You might be wondering, “What’s the difference between an esthetician and an aesthetician?” Both are trained to analyze and cleanse skin through a variety of techniques, however, estheticians can be found in spas and salons, while aestheticians typically work in medical settings.

Before she attended AOHD, Whitney’s life was a bit chaotic.

She just completed a significant research project to graduate college. Then, Whitney got married and moved into a new home all within 24 hours! A degree in Sports Medicine and Athletic Training was a perfect complement to her football coach husband. Faced with the prospect of both her and her husband working long, unpredictable hours, Whitney began to search for a career where she had more control over her own hours. Since both were planning on a family in the future, Whitney knew she needed a career where she was in charge. She also knew that she wanted to pursue her passion for aesthetics in a clinical setting. Whitney loved that she could combine her love of medicine with her love of aesthetics to make a career that could comfortably support her family.

Whitney chose the Academy because of the wide variety of scheduling options available. She decided full-time would be the best option so that she could graduate as soon as possible. Whitney did not tour any other schools when deciding where to attend. After her tour, she knew the Academy would be a good fit for her!

Whitney came into our school with a unique background. Already having graduated from a sports medicine program, she had a solid knowledge base when it came to anatomy and physiology. What she lacked, was the hands-on experience and spa services an esthetician usually performs.

The Academy’s esthetics program gave Whitney that hands-on experience with skills like facials, waxing, massage, and skincare.

If Whitney could go back in time to before she started school, she would remind herself to use every opportunity available to work on her classmates and think outside the box. “Your classmates are the ones you can try new things on and experiment with.”

During her time with Academy, Whitney had a few obstacles to overcome. Her grandfather passed away and Whitney needed time to grieve, but she also didn’t want to put off her graduation. An Academy educator saw Whitney’s pain and took the time to talk with her and provide words of encouragement and empathy. The impact her educator had was incredible. Whitney chose to pick up and continue moving forward in order to graduate on time!

“Don’t let the fear of failure keep you from trying something new. You must fail in order to succeed.”

Today, Whitney is making her clients look and feel beautiful while supporting her family. When asked about her “signature service” Whitney detailed her Hydrafacial with dermaplaning and a Casmara mask (ugh we need!) She loves to perform this facial because she gets to see an immediate difference in her client’s glowing skin. She finds this particular service therapeutic to perform because of its relaxing nature. Whitney can easily get lost in the rhythm of the treatment. Any service where she can see a dramatic transformation in her patient’s skin, Whitney loves! Another service Whitney enjoys is a Vbeam Perfecta. You’re probably wondering what on earth that means, and so were we! This is a laser that targets vascular lesions by providing nearly immediate gratification in reducing redness and broken blood vessels on the face.

When Whitney looks to the future, she sees the CoxHealth Med Spa. She loves her career and aspires to grow within her company possibly into business development, education, or an account executive for a medical-grade skincare line. Whitney follows trends and the social media of reputable companies, as well as attending educational seminars. She recently even taught a class to our own esthetics students! We know one thing for sure, Whitney is sure to succeed in anything she puts her mind to!

Are you interested in pursuing a career in medical aesthetics? Thankfully, Whitney’s here to tell us how she was able to enter the field.

“I had a friend that was working as an aesthetician for a local plastic surgeon and their office was looking for a medical secretary. With the advice of an acquaintance also in the industry, I accepted the position to gain experience, get my foot in the door, and decide if this was the right fit for me.” Once in her position, the product and device representatives gave Whitney the extra training she needed. One misconception she wants to disprove is the idea that you need to attend schools like the National Laser Institute or pay for additional certifications in order to work in this field.

Whitney has 4 C’s she uses to describe how someone could find employment into medical aesthetics:

°ä´Ç˛Ô˛Ô±đł¦łŮľ±´Ç˛Ô˛ő:ĚýWho you know is so crucial because this is an industry where there is very little turnover. If you don’t have the connections, make them! Call anyone you want to be a mentor and ask for opportunities to shadow them. This will get you far in the field!

Comprehension: This isn’t a career for everyone. It requires critical thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to understand the skin on a cellular level. With comprehension comes confidence. You must be confident in your knowledge to be successful in medical aesthetics and it must be backed with validity! Patients expect this so I encourage you to study hard and often, always! You’re never done learning!

Commitment: If you want it badly enough, you’ve got to work for it. People who are the best in their field didn’t get there by chance, they worked hard for it! I’m a firm believer that there is always something to do! There should be a healthy level of competition amongst co-workers to constantly push and encourage each other to the next level. Don’t mistake this advice for feeling the need to step on others to get to the top. That may work for a bit, but it will eventually catch up with you and have the opposite effect of your goal.

Character: Professionalism, honesty, and a team mentality are at the top of the list in this category!

Are you an Academy Legends Alumni? Contact bethany@aohd.com to be featured!

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I went around on the salon floor to ask some of our students what their opinions were on the subject.  They are knowledgeable and there was a pretty good chance that they could give me a better answer than ‘you just shouldn’t’.  I spoke with several of our students and I got the same, resounding answer.  What is it, you might ask?

Well, it depends.

There are so many factors that make your hair yours, that a generic ‘yes’ or ‘no’ isn’t going to cut it.  You could be someone that has straight hair that gets greasy like that’s its job.  You might have curly hair that is always dry and it needs all the oil and moisture that it can.  I can go on and on and the thing is, no one knows your hair better than you.

Curly hair, when greasy, will absorb the oil and there won’t be a need for you to wash it as often.  If you do tend to have greasy hair and you feel like you need to wash it, reach for the dry shampoo.  The whole point of it is to absorb the excess oil so that you can have a head of clean and refreshed hair.

Something else that might depend on how often you wash you hair is your hair color.  Is it natural or not?  People that color their hair should wash their hair less often than those that don’t in order to preserve the color.  When you got your hair colored, you were probably recommended a color safe shampoo from your stylist, which is great, but it won’t save your color if you wash your hair everyday.  Styling it regularly would be another reason not to wash your hair too often.  Washing it can strip away healthy oils and the heat from styling will damage your hair further.

Does it change for men?

I asked our barbers and I got the same answer.  It depends.  Your skin type and hair type all play a role in how often you should be washing your hair.

Final thoughts?

This article isn’t meant to be a replacement for one on one professional advice.  Go in and consult with your stylist and go speak with your esthetician or dermatologist. Make a plan with them for your hair washing routine. Their personal knowledge of your hair and skin combined with their years of expertise and training can help you to make the best decision for your hair.  If there is a reason that you need to wash your hair everyday, don’t let this stop you.  Like I said before, only you really know your hair and what is best for it.

The post Straight From the Floor: Should You Be Washing Your Hair Everyday? appeared first on 51łÔąĎ.

Myth 1: Oily Skin Doesn’t Need Hydration

Oily skin can occur when the skin is stripped by using alcohols. Keeping your skin clear and clean is important, but you must keep it hydrated with a moisturizer. When we strip the skin of its natural oils, the body actually produces more oil to compensate. If you have oily skin, balance is key. You want to cleanse your skin with a gentle, non-foaming cleanser followed by an oil-free moisturizer.

Myth 2: Not Everyone Can Pull Off A Red Lip

While many people think they don’t have the skin tone to wear a bold red lip, this is simply untrue. It’s all about the undertone of the red. If you have a yellow undertone to your skin, look for orange or coral undertones in your lipstick or gloss. For a pink or blue skin tone, choose a cool shade of red with a pink or blue base. The trick is to find the right red for you! Try out a few different shades, or stop by the Academy and we can help to match you with the perfect color for those days when you want to add a little drama to your look.

Myth 3: I Can Use My Moisturizer As An Eye Cream

While you might be tempted to just slather moisturizer all over your face and call it good, this does nothing for the area around your eyes. The pores around your eyes are smaller than the pores on the rest of your face. Eye creams have a smaller molecular structure to allow for penetration in this delicate area. While moisturizers won’t harm the area around your eyes, they won’t deliver any benefits because the smaller-sized pores cannot absorb the ingredients.

Myth 4: The SPF In My Foundation Is Enough To Protect Me From The Sun

Although the SPF in your foundation is beneficial, it would take several layers to actually provide enough protection from the sun’s damaging rays. Since we know applying layers on layers of foundation would not look good (or be cost-effective) you need to add an extra SPF to your daily routine. If you, like most of us, hate adding multiple steps in the morning, choose a moisturizer with SPF to save precious time that you could spend sleeping in.

Myth 5: I Don’t Need To Wash My Face At Night If I Don’t Wear Makeup

Even on those lazy Sunday’s when you don’t wear makeup, you still have to wash your face before bed. While you won’t have makeup to wash off, your face is still dirty. Our skin secretes oils that need to be cleansed away, as well as debris and pollution that is present in the air around you. Furthermore, anything that touches your face, namely, your hair and hands transmit dirt and oil. The combination of these factors leads to a dirty face at the end of the day. You want to cleanse your pores each night to prevent the buildup of debris. While you sleep, your skin heals and rejuvenates itself. This helps to keep your skin smooth and luminous. Going to bed with a dirty face inhibits this process. Taking just a few minutes each night to cleanse your face makes a substantial difference in the long run.

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Facials should always be part of your regular skincare routine, but as your skin ages and changes, they type of facial you need changes as well.

I found myself looking for the perfect combination of anti-aging and pore tightening properties in the form of a facial.

If you, like me, are looking for these benefits then search no more!

Flaxx-c is the product you need

A restores that firmness to even the saggiest of skin by compressing and tightening the tissues in your face. Not only does this tightening feel weirdly amazing, but the tightening action also reprograms and remodels your skin’s support system. This causes your skin’s nerve receptors to remember to stay lifted and tight.

Who knew a facial could be so smart?!

What’s in it?

Formulated with flaxseed,  and rich in omega-3 fatty acids this formula helps strengthen skin. Anti-oxidants, vitamin C, and red rooibos tea extract work together to brighten and protect from damage. Nonfat dry milk and bromelain provide gentle exfoliation to make your skin smooth and supple.

Procedure

As if the benefits weren’t enough to convince you that you need this facial, the procedure is an hour filled with relaxation and pampering. Your esthetician starts off with an initial cleanse followed by a skin analysis. Everyone’s skin is different, so our estheticians learn to work with a variety of skin types. After this evaluation, your esthetician chooses the toner, cleanser, and exfoliant that will compliment your unique skincare needs. Next, you’ll enjoy a relaxing face massage before the flaxx-c is applied.

After a few minutes, you’ll start to feel a satisfying tightening feeling. You can really experience that product soaking into your face and working its magic!

Final Thoughts

So, if you’re looking for the perfect anti-aging facial book an appointment with one of our skilled estheticians for a truly relaxing and transformative experience!

P.S. Love everything skincare? Check out this review of our Bioelements skincare line!

The post The Anti-Aging Facial You Need To Try appeared first on 51łÔąĎ.