“Susanne S. Warfield is the leading expert on the business, legal and liability issues that affect physician and esthetician relationships working in a medical or spa setting. Warfield is a 27-year Licensed Esthetician and is NCEA Certified. Her career started as an Esthetics Instructor at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, where she taught the 2nd year of a two-year degree Esthetics Program. When she moved to the United States, her advanced training was put into use and she spent almost 14 years working with a dermatologist in New York City. See Susanne S. Warfield’s profile on the Beauty School Lounge.

As you do your research looking at the field of medical esthetics, you are probably seeing ads for medical esthetic, paramedical and become a medical esthetician. Esthetician training and esthetician licensing varies from state to state, and at the time of this article there was no such license for any of the aforementioned terms. The average number of hours of esthetician licensing training on a national basis is 600. The separation of the esthetician license from the standard cosmetology or hairdressing license has allowed some schools to become licensed to teach only skin care, thereby raising their hours and standards. There currently are only two states – Utah and Virginia – that offer a two-tier Esthetician Masters program for 1200 hours. There are several more states that are in the process of updating their statutes – which is sorely needed – but more on that in another article.

From the National Coalition of Estheticians, Manufacturers/Distributors & Associations, Use of Esthetician Titles. It is the position of the NCEA that estheticians represent themselves according to their licensed title, as designated by their state licensing board or regulatory agency, and that estheticians must not promote themselves or allow any employer to market them otherwise.

Esthetician Medical Training Certifications

There are several companies, schools, and associations that offer “certifications” to estheticians upon completion of a course. These courses may have required participation time ranging from minutes to hours to days.

Some courses are teaching advanced procedures using machines and products that are well beyond what the esthetician license and scope of practice allows. Therefore, obtaining liability coverage would then become a major priority for the esthetician practicing. However, in a dermatology setting, it would be up to the physician and their risk manager if the esthetician should be permitted to perform these advanced procedures, under the direct supervision of the physician of course.

This Isn’t General Hospital – It’s the Real Thing

One of the most important factors in deciding whether to work in a medical setting is: Do you like medicine? Specifically, are you comfortable dealing with illness and medical problems on a daily basis? Not that the fields you’re likely to choose will bring you into contact with a great deal of sick people, but your clients will all be patients and all of them will have a medical or aesthetic concern.

While dermatology and plastic surgery, the esthetics areas you will most likely fill in the medical setting, generally involve less serious medical problems, they’re still not for the squeamish. Plastic surgery, after all, is still surgery. And some plastic surgeons perform reconstructive surgery to repair the trauma of accidents or the disfigurement of diseases such as cancer, burn survivors or genetic defects. And dermatologists treat skin cancer various, sometimes disfiguring rashes and infections as well as various diseases that affect the skin.

If you cannot stand the sight of blood or if you find illness or disfigurement overwhelming, then you probably should consider esthetician career paths other than a clinical setting. On the other hand, most of us can get used to the sights and the situations that are likely to come up in dermatology or plastic surgery, and if you enjoy helping others and if you appreciate the privilege of working intimately with people who depend on you, the rewards of working as an esthetician in a medical setting can be tremendous.

One area that I haven’t touched on at all is the medical spa environment. If I had 10 people in the room and asked them what their perception of a medical esthetician is, I would probably get 10 different answers. For purposes of this article, the NCEA position on a medical spa is:

A medical spa is a facility that during all hours of business shall operate under the on-site supervision of a licensed health care professional operating within their scope of practice, with a staff that operates within their scope of practice as defined by their individual licensing board, if licensure is required. The facility may offer traditional, complementary, and alternative health practices and treatments in a spa-like setting.

Working in this type of facility may take you in several different directions depending on the philosophy of the owner, supervising physician and the corporate vision of what a medical spa is.

In conclusion, try to talk to other estheticians who may already be in the medical field, ask your school guidance counselor for advice, or several website such as PCI Journal offer newsletters and other books that may help you decide which of the career tracts is right for you.

Check out Susanne S. Warfield’s last blog article, “Esthetician Career Options in the Medical Esthetics Setting.”“

Spirit 105.3, Applebee’s and Ballard Blossoms partnered together to host a little “How To…Beauty School Bootcamp” party for local moms and their daughters.  Just after days of posting it online, all 150 seats were filled up with a 94 rsvp wait list!

At the event, moms and daughters received the red carpet experience, learning how to do hair, manicures, sticker tattoos, mini facials, make-up and more!  There was tons of prizes including concert tickets to ThirdDay – Make You Move Tour, spa prizes, baby and cleaning service certificates and many more!   Food was provided by Applebee’s and Ballard Blossoms provided beautiful roses for all the mothers in spirit of Mother’s Day.  Spirit 105.3 provided Donna  from Mom at the Movies onsite (one of Spirit 105.3 DJ’s) to host the event and spend time with the listeners.

For pictures from the event, visit our facebook fan page to download your pictures or click here for the two albums of pictures from the event.

Album 1

Album 2

We hope everyone had fun and look forward to the next event!

Let Evergreen Beauty College (Everett Campus) teach YOU how to turn your home into a Beauty Salon & Spa! Get great tips and mini classes from the experts themselves on facials, nails and hair styling! We’re excited to have you spend your evening with us on Monday, May 7th from 5-8pm.

Throughout the evening, we’ll have fun raffle prizes from OPI, Dermalogica, Sexy Hair, Loma, Joico and ANSR Beam products to give away totaling over $1,000 in prizes! All you have to do is sign up and show up! You’ll also be able to take advantage of some amazing retail specials going on around the salon to help enhance what you will learn. We will also have Applebee’s catering the event. And this event is absolutely free for you as our loyal guest!

Things to bring:
Flat Iron or Curling Iron
Make-up
Make-up brushes
Favorite polish color
*If you do not have these supplies at home just bring as much as you have and we will provide the rest!

Here is all you have to do!! Press on the link below and sign up! Its that easy! Spirit 105.3 will be joining us for this event and will be supplying some surprises as well! We promise this is an event you won’t want to miss! Very limited space so what are you waiting for?

http://www.spirit1053.com/event/Details.aspx?ID=287561

See you on Monday, May 7th from 5pm – 8pm.

To read the article from USA Today, click here.

Salons See Uptick in Business as Economy Improves

One sure sign that the economy is starting to hum: Women are ditching do-it-yourself dye jobs and heading back to the hair salon.

Who cares that the economy is still a tad frizzy? Beauty salon sales grew 5.4% in the last two years, vs. a 2.3% sales increase in 2009, according to an analysis of more than 960 financial statements from beauty salons, released last week from financial analysis company Sageworks.

Apparently, it’s one kind of satisfaction to clip coupons, but a far different kind to get your hair clipped — and permed and dyed.

“One thing we may be seeing now is people are feeling the economy is a little stronger and going to the beauty salon more frequently,” says Greg Mulholland, a Sageworks financial analyst.

While salon visits may have dropped off as consumers looked for ways to save during the economic downturn, the data show that now they may be visiting salons more frequently, opting for more expensive treatments when they visit or buying more products from the salon, Mulholland says.

And while sales growth slowed in 2008 and 2009, salons have continued to experience a steady profit rise as they reap the benefits of cutting costs during the recession. Profits grew 6.4% from 2008 to 2009 and 7.8% in the last two years, the Sageworks data show. Combined with the recent sales increase, salons are now “making more sales and keeping more money from each sale,” Mulholland says.

Just ask ‘em.

Barb Shaeffer-Perrigo, co-owner of the Studio B! salon in Huntersville, N.C., says starting in 2008, many customers who typically came in every five weeks started coming in every seven weeks and that clients were dying their own hair. In the past year, business started to return to pre-recession levels.

“Services for each individual stylist have increased tremendously in the last year,” Shaeffer-Perrigo says.

And there’s hope for salons beyond the recovery.

U.S. News and World Report last month listed hairdresser as one of the best jobs of 2012, citing a Bureau of Labor Statistics projection of 15.7% employment growth for hairdressers by 2020.

After all, while income may stop growing in a bum economy, hair doesn’t.

(Source: USA Today, 03/21/12)

2012 Big Climb

The Evergreen team “Blood Before Beauty” raced and climbed the 69 flights, or 1,311 steps, to raise awareness and money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on Sunday, March 25th.  We raised over $1500 dollars toward this great cause.  There were around 6,000 participants in the event, free massages, goodie bags and t-shirts. It was truly an amazing experience.  The posters in honor and memory of those who have fought, won, and lost to blood cancers was truly inspiring and kept us climbing!  See you next year at the 2013 Big Climb!

Jim only visit a handful over beauty colleges all over the world and just returned from Australia & Singapore and had selected Evergreen Beauty College to visit as he state is “one of the top 5% of beauty colleges”.

Jim Yates, President and CEO:  Is an author, lecturer and expert in change management. Jim is on the cutting edge of school and salon business development practices and as such is considered by many owners as a key factor in their business’ success. As a former salon chain owner in Scottland and prestigious school owner he is a committed educator, who before starting Nuts and Bolts devoted his time to the growing day-spa business as Director of Education with the world’s largest spa operations company – Steiner, One Spa World (Spas on the major cruise lines). Jim annual is a guest speaker at for the American Association of Cosmetology Schools in North America. Jim teaches there are no magic formulas, just good business practices.

About Nuts and Bolts Training Company:  Jim formed Nuts and Bolts Training Company in 2003 and since that time, the growing list of member schools have introduced the Nuts and Bolts student training programs to thousands of student service providers across the North America, Australia, & Singapore. Proponents of Nuts and Bolts say they provide real hands on training with real solution orientated experiences and NO FLUFF.

For the last 3 years, one of Evergreen Beauty College’s campuses has taken 1st place.  This year, both Everett & Bellevue’s campus placed in the top 3!

The Everett Campus placed 2nd and the Bellevue Campus placed 3rd. To see pictures from the event and the student’s work, check out the facebook fan page here! Check out the amazing 3-D nail sculptures, hair extensions, costumes, and more that were all done by Evergreen students.

2012 Reign of Style Top 4 Beauty Schools:

1. Toni & Guy Hair Dressing Academy (Bellingham, WA)

2. Evergreen Beauty College (Everett, WA)

3. Evergreen Beauty College (Bellevue, WA)

4. Seattle Vocational Institute – Cosmetology (Seattle, WA)

Beauty – So many choices, so many products. Curious how to get the most bang for your buck? Lisa Nelson, from Evergreen Beauty College in Everett can help. Look for products that do more than one thing, she advises, such as cleanser that exfoliates, a moisturizes with an SPF, a lip gloss that plumps.  You get the picture! Below are five of Lisa’s personal favorites all under $20.

Full Potential Lip Gloss

Clinque’s Full Potential plumping lip gloss instantly creates a fuller, pouty look to lips, with the plumping effects lasting up to six hours With continued use, key ingredients help to increase collagen production for a smoother, more defined look for your lips. Also helps build a moisture cushion, and comforts dry lips. Available in 10 shades. Glamour-full is my personal favorite! $17.50

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara

This lash condition mascara also helps extend the natural growth cycle of your lashes, giving you very long very lush lashes. It is long, wearing, comes in regular or waterproof, and won’t disappoint! My color choices is “Blackest Black.” It’s quiet simply fantastic. $5.99

Elizabeth Arden 8-hour Cream Skin Protectant

This skincare class soothes, restores, calms and helps relieve chapped, cracked, dry skin. Soothes roughness, redness and minor skin irritations. Use on the face, lips, elbow, heels, cuticles or anywhere you need moisture and protection.  Makeup artists often apply 8-hour cream to the lids and cheekbones for a gorgeous glossy look. 1.7 oz., $17.00

Coconut Body Butter from The Body Shop

Drench your body in sweet tropical coconut body butter from head to toe! This rich delicious coconut body hydrator smells like a tropical vacation in the tub, and leaves even the driest skin silky smooth-well, like butter, actually!  To heal even the driest feet, generously apply and throw on some socks overnight and your feet will be baby soft in no time. 7 oz., $18.00

Nexxus Humectress Hydrating Treatment

This deep conditioner is a thick, five-minute mask containing protein to nourish, hydrate and strengthen hair. Use on dry ends as a daily conditioner, or once a week as a deep conditioning treatment for dry damaged hair. Keeps your hair hydrated and healthy, without being flat! 5.5 oz., $15.99

Joining the esthetician students were Evergreen Alumni Skincare Professionals and thousands of other licensed professionals all over North America seeking new product launches, newest technology, advance educations in applications and networking opportunities with industry leaders.

It is so important for students that are interested in the field of skin care to continue their learning and not think all the learning takes places at the entry level of school as an esthetician. This is why some schools will encourage their students to participate in events like these to expose them to what this industry has to offer and to continue this network of education.  Education and success in this industry is up to the individual to seek and take responsibility for.  Because at the end of the day with an ever changing industry, if you do not continue to change, then the customer will change you.

For a full program of details of classes offered at this event, click here.

There will be graduates from both the Everett & Bellevue campus graduating that day from Cosmetology, Esthetics, Nails, Barbering & Instructor Trainee.  It is themed “Dress to Impress” with the red carpet rolling out with a five star performance style graduation to celebrate the Evergreen’s graduates!

For more information on Nash Fung, visit his website at:  www.nashfung.com. For details regarding graduation, Evergreen’s Facebook Fan Page will be updated for details or call the campus for more details to come.