42 Years Old
I am chronologically old, yes. Do I care? No. Do I care about being pushed out by younger people in this industry? Not really. I can't be good at everything, and younger people bring a new level to esthetics that I may not have. I focus on high-quality, classical skin care treatments and stellar customer service.
I feel like age is only an issue if you allow it to be. In this industry, particularly in the skin care portion I think people appreciate that a woman older than 35 can still have great skin. I think a lot of customers would rather take advice from someone who has been able to preserve their skin despite aging instead of someone who hasn't been plagued by the loss of collagen, environmental toxins, and the cruel hand of mother nature's aging process. A younger person can't prove that what they do prevents aging because the proof is in the pudding, and if they are too young they can't prove what they do actually works. An older person has an advantage, they have time on their side, and if they have well-preserved skin then they become an inspiration to clients.
I think we should celebrate our age in this industry. If you get to 35, 45, 55, 65 and have beautiful skin, why wouldn't you celebrate that? Why wouldn't you want to share your secrets with the world? So, it is never to late to be an esthetician, or go back to school for it. I say "why not?"
