your client base. This will enable you to keep you own client base loyal by making sure you have a comparable product for popular brands sold by competitors. It will also help you to encourage your competitors’ customers to try your services instead. By being more knowledgeable than competitors about both your products and services but those of the competition as well, you will become the go to person for beauty products and services. Make sure that your customers can obtain everything they need under your roof. This will keep them with you and prevent them from going to your competitors to obtain services you don’t have (CCI, 2014).
Environmental impact of beauty salons have been discussed in recent years. In particular, the dies and chemicals used in skin care products and services such as chemical peels have made those who run salons begin to rethink their product options. Toxic chemicals sprayed from aerosol cans depletes the ozone layer and chemicals washed down drains can seep into the ground water polluting it. Polluted water used by plants, animals and people affects the health of the habitat and all those who live there. The amount of water used by beauty salons also depletes natural resources along with excessive energy consumption used to wash and dry sheets, towels and other salon items. More beauty salons are now “going green” or using sustainable energy sources and non-toxic products are replacing toxic options. An increasing percentage of customers are looking for green salons as the term “environmental impact” is commonly heard in regular conversation (EPA, 2012).
Skin Care Therapists must make sure to get to know the client fully and obtain a good history in regards to skin care problems, allergies to medications, products or allergens and the daily skin care regiment. This will enable them to avoid counter indications by recognizing where their products might interact unfavorably with something the client uses or has a reaction to. Staying up to date with information about home care products and products in use in the salon will help a therapist prevent unsafe practices from occurring.
Skin care professionals should always discuss prices before providing services and make sure the client agrees with the plan and the cost. Therapists should also make sure that any potential costs are discussed. This may include pre-treatments necessary for a service to be effective or removal or makeup removal and skin cleansing (Armoudon & Ben-Shebat n.d.).
Effective questioning and active listening are important skills needed to provide the best services possible for your client’s effective questioning means knowing the right questions to ask based on the client’s needs and the type of service requested. It also means knowing what follow up questions to ask to clarify the answer or obtain complete information. Prompts can be used to obtain more useful answers without leading the client to a particular response. Active listening means making sure the client know you are listening and that you care about what they are telling you and are interested in their well- being (Mosaic, n.d.).
Products and services for dry sore cuticles cracked heels dry skin body. Some of the most requested services in skin care salons include care for dry, sore cuticles, cracked heels and dry skin all over the body. When treating cuticles I would first recommend a warm soak to which a few drops of almond oil and jojoba oil has been added. The warm water and oil will help soften cuticles and reduce inflammation and discomfort. I would then provide a hand massage using Avocado oil which is the most moisturizing of the fruit oils to further treat the problem and increase circulation. I would recommend nightly use of Shea butter with moisturizing gloves to help the hands and cuticles soak up the moisture and speed healing time. Once the cuticles were soft and no longer sore I would recommend the client return for a full manicure to get rid of excess cuticles.
For cracked heels I would begin with a soothing warm water soak with some lemon juice to soften calluses and dissolve dead skin cells. After about 10 minutes I would gently exfoliate the feet with a pumice stone then let the client soak her feet once more in warm water infused with an essential oil complex. Then after drying her feet I’d gently massage them with a compound of rosewater and glycerin, and cover the feet in dry cotton socks.
In order to treat skin dryness all over the body, I’d use a moisturizer that includes antioxidants, skin-repairing ingredients, and anti-inflammatory ingredients. I’d use pure plant oils such as jojoba or olive oil for the areas of the skin that are particularly dry.
ReferencesArmoudon, A. T. and Ben-Shebat, H. (n.d.). Beauty: Only as deep as the customer experience.
ATKearney. Retrieved from https://www.atkearney.com/documents/10192/411421/Beauty-Only_as_Deep_as_the_Customer_Experience.pdf/8290af55-fe14-4471-9fb0-183fd83ba922
Environmental Protection Agency, (2012). Healthy Hair Care and the Environment. Retrieved
CCI. (2014). What Makes a Salon or Spa Successful? Retrieved from
http://www.ccibeauty.com/article/2/What_Makes_a_Salon_or_Spa_Successful%3F_-_CCI_Beauty_Salon_Tips.html
MacKie, R.M. (2003) Clinical Dermatology. Fifth edition. Oxford University Press.
Mosaic. (n.d.) Active Listening & Effective Questioning. Retrieved from
http://www.mosaicprojects.com.au/WhitePapers/WP1012_Active_Listening.pdf