More from our interview with Kathleen:

DERMASCOPE:
Do you have any regrets, or is there any one thing you can point to and think, “I wish I would have done that differently” or “if only I had known then what I know now.” Please explain.

Kathleen:
Growing up in the middle of a large Irish Catholic family, I always thought I would get married and raise a family. If I had known then what I know now, I would have become a dermatologist or stayed an educator or account manager because I am very creative and I love helping people. In those positions, I had a lot more free time, a lot less responsibility, a lot more fun, and people appreciated me a lot more. Although I am very proud of what I have accomplished, I feel like I have worked too hard and missed out on too much of life. Another regret is that I didn’t come out with a custom blended foundation system instead of mineral makeup back in 2000 (it is everywhere now) but I am formulating one right now and it is going to be awesome! Customization creates customer loyalty!

DERMASCOPE:
Do you have a signature treatment that your clients love – a classic of sorts? What makes it so loved?

Kathleen:
Our aestheticians do not offer a pampering day spa facial or the invasive medical treatments. Our goal is achieving the healthiest, youngest looking skin possible for each of our clients using the safest, most natural means available. We love using professional results-oriented machines not available anywhere except in licensed skin care professionals’ offices. Instead of a signature treatment (which is only one treatment) we prefer to sell Facial Membership Packages, and we have one to fit every budget. We tell our clients that their “Best Face Forever” treatment budget should be their age times four, unless of course, we are trying to correct a specific problem or gearing up to look great for a special event. Our top of the line service is Estie’s Jet, Sculpt, and Muscle Toning Facial Treatment; we treat the skin on four levels: Epidermis, follicles, subcutaneous or dermal layer, and muscles. We use sterile saline solution to cleanse and exfoliate the skin followed by radio frequency to stimulate collagen production in the dermis, then ultrasound for more collagen synthesis and to penetrate products into freshly exfoliated skin, and finally a mixture of micro and macro currents for amazing lifting and toning results.

DERMASCOPE:
What adaptations have you made over the years to stay relevant in the treatment room?

Kathleen:
I think it is important to do services that your client can’t do at home and can’t get anywhere else. Clients will pay more for results and customization! When I started doing facials, I had an analyzation lamp, an extractor, a steamer, and a hot towel cabbie. I could do an enzymatic exfoliation, a detoxifying massage, and a moisture replenishing mask. Today I am able to get real results for my clients working on all three levels of skin. For the dermis, I use our Estie Jet that works like a power washer and allows me to do lymphatic drainage, follicle cleansing, exfoliation, and oxygen/supplement infusion all with one machine. It utilizes sterile saline solution sprayed on the skin at supersonic speed. To tighten the subcutaneous layer of the skin, I use our Estie Sculpt, a machine that utilizes radio frequency that heats up the deeper dermis to generate new collagen production. I use our Estie Lift, a machine that delivers both macrocurrent and microcurrent on the muscles of the face which gives my clients lifting that lasts.

Don’t go it alone; choose a product line that offers classes, business tools and support, and never forget that without clients you have no business! The majority of your time should be on building a clientele; the biggest mistake I see aestheticians make is spending all their time “decorating, creating, and recreating” – not servicing clients. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You simply need to be where your clients or potential clients are so you can connect with them.