Career Links Vol 3 No 1 September 2003
A Career Where Beauty is Skin Deep:
An Interview with Tama Veltri,
Esthetics
Interviewed by Kit Gorrell Frankenfield,
Employment Systems
Technician
JCCC Career Services Center
Interviewer’s note:
Imagine at the end of your busy stressful day, being led into a pleasant,
dimly lit room with the relaxing scent of lavender in the air. Music is
playing softly as you are invited to lie down on a table with a
comfortable headrest. Your hair is wrapped in a towel, a comfortable
cushion is placed under your knees, and lightweight blankets are pulled
over you, enveloping you in softness and warmth. You start to relax,
sinking into the cushions of the table, as you begin to realize you are
going to experience an hour of pampering. After brief explanations, your
face is softly cleansed of the day’s oil and makeup, and the esthetician’s
knowledgeable hands go to work. Hot towels are applied between every
step, removing not only the products used, but also more of your stress
with each application. A portable steamer positioned close to you spreads
a warm, healing mist across your face; you close your eyes and you relax
for 10 minutes, letting it open every pore. Next, a mask is applied.
While it draws out the impurities from your skin, your esthetician gives
you a soothing hand and arm massage, spreading healing and moisture to
your tired muscles from your fingertips to your shoulders. For the final
step, a moisturizer is brushed on your skin and massaged into your face,
neck and shoulders, leaving you relaxed and your skin incredibly soft.
Off and on during the entire experience she instructs you in a quiet voice
about your skin and how to best care for it. Soon your hour is over, and
you leave feeling calm, refreshed, cleansed and renewed. If you would
like to experience this service, call the cosmetology school of JCCC at
(913) 469-8500 Ext. 2390 and make an appointment to visit a student
esthetician. The service is very reasonable ($18.00 for over one hour)
and you will find it an hour of paradise. It is truly one of Johnson
County’s best-kept secrets.
The esthetics program provides skilled instruction in skin care, which
includes sanitation, skin sciences, skin treatments, makeup and business
practices. It also prepares the students for the Kansas State Board of
Cosmetology esthetician examination. For more information on this
program, visit the department website at http://www/home/depts/1244/acadDeptInfo.
Contact the salon at 913-469-8500, Ext. 4721 or 2390, for additional
information.
Career Services Center: What is an esthetician?
Tama Veltri: Estheticians specialize in skin care, body
treatments, hair removal and make-up.
CSC: What do you do at JCCC?
TV: I teach the skin care program here. When I was going through
college, I worked part-time for a company called Beauty Brands. I loved
being in the field of cosmetology and my passion was with skin. I started
receiving facials, and since I was going through Johnson County Community
College’s associates program, I learned that we had a cosmetology school.
So I went through the esthetics program five years ago.
CSC: Are you an esthetician and a cosmetologist?
TV: No, I am an esthetician. If you are a licensed cosmetologist,
you can provide hair services, skin care and nail services. It’s a broad
spectrum. My specialty is just with skin, so I don’t have a
cosmetologist’s license.
CSC: What is your background?
TV:I started out working at Beauty Brands where the whole gamut of
hair, skin and nail products is sold. While I sold all these products,
people would ask me the most questions about skin care products. At the
time, I didn’t really have any training, but it was what interested me. I
started getting facials from an esthetician there and picked her brain. In
the meantime, I transferred from Johnson County Community College to the
University of Kansas. I was accepted into the education program and
planned to teach high school biology. Once I got to KU, I decided I
wanted to teach, but not high school biology. I came back to JCCC and
finished my associate’s degree. In that semester I found this program, and
decided to do a 180-degree turn on my educational focus and get my
esthetics certificate.
CSC: Did you have an interest in skin care as a child?
TV: Yes. I took an early interest in cosmetics and skin care.
When I was as young as 8 or 9, I went with my mom to get her hair done
just so I could look at all of the products. When I turned 14, I set
myself up on a skin care regimen without direction from anyone else. I
was born with a sense to do it, I guess.
CSC: Have you always had great skin?
TV: I’ve struggled myself, so that’s always been an interest for
me. If I struggle with something, how do I help myself and, in turn, help
a client with that? Genetically, I’m blessed. I come from a family of
people with good skin, but I do take care of it and I practice what I
preach. I stay out of the sun, get facials and never go to bed with my
make-up on. I was in a car accident three years ago and just came out of
the emergency room. I told my mom, “Give me a washcloth and my cleanser.”
She said, “Oh, child. You just got out of the hospital. You don’t need to
wash your face.” I said, “I can’t go to sleep if I have make-up on my
face.” It’s something that was ingrained in me, to take care of my skin.”
CSC: What did you do after graduating from the esthetics program
at JCCC?
TV: After I graduated, I worked in the field for one year. I got
a call from the instructor, (who taught me) and was told JCCC wanted to
start a part-time program and they needed an instructor. I had to get my
instructor’s certificate, which is 300 hours, in a cosmetology school of
student teaching; then take and pass my state board exams. Once I
received my license, then I started my job here.
CSC: How long is the esthetics program at JCCC?
TV: It’s 650 hours. Our full-time program is four and a half
months long, and our part-time program is ten months long.
CSC: Is there a certificate program for teaching esthetics here at
JCCC?
TV: Yes. Not only do we have hair, skin and nail programs here
(both part-time and full-time) but we also have an instructor training
program that is 300 hours long, for someone who is a cosmetologist and
also wants to become a cosmetology instructor.
CSC: How long has the JCCC program been in place?
TV: I think we’re going on our 8th year here at West Park. We
were located in Olathe before.
CSC: How many students are admitted into the esthetics program?
TV: We accept 12 full-time and 8 part-time students. Most
recently, I had 58 people apply collectively for both esthetics programs.
We have a huge demand right now; we’re very lucky.
CSC: What are the criteria for admission?
TV: Students must go through an interview process. The criteria
for the program are that they
- meet the application deadline
- have their high school transcripts sent
- take the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE)
- interview with 2 - 3 instructors or directors of the program.
CSC: What tips do you have for students who are considering
becoming estheticians?
TV: I highly suggest that anyone who has an interest in being an
esthetician should interview those currently in the field. Talk to salon
owners and managers and learn the pros and the cons. From that, they
should get a feel for what the job market is like. If they are still set
on being an esthetician, they need to talk with us about the program.
When they get here, they’ll find that our program is more in-depth than
they realize. The curriculum covers anatomy, chemistry, bacteriology, and
even electricity. So if someone wants to come in and just ‘work the salon,
and do facials, and oh it will be fun,’ they find out it’s a lot more than
just applying makeup. We have a challenging curriculum. If someone’s not
ready for that and they come in here half-hearted, they usually have a
harder time as opposed to people who have done their homework. They’re
geared up, they’re ready and they know what they’re getting themselves
into.
Another thing I tell my students or a potential applicant is that our
field is very hard to build a clientele in. Your hair stylist doesn’t have
to call you every six weeks and remind you of your hair cut or color.
Clients recognize this, but they usually don’t remember to come in every
four weeks for their facial until they understand the importance of having
one on a regular basis. It’s a healthy lifestyle choice, not a luxury. We
have a harder business to build than a cosmetologist does. Once that
happens, it’s a very profitable business to be in, both personally and
financially.
CSC: What if applicants have skin problems?
TV: If they are qualified, we accept them regardless. They
struggle while they’re here in the sense they might feel inadequate
because of their skin. They might feel they will not be able to obtain a
strong clientele if they don’t achieve skin care success themselves. We
really work on their skin while they’re here and they give and receive a
lot of facials. Their confidence levels go up.
CSC: What characteristics should an esthetician have to be
successful?
TV: You have to be a good salesperson, knowledgeable about your
products and services. You should also be very nurturing, because you
will have clients who come in that have very low self-esteem, because of
chronic problems they’ve had with their skin, whether it be acne, rosacea
or menopausal-type skin conditions, for example. You have to be able to
deal with that with them and for them, and not be turned off or grossed
out by it, but nurture them, and make them feel a hundred times better by
the time they walk out the door. The most rewarding part of our job is
that people leave here feeling awesome.
You have to be articulate, to a certain extent, because of the educational
aspect of the field where you have to train customers in products and skin
care. We are in the perfect setting to answer a lot of questions dealing
with skin care. A people-person is another necessary quality and you
should be outgoing. You do need to care about your clients. You see them
every three to four weeks and you really get to know them. They become
friends. Being detail-oriented, dependable, committed to the field and
professional are other qualities estheticians need to have. You also need
to care for your skin. It’s going to show if you don’t, and you can’t be
a hypocrite to your clients. If you come into the field for the money,
you can make it, but your best estheticians are the ones who are
passionate about it and truly love skin. I can’t teach you that. I can
teach you how to give a facial, but I can’t teach you to be passionate
about what you do.
CSC: What kind of daily schedule do the students in your program
follow?
TV: Students attend class 40 hours per week, Monday through
Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., like a full-time job. If enrolled in the
cosmetology program, you must complete 1500 hours (11 months). In the
esthetics program, students will attend 40 hours a week for 4-1/2 months,
which is full-time.
CSC: What do estheticians typically wear during their workday?
TV: We have a dress code here that estheticians have to wear
black, white and gray. That is fairly standard in the salon and spa
atmosphere. Black pants and a top that is gray, black or white is typical.
Kansas State law states that you have to have your underarms covered and
no bare midriff, and no open-toed shoes. If you work with a physician,
you will wear scrubs. Regardless, estheticians must be polished in their
appearance.
CSC: What employment options do students have when they finish the
esthetics program?
TV: Most of our students will go to a salon, spa, or resort.
Working with dermatologists and plastic surgeons is really popular right
now, too. We usually have two in a class of twelve who graduate and go
work with a physician right out of school. We have students who have
never worked in a salon or spa and go straight to a dermatologist’s or
plastic surgeon’s office. They do chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and
treatments that are under their scope of licensure, but in a medical
setting. Because they work under a physician, it does open things up for
them to do treatments they wouldn’t normally be able do in a salon and
spa. If you enjoy selling, you can also be an educator and a product
representative for beauty companies.
CSC: What about private practice?
TV: I don’t suggest it, but I do have students that will open up
their own facility right after graduation. You can also rent a booth,
which means you rent a room in a salon or spa, and then you can be your
own employer, but you’re working under someone else’s roof. Anything that
exceeds the rent is all one’s own profit. If you work for a salon and spa,
you work on a commission basis. Also, free-lance makeup artistry is an
option where you can go to wedding sites and do bridal makeup application.
Some of my students become makeup artists when they leave here and travel,
working at places such as Hallmark, doing photo shoots, etc.
CSC: How much do estheticians make per year?
TV: Your first year is the hardest by far, because if you don’t
have clients, then you’re not getting paid. That’s the hard part about
our business. If you have someone who doesn’t show up for his or her
appointment, and you have him or her marked in your book for two hours,
then you are at work for two hours not getting paid. There are not too
many jobs that you can have where you are at work not getting paid, so it
can be a frustrating field. That’s why we sometimes have problems with
longevity—we don’t have people who are willing to sit out the slow times.
If they can do what we recommend, they’ll make an average of $23,000 the
first year. During your second year, your salary can almost double. You
can easily make $45-$50,000 with sales commission on products, tips from
customers and service commission. Estheticians in Las Vegas are making
$150,000 per year now. It just depends where you’re located, but you’ve
got to pay your dues. You can’t just start out making a large salary.
CSC: What tips do you have for estheticians looking for jobs fresh
out of school?
TV: Be open to relocation. Even though the esthetics field is
growing, Kansas City is saturated with estheticians. The jobs are out
there; it’s just that students have to be aggressive about their job hunt.
Nationally, the esthetics field is booming. Salons, spas, and physicians’
offices are opening up all the time and hiring. The highest paid
estheticians in the country are in Las Vegas. If you don’t have anything
tying you down in Kansas City and you want to make a lot of money, then
Las Vegas in an option; or the east and west coast are great options, too.
CSC: What about combining cosmetology and esthetics? Will that
make a person more marketable?
TV: Actually, a good combination is an esthetician with a nursing
background or massage therapy license. If you are a cosmetologist, you
don’t have to come through this program because you already have the
license to do all three: hair, nails and skin. So rarely will you find a
cosmetology person that has an additional esthetics license, because
they’ve already done that. Cosmetologists don’t get near the training in
esthetics—only seven to eight days in the classroom as opposed to 650
hours, but they’re still licensed to do everything an esthetician is; but
they don’t have near the training.
CSC: What is a typical shift or day for an esthetician?
TV: What’s interesting about working in esthetics is that although
you are working with the public, it’s usually one-on-one. It’s you and
your client, and you work in a facial or esthetics room, not in the hustle
and bustle of the cosmetology floor. It’s usually a dimly lit environment;
you have aromatherapy and CD players that play meditation-type music.
Students that can’t really slow down, aren’t OK with being quiet some of
the time, don’t like very slow-paced environments, or feel the need to
go-go-go all the time really struggle with the work environment of an
esthetician. They might be better suited for a cosmetologist’s atmosphere.
The esthetics environment can be fast-paced in a salon if you’re booked
back to back with multiple clients, with few breaks in between. Most
estheticians will spend about 75 percent of their time waxing and 25
percent on skin care, until they can start to develop a facial clientele.
CSC: So part of your job includes educating clients about skin
care?
TV: Absolutely. Estheticians have to educate clients the entire
time. During every step in the process, the esthetician will explain what
he or she is doing. Clients need to understand the importance of the
facial, not that it’s just $75 of pure relaxation. They need to
understand the purpose in coming back in four weeks. Estheticians need to
be aggressive with their clients without being overbearing, because if
they’re very passive, their customers may not come back, because they
don’t understand why they need to.
CSC: Do you encourage estheticians to give their clients
“assignments” as far as what you want them to do and products you want
them to use at home to take care of their skin?
TV: Yes. Retailing is huge because salon owners are almost always
going to require it. An esthetician is going to be profitable to the owner
if he or she can retail the salon’s products. Also, it’s important for
client retention, because if the client buys the whole product line from
the salon, and in four weeks it’s time for another facial, he or she will
probably come back to the salon because the regular esthetician will know
what he or she needs and what he or she is using. 60% of skin care
success is home care and 40% is the esthetician. In order to have 100%
skin care success, the esthetician is an essential part. Clients have to
understand that the esthetician can’t help or correct skin unless they use
proper skin care at home.
CSC: How often should someone have a facial to maintain his or her
skin?
TV: For healthy skin, we recommend once every four weeks. If it’s
dysfunctional skin, whether it’s acne, dry skin, or rosacea, we recommend
once every two weeks. For our facials that we do here we use BioElements,
which is a salon-grade product. We charge $18.00 for our facials, and
there’s a salon down the street using the same products and charges
$75.00. There’s a big price break and the students do an awesome job here.
I think we’re the best-kept secret in Johnson County!
CSC: What do you do during a typical facial session here at the
cosmetology school?
TV: It’s an hour and fifteen minutes long and the skin is
initially cleansed. We analyze the skin and perform an in-depth skin
assessment. The esthetician will then custom-blend your service from a
line of facial products. We will exfoliate to remove dead skin and apply
an enzyme treatment in which we put you under steam for ten minutes (which
is very relaxing). After that, we do extractions for clogged pores and
acne. If that is not needed, we bypass that step, and then you get a
12-minute European massage of the face, neck and upper chest area. After
the massage is done, we use hot towels to remove the product. We do a
mask at the end, custom-blended to your skin type, and while the mask is
on, you’re offered a hand and arm, scalp or foot and leg massage. It’s
really an incredible service.
CSC: How often can someone visit the West Park clinic for a
facial?
TV: We have clients that come in for our customized corrective
facials weekly. It wouldn't be good for your skin to do them any closer
together, but seven days apart is fine. We do take requests for the
student(s) of your choice when booking your appointments and we never
limit how many times you can come in. The busier our students stay, the
happier things are over here at West Park!
CSC: What do you enjoy about being an esthetician?
TV: I’ve had fun working on celebrities when I was a make-up
artist. Mary Tyler Moore, Lauren Bacall, and Coretta Scott King to name a
few. Also, a few of my favorites about the field include extractions, ANY
kind of waxing, educating the consumer about intelligent skin care
choices, and most of all the power of touch. I once had a client start
sobbing on my treatment table in the middle of a facial massage. I knew
it was nothing I was doing, so I didn’t panic. I told her it was OK to
cry. I asked her later how she was feeling. She apologized and said she
really didn't know why she was crying. Perhaps she felt really good
during the treatment because she lived alone. She’d forgotten how good it
felt to be touched. I tell my students that we live in a "no touch"
society. Everyone has their own personal space and they feel it is
intrusive if you stand too close to them in an elevator. However, our
clients are seeking us out with payment to touch them on their face.
Touch is very powerful.
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