July 21, 2011

Zip It!

Between me, my clients and the crisp white sheets, there’s a very large pink elephant in the treatment room. You see, being an all-natural esthetician, I’ve learned that not everyone is like me: Eager to get naked, get my face and body scrubbed, buffed and massaged. Heck, if I could spend the rest of my life in a Velcro-fastened towel enjoying scalp rubs with the occasional pee break, I would. The truth is, most of my clientele are excited for me to chip the heaviness of stress off their shoulders but feel terribly guilty asking me to do it – even though they are paying for it.

The result: A client who nervously chats throughout an entire service.

When I discussed this with my friend Andrea, she said, “People need to know that they have the license to be silent; they need to know it’s okay for them to just take pleasure in it all.”

That said, I hereby, by the grace of the internet and with the unquestionable permission granted by the lovely ladies behind LifestyleBOOST, give you all license to be silent during an esthetics service. There.

But what now? Well, just sit back and enjoy it. And I mean truly enjoy it. Feel the esthetician’s hands and energy during a massage. Imagine the lactic acid build up in your lumbar region being pushed away with every stroke. Visualize the pedicure masque penetrating and moisturizing your paws. Picture the steam opening up every pore and letting every unread e-mail, every traffic stop light evaporate into the ether. You will – without the aid of harsher chemicals, more aggressive techniques etc. – notice a major difference in results.

And if, instead of envisioning the betterment of your body, you end up snoring (another fear that makes my clients talk nervously) then so be it. I give you license to do that too. In fact, when a client sleeps, it makes us estheticians so very proud of ourselves for making you feel so relaxed. We live for those moments.

My advice: Save the gab for when you’re getting your waxing done. Nothing like a fun conversation to break the ice while doing something that intimate!

Catherine Hernandez is the sole esthetician at the Bloor/Yonge Solis Salon and Spa where she can be found massaging, buffing and pampering people into oblivion and bliss. Her specialty is coaching clients in all-natural, consistent self-care towards beauty and relaxation. She is a Dora-nominated playwright and has worked as a journalist for publications such as FASHION Magazine, the National Post, Peace Magazine, Salon Magazine and many others.

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