Friday, September 20, 2013

All in a Day's Work: Life of an Esthetician





           Being an esthetician can be the most rewarding job--most days it is relaxing and calm--and then there are those days when it is wild and crazy. There are days when you might wonder if your clients are actually mental patients in disguise. Some will reveal every intimate detail of their lives to you; others will ask you for your opinion about their relationships while a few extra nutballs will do things that are darn right freaky and outrageous.

In one unbelievable facial I had a woman drop her robe, get buck ass naked in front of me and then afterwards she creeped me out when she offered to pay me double if I would go to her house. I don't know about you, but anyone that drops her robe and gets buck naked in front of me for a mini-facial and then offers to pay me double my rate is a bit creepy. No thanks, I think I will keep my normal rate.  Anyone who gets naked and then discusses payment options is a JOHN--she needs to go look at one of those spas for on the side of the highway cause this esthetician doesn't give HAPPY ENDINGS!

In another episode of the crazy clients gone wild, I had a woman tell me all about how her 28 year marriage ended recently. Her husband apparently would go off on little trips, and one day after a 5-day bike trip with the boys he told her he wanted to live with one of the boys! He left her for another man, took all of their belongings while she was at work one day and moved in with this guy. What does an esthetician do with this kind of information? What do you say? She mentioned she didn't see a therapist, and now I know why because she comes in here and gets therapy and facial treatments all wrapped up in one price!

Then I had a man who was super sweet come in to get a facial, it was clear he took great care of his skin, but throughout the facial he would tell me how old his wife looked. He complained about her smoking, and how the smoke made her look so old. He said, "Just between you and I she needs a Lifestyle Lift. I would never tell her that, but I can tell you." He was not happy at her lack of maintenance--I wondered for a moment how bad she would feel if she knew her husband thought she needed a face lift.

I hear things (and see things) that I don't want to be privy to, but sometimes customers want us to be their therapists. It is a very intimate relationship, the connection between esthetician and customer. Many of you who are in esthetics school might think that esthetics is simply facial treatments and waxing but it is so much more. It is a little business management, some counseling and a lot of esthetics--to be a good esthetician,  you have to be willing to accept these other idiosyncrasies.