Pamela Hill Institute

Ongoing Education for Spa and Beauty Industry Professionals

Continuing education for aestheticians is in some cases regulated by the state, but not always.  However, whether it is mandated by state authority or not, continuing education is extremely important to aestheticians who care about maintaining high professional standards.  

The areas to be covered include all aspects of the business and profession of esthetics.  Reviews of basic anatomy and physiology of the face, the neck, hands and arms are always helpful.  Identification and assessment of various skin conditions and disorders are also helpful.  Any licensed aesthetician has gone over these areas in initial training, but with time some key points of information can be lost by the  memory.  Just as police officers have basic courses to re-familiarize them with rights of defendants and basic police duties, and just as teachers will have to go over basic classroom discipline and communication skills, the professional aesthetician should review the basic areas of anatomy, physiology and skin conditions.

New Equipment and Treatments Should Be Covered

It is also wise for continuing education at some point to go over new types of equipment that are becoming common in spas, and new treatment methods.  These areas can include facial treatments, waxing, spa treatments and makeup applications.

Remember That You Are In Business

Remember also that as an aesthetician you are a business person, engaged in traditional business duties on a daily basis.  However, as an aesthetician you may not pay attention to standard business duties as well as some in other types of business do.  With that in mind basic courses in continuing education on utilization of modern computers and software, such as office suite programs are helpful. Also training in use of the Internet can be helpful.

Taxes Are A Concern

Taxes are of concern to all people in business.  Courses and updated training in basic bookkeeping and use of software that makes keeping track of your financial affairs simple is something that should be considered.  Also, since tax laws change on a regular basis continuing education should on an annual basis provide an overview of changes in the tax laws and requirements.

Marketing, Public Relations and Customer Service

A business person will only stay in business if there is sufficient marketing to bring in clients, and those clients will only return if they are satisfied.  Continuing education training in marketing and public relations, those things designed to bring in new business, is needed.  Also training in providing outstanding customer service will allow a professional to retain those hard won customers, and will contribute to the marketing efforts through the building of a referral network.  By concentrating on those areas and gaining knowledge in methods that can be used to gain new customers and keep existing customers happy, an aesthetician will build a strong client base.  These skills can be learned and continuing education is a great place for this training.

For an aesthetician, beautician, spa therapist or clinician in a medical spa, there is a book that is an invaluable tool for the skin care professional - Common Skin Diseases: A Handbook for the Aesthetician

The book addresses the common and even the not-so-common diseases and disorders that are at times  seen on the skin.  It describes what they look like, and what can be  done about them. Through the liberal utilization of photographs, illustrations and descriptions Common Skin Diseases: A Handbook for the Aesthetician will assist the professional aesthetician in knowing what they are seeing and the proper way of handling these conditions.  The book offers advice on how to avoid giving medical advice and medical diagnosis, and assists in understanding the common course of a disease.  It provides a reasonable idea of  what to expect, treatment of the disease, and client prognosis. Additionally the book  outlines the common course of a disease, treatment of the disease, client prognosis and other relevant information.Positive Comments About The BookThe book has received praise from readers.  One aesthetician wrote “Our profession desperately needs this type of book for reference.”  Another reader said “'I definitely recommend this book. I think it is a well-written resource for students in the aesthetician role.”  The book’s author, Pamela Hill, RN is Chief Executive Officer and president of Facial Aesthetics, the Pamela Hill Institute, and Pamela Hill Skin Care. Her goal in writing the book was to provide a resource for professionals to use in improving the services they provide to clients.  It is clear that Common Skin Diseases: A Handbook for the Aesthetician reaches that goal.

Aestheticians Seek Knowledge to Improve Professionalism

Aestheticians are always in pursuit of new knowledge to improve their professionalism.  Reading  'Common Skin Diseases: A Handbook for the Aesthetician' is a step in the right direction for any professional who is concerned about providing the best possible care for clients, and realizes that there is a line that should not be crossed when it comes to diagnosis.  An aesthetician is not a physician, and should not offer diagnosis. But, an aesthetician can be informative  about various skin diseases and be able to guide clients towards proper treatment without crossing the line mentioned.  

The book Common Skin Diseases: A Handbook for the Aesthetician is a good starting point on this professional journey.

We get a lot of comments on the site about microdermabrasion and the correct method of performing it on patients. this is a post from way back in early 2007 and it is being reposted but with some additional information added to it at the end - enjoy!

Microdermabrasion and the results achieved are technique sensitive 

My best results come when I use a mild glycolic peel (20%) prior to the microdermabrasion. This causes the skin to effectively loosen and the microdermabrasion to be really effective. Then whether using the diamond tip or crystals the skin really needs to be "scrubbed" - not to the point of pin-point bleeding, but enough to see the skin responding to the treatment. Pinkness is a good sign. I generally use three directions; vertical, horizontal and then a diagonal pass; 3 passes altogether.

Typically, a client commitment of 6 microdermabrasion treatments (once every 10 to 14 days) is the best way to begin. Then the treatment should be done monthly.

You should make a point of educating your clients about the process. The skin did not get to this state overnight, and it will not get better overnight either. It takes a commitment to microdermabrasion treatments combined with regular at home skincare.

Microdermabrasion has become a very popular spa technique. One of the reasons for its increasing popularity is the fact that it is much less invasive than dermabrasion which is only found in medical spas and doctor’s offices. Microdermabrasion is easier to acquire as a treatment because so many aestheticians offer it. As a therapy most people who undergo microdermabrasion are quite happy with the results since it brings out the layer of skin just beneath the surface which is healthier looking and more attractive, giving the client a fresh and young looking appearance. Also the recovery time for microdermabrasion is minimal.

Microdermabrasion is a process by which light abrasion removes the outermost surface of the skin. The methods used are varied and can including mechanical abrasion from zinc oxide or aluminum oxide crystal jets, fine organic particles or a roughened surface. These particles are removed through a wand or hand piece through which the crystals are sent. The process isn’t usually painful and does not require anesthesia as does dermabrasion.  

Why have microdermabrasion? Removing damaged skin areas from over exposure to the sun, dark spots on the skin and to lessen the noticability of scars are some of the reasons for having the procedure. Microdermabrasion is usually quite effective with surface scars though less effective with sunken scars. There is little evidence that it reduces collagen formation. But, microdermabrasion can be used to treat acne. Just be sure that you have not had the medication accutane, or Isotretinion in the previous twelve months before having microdermabrasion.

The growth of the microdermabrasion treatment industry has led to innovations and there are currently a few different microdermabrasion systems available. In terms of professional microdermabrasion systems the choices include diamond microdermabrasion and crystal microdermabrasion.

Crystal microdermabrasion systems are the most traditional treatment and rely on tiny crystals  blasted onto the skin to perform the process of exfoliation. While crystal systems are widely used, alternatives in recent years have gained in popularity. Diamond microdermabrasion systems operate without a  need for crystals.

The process of  exfoliation occurs when a diamond tipped head makes contact with the skin, abrading against the skin. Both crystal and diamond microdermabrasion systems require the dead skin cells to be sucked away from the face.

As microdermabrasion grows in popularity more and more aestheticians will offer the service.

Good Luck!

New and emerging treatment trends in medical spa settings are exciting. As medical spas grow in popularity and the competition among medical spas and day spas both for the dollars of clients becomes more fierce, the natural laws of business demand that business will do their best to offer more and more services to attract more clients. These treatments include the latest in cosmetic surgery trends and in proper, healthy skin care. Facial rejuvenation treatments to improve and sometimes eliminate skin conditions including wrinkles and acne scarring and especially precancerous growths.

Many adults are living with and putting up with skin conditions they do not like, and modern medical spas offer laser therapies, intense pulsed light therapies, chemical peels ranging from the light alpha hydroxyl acid peels to the deeper phenol peels, and microdermabrasion. For those who need it, dermabrasion, under the supervision of a physician, can also remove scarring and skin disfigurement that less invasive processes cannot remove.

Since a medical spa runs under the supervision of a full-time, on-site licensed physician or other health care professional and concentrates on wellness and medical procedures as well as the traditional day spa therapies and treatments, new therapies will come to the medical spa environment first, before some of them transition into the day spa environment. With that in mind, remember that the supervision of a physician ensures that only safe procedures are performed, and only by professionals.

Remember also that spas have always been on the cutting edge of new therapies since their earliest days. Homer and other classical Greeks indulged in the pleasures of spas under the name laconica, and the Romans created the thermae, a large scale spa under the Emperor Agrippa. These spa experiences included baths, oils, massage and exfoliation, considered high tech for their day, followed by a bracing swim in the frididarium. Today’s medical spas carry on this tradition

The United States became a center of spa activity and innovation from the mid 1900’s on, with Saratoga Springs in New York becoming the height of fashion. Franklin Roosevelt, when governor of New York in fact often went to Saratoga Springs, and later championed Warm Springs in Georgia.

Elizabeth Arden, in 1910, opened her well known spa, and many many more have opened since, with the 1980s and 1990’s seeing unprecedented growth, particularly in the area of medical spas. New treatments are a rule at medical spas, and can be found at all reputable medical spas.

The Fitzpatrick Skin Analysis is utilized by aesthetic professionals, and is based on the work of Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick, for years the chair of the Department of Dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Called the father of modern academic dermatology, he has also been called the most influential dermatologist of the past 100 years. With an interest in treating disease using psoriasis and vitiligo, Dr. Fitzpatrick used ultra violet light. He also developed the system we know as the Fitzpatrick Skin Analysis system.

The color or pigmentation of skin is an inherited characteristic, racial and ethnic in origin. Within ethnic groups there is variability, and a clinician is able to assist a client better with skin care and anti aging through a solid understanding of skin typing, most especially in medical spa environments.

The Fitzpatrick runs from type one to type five, with type one being English and Scottish ancestry commonalities, type two northern European, type three German, type four Mediterranean, Hispanic and southern European, and type five some Africans, Native Americans and Asians. Type six is primarily most Africans.  Particular hair colors, eye colors and complexions are common with these groups and can be used to determine which aesthetician services may work well, or not work well for these particular groups. For instance, microdermabrasion, a treatment growing in popularity across the United States, is not good for all clients, and the Fitzpatrick scale can be used by the aesthetician to help determine which treatments will work well, and which won’t.

When trying to determine which type a client falls into, see if they know what their ethnic heritage is. If a client is adopted they may not be aware of what their biological roots are, but most people will have a good idea. Check the eyes also because unless tinted contact lenses are worn, eye color can be more indicative of ethnic background than hair color, since so many women color their hair. A natural blonde may dye her hair red, or a light brunette may dye her hair either blonde or darker brunette. A limitation of the Fitzpatrick scale lies in this area.

Still, even with some of the small limitations it has, knowing the Fitzpatrick Skin Analysis scale is essential for the aesthetic professional who wishes to function at peak to provide the best possible services to clients. This holds for day spa settings and especially for medical spa settings.