If I focus on waxing, will I discredit my path?
Hello Everyone!
I am currently a student and excited to begin my career in esthetics! I am interested in waxing and heard chain wax companies are willing to take on new estheticians. So far, I'm Acing my classes, have a good technique/pressure and I'm right on with my skin care recommendations. I'm afraid if I work for a wax chain and want to work on clients down the road the lack of experience will work against me. Is waxing straight out of school, for a chain company, the way to go or should I focus on facials first, and build waxing experience slowly until I establish a clientele naturally?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tahnesha Wilson on
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I understand where you are coming from. When I was in school I was all about skin and didn't want to do any waxing at all. My instructor was a part-time instructor at the school and a full-time rep for a waxing company. She always said "If you're going to make money as an Esthetician you'd better learn how to wax." I ignored her and got back to the books, as I thought I was the most passionate pupil in class when it came to skin care. I didn't quit my job and start working as an Esthetician right away, It took me a few years. When I finally did start working, I worked for a woman who owned a small spa in a prominent mall in the ritzy part of town. She did facials, but her focus was waxing, Brazilian waxing at that. Again, I had no intention on becoming a waxer. Long story short, once I started working for her, she started coming in less and less, leaving me with the lion's share of the work. When regular customers of hers came in looking for her and had to settle for me, the new girl, I learned very quickly that I was either going to get really good at this waxing thing or have to find another job. I now have my own practice and guess what, I wax...a lot. In fact, I am known for my Brazilian Waxing technique. Skin care came very easy to me because I love it. Waxing, on the other hand took me a while to master. Honestly, I make the bulk of my earnings from waxing. Maybe work for the waxing company for a while and move on to a spa or medspa later. Take some post-graduate skin care classes to get some additional skills under your belt while you work there. Hope this helps!
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Gariepy on
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Thank you Tahnesha for your reply! So waxing IS where it is at! I'm not afraid to do it one ounce and would feel comfortable having to do Brazilians with some sturdy training. I didn't think about keeping my facial skills fresh by attending post-grad classes. I'm 35 and this has been a tough transition to begin with, I hear waxing is more financially stable than the overall facial clientele.
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Waxing is very profitable because it's a low-cost service with minimal startup costs. People will pay top dollar for a skilled professional. I was around your age when I went to school, so I understand making the transition to a new career path. I don't know what part of the country you live in, but where I live we actually have seasons, so I do more skin care in the fall and winter months. I feel like you kinda have to be skilled at both because when one slows down you have the other to fall back on. You really start making more money when you successfully transition waxing clients to facial clients, now you're getting revenue from both sides of the biz. Something to think about. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by M Elaine Gustafson on
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I went to school specifically so I could wax. I found that I loved doing facials. I started at a spa and probably did 75%/25% facials/waxing. I opened my own place a year ago and am about 50/50 now. I would love to do more waxing. It's quick and low cost. If you can start working a place that has both services, all the better for you. Make sure you learn good Brazilian techniques wherever you do go. Stay up on product ingredients and techniques - there are some good videos here on ASCP. Good luck!
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Thanks M. Elaine! I gather if I end up in a spa/salon I should ask them about their client needs. I have taken one product class (outside of school) and plan on attending two more product classes and a Brazilian class as well. I feel as a student it is really hard to gather info on classes unless you network well with on-going professionals. I'll check out the ASCP videos! It may be a nice change from my U-tube search!
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Permalink Reply by LokiCat on
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Experience is experience. Take a step of faith and see what doors are opened to you, then go from there. If you choose to work exclusively with waxing after school, you can always stay sharp with your skincare knowledge by exploring various lines and working on your friends and family for fun in your spare time. You can also visit trade shows and read books, magazines, and connect with other professionals on this website to keep current. Who knows? After working 6 months to a year at a waxing salon, you may feel ready to move on to a new place of employment or open your own business; and the cool thing is you will be a waxing queen and able to build off of your waxing skills and expand back into the skin care side of things. Women are more likely to spend the money on a waxing service instead of a facial even when money is tight. I say go for it! Good luck and God bless. :)
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Thanks for the reply! I have gathered a few essential items to maintain both waxing and facials for use at home. I figure I can keep my skills sharp by making one a career priority and the other a good way of bonding with family & friends!
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Permalink Reply by Sandra Hicks on
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When I was in school I liked waxing, but was not very confident especially with brows. When I graduated and got my license I worked part time for myself and for a spa. At the spa I did lots of brow waxing and some bikini / brazilians. When workng for myself I was strictly facials and body services. I realized ther are not any places in my local area that offered quality body waxing. I soon realized how much money I was leaving On the table. So I took some extra classes to boost my confidence and started to offer the waxing services. In the one year I have added it to my services I can honestly say I have seen a growth ! Waxing clients are turning into facial clients and facial clients are turning into waxing clients, plus they are all telling their friends ! It has not discredited my skincare business at all. It has added more value. I now work full time for myself growing both my skincare and waxing business. So go for it, become a well rounded esty !
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Thanks Sandra! I'm taking a certification class for brazilians in a couple of weeks and excited to build my credentials! I am confident with my facials too but enjoy waxing more (it's quick moving and instant results) I guess I can count on waxing being worth my focus!
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Permalink Reply by Angela Segal on
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Hi Jennifer. I just saw your topic. I'm a recently licensed esty trying to map out my own career path. While I was in school, facials were my first love. I tend to be more focused on products and the science of how they benefit the skin. Waxing was a close second. However, I am finding that for right now waxing seems to be the more profitable approach to esthetics. As I believe someone else mentioned, it's a relatively low start up. As with facials, there are so many different products and equipment you need to have on hand due to the various skin types. So to answer your question, waxing won't discredit your path. It will only serve to enhance it in the long run. That's the beauty of this particular profession. We have the ability to take it in so many directions OR we can chose to focus on just one. It's completely up to you. Good luck!
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Thanks for the input Angela! For those of us new in the industr it's tough to make a fruitful living asap and I hope waxing will give me repeat customers and build a lasting base of clients. I like facials too and that's why I'm nervous to focus on waxing....I want to keep doors opened
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Hi Jennifer,
My experience is not with waxing, but depending on where you live, the "math" may be the same. I live in an area where there are a large number of estheticians being trained and yet the culture for skincare is not mature. Most people do not see skincare as a necessary part of maintenance, but more of a splurge. I went to school specifically to be a medical esthetician and did do that for a couple of years, but what took over is my eyelash extension company. I now do eyelashes 6 days a week full time and make a really good living. I am not bringing that up to get you to change to eyelashes - but here is my point. If you are not in a region where skincare is valued as routine maintenance, then you have to have a huge "now and then" clientele to make ends meet. Waxing is a little more like lashes - when you need the service, you need it now! So if your clients like your work, they will be very faithful and they will show up like clockwork, so your clientele base can be smaller but more profitable, without the endless need to constantly run groupons or try to find new people. I still love skincare, it was my first love, but ultimately this is about making a living so you have to really do the math. I also think that working for a wax chain will be extremely beneficial because at least for most people, waxing is harder to do with ease and confidence than skincare. If you let your waxing skills wane, you become slow and lack confidence. But with skincare, you can always be reading up and staying current, and picking up facials again is a lot more like riding a bike than trying to do a brazillian wax without lots of experience! Hope any of this helps.
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