Beauty therapists’ impact is more than skin deep

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The adage that true beauty is more than skin deep is not lost on beauty professionals. WITT beauty therapy students Olivia Dawson and Caroline Osten know from experience that pampering the body can also soothe the soul and boost mental and physical wellbeing.

“Busy mothers come in and they want their lashes done. It’s nice to be able to do that for them - they walk out feeling much more confident because they’ve had a boost. It’s their time to relax and de-stress, and just to lie down,” says Olivia.

She and Caroline are among the latest cohort of beauty therapists to graduate next week. The pair have been friends and study buddies since they met on a WITT STP (Secondary Tertiary Pathway) programme taster course on beauty and makeup while still at high school. These short courses are designed to help Year 11 students decide on career options.

They liked it so much that they carried on to the next level, 3+2 (three days a week at school and two days at WITT working towards a Level 3 qualification) and then full-time study to ultimately complete the New Zealand Certificate in Beauty Therapy (Level 5).

Both now work in the Urban Beauty Spa in New Plymouth where they apply years of learning – from facials, lash extensions and brow enhancements to hot stone massage, waxing, tanning and pedicures. Body machinery is used to treat cellulite or tone muscles, including for people who are confined to wheelchairs and can’t exercise their muscles.

Hands-on

Learning about chemistry, physics and biology relevant to body and facial treatments is all part of their training. The practical side of doing things to the bodies of strangers can be daunting at first.  Training begins on mannequins and clients they bring to the WITT campus full-equipped beauty therapy salon, Industrie.

“Some things are quite challenging at first,” says Caroline. “Lash extensions, for example, because they are individual fine lash hairs, and you must make sure they are in the exact right place [on the eyelid]. It can take an hour and a half.”

“I enjoy this work so much,” says Olivia. “I have fun with it, and I feel confident.”

“It’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” Caroline says.  “My favourite part of beauty therapy is nails, brows and lashes. But having too many massages in a day is tough!”

Olivia agrees. “I can comfortably do one massage a day, but three or four a day when they are an hour long is hard going.”

Doing massage is also very rewarding, judging by clients’ responses. “The world would be a much happier place if everyone got a massage once a week,” Olivia reckons.

Age of beauty

Is the aim of beauty therapy to make a client look younger, in keeping with social media pressures and the cosmetic industry’s aggressive ‘anti-ageing’ marketing?

“I wouldn’t say it’s to make someone look younger, it’s to enhance what you already have,” Olivia says.

Some clients tell them they want to look younger, but beauty therapists are trained to respond with: ‘You’re already beautiful – we’ll just enhance your natural features.’

Giving tips on how best to apply everyday makeup is how they can help. On-trend in makeup currently is a natural look, with bold eye makeup. And added glow. 

At the other end of the age spectrum, younger girls are increasingly being targeted by cosmetic companies.

“When I was in Year 7 and 8 at intermediate school - that’s when I started loving makeup and watching YouTube tutorials,” Olivia shares. “But now girls in primary school are doing videos of their makeup and skincare using retinol [a form of Vitamin A added to anti-ageing skincare} and they don’t need it. I only washed my face at that age.”

The impact of a beauty therapist’s skills can sometimes go beyond a simple feel-good image boost.

“I didn’t realise when I first started how much it means to some people to get things done,” says Olivia.

Once, when she was working in a pharmacy in a makeup section, she matched a woman’s foundation to cover up a massive scar from cancer surgery on her cheek.

“The woman was too embarrassed and insecure to leave the house, but with the correctly matching foundation, she cried and thanked me and told me she would be able to leave the house now. It brought me to tears!  She told me it had changed her life, so I guess that’s really nice when a simple thing like that can help somebody.”

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