Posts in category: Small Business Heroes

Last year, Americans spent nearly $17 billion on spa services. A lot of that money went toward facials: treatments that claim to remove blemishes, combat wrinkles, moisturize, regenerate, tighten and otherwise beautify the skin so that your face looks fabulous.But is there evidence to support the claims (and costs) of these treatments? Experts say it depends on the type of facial, where you have it performed and the skin benefit you’re hoping to get out of it.

“I was at this beautiful spa in Santa Fe, and the esthetician giving me a facial said the next citrus emollient she was going to apply would help cleanse my liver,” recalls Ushma Neill, editor-at-large of the Journal of Clinical Investigation and vice president of scientific education and training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “I almost sat up in disbelief.”

That experience, Neill says, prompted her to investigate the existing science on spa facials. She published her findings in a 2012 report. Her conclusion? “I realized just how useless it all was,” she says. “I haven’t had a facial since I wrote that article.”

Neill says she doesn’t dispute claims that facials can temporarily revamp the skin by “moisturizing it to the max” and removing pimples and other blemishes. But when it comes to many of the fancier, pricier services that claim to combat aging or inflammation—everything from ozone and antioxidant treatments to stem-cell extract applications—most of that stuff is “complete malarkey,” she says.

Other experts reiterate that point. “As a dermatologist, I see a lot of patients with misperceptions about different creams and procedures and the whole concept of facials,” says Dr. Joel Cohen, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Colorado and director of AboutSkin Dermatology and DermSurgery near Denver.Apart from moisturizing the skin, Cohen says most topical creams are unlikely to provide much lasting benefit—especially if applied sporadically and only in a spa setting. And while some chemical peels that use substances like salicylic or glycolic acid can help stimulate skin cell turnover and repair, Cohen says proper daily skin care—regular cleansing and applying moisturizer and sunscreen—are a lot more likely to be helpful.

Keratin is a structural protein found in our hair, skin, and nails. It’s also commonly found in styling products to help strengthen hair—but the term keratin treatment is actually a misnomer. “Keratin treatments are a semi-permanent hair straightening treatment that smoothes and adds shine to frizzy hair,” says Fitzsimons. How the treatments work is not through the use of keratin, though.

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While similar to other hair straightening treatments, keratin treatments are still distinctively different. Japanese hair treatments and traditional relaxers permanently break your hair’s bonds using ammonium thioglycolate and sodium hydroxide—making them far more effective on coily hair and also more damaging. The growing-out phase will also be more intense than with a keratin treatments, since there will be a line of demarkation when your natural texture grows back in.

Part of the concern with keratin treatments revolve around one of the ingredients found in most traditional salon formulas: formaldehyde. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines it as a colorless, strong-smelling gas that is usually used to make building materials, household products like glue and fiberboard, and used as a preservative when dissolved in water. In keratin treatments, it’s responsible for locking the hair into that new straight and smooth position for months. But these treatments don’t actually contain formaldehyde, because, well, it’s a known carcinogen. What they contain instead is ingredients like methylene glycol, formalin, methanal, and methanediol, that release the carcinogenic compound when mixed with water during the treatment. So while the formula might technically be formaldehyde-free, it’s not once mixed with water.

Hair extensions can assist you in achieving the fuller, longer, and more voluminous hair you desire. But, with so many different types of extensions available, it might be difficult to find the best one for you. Here are some pointers for choosing and styling hair extensions that seem natural and flawless:

Choose the Right Type of Extensions

The first step in obtaining a natural-looking hairstyle with extensions is to select the proper type for your hair. There are clip-in extensions, tape-in extensions, micro-ring extensions, weave or sew-in extensions, and fusion extensions. Each variety has its quality, so conduct your study and consider variables such as cost, upkeep, and simplicity of application before making a decision.

Match Your Hair Color and Texture

Once you’ve decided on the sort of extensions that are best for you, it’s critical to match the color and texture of the extensions to your natural hair. This will assist the extensions to blend in with your hair, giving you a natural-looking hairdo that appears like your own.

Care for Your Extensions Properly

It is critical to properly care for your extensions to retain their quality and longevity. This involves regular cleaning and conditioning them using sulfate-free solutions, avoiding heat styling equipment, and carefully storing them when not in use. You can enjoy your extensions for months or perhaps years if you follow these instructions.

Finally, hair extensions might be an excellent approach to modifying your appearance and acquiring the hair of your desire. You may obtain a natural, faultless hairstyle by selecting the right type of extensions, matching the color and texture to your hair, cutting and styling them to blend flawlessly, and properly caring for them.

A hairstyle, hairdo, or haircut refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human scalp. Sometimes, this could also mean an editing of facial or body hair. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence some hairstyles.

The oldest known depiction of hair styling is hair braiding which dates back about 30,000 years. In history, women’s hair was often elaborately and carefully dressed in special ways. From the time of the Roman Empire until the Middle Ages, most women grew their hair as long as it would naturally grow. Between the late 15th century and the 16th century, a very high hairline on the forehead was considered attractive. Around the same time period, European men often wore their hair cropped no longer than shoulder-length. In the early 17th century, male hairstyles grew longer, with waves or curls being considered desirable.

The male wig was pioneered by King Louis XIII of France (1601–1643) in 1624. Perukes or periwigs for men were introduced into the English-speaking world with other French styles in 1660. Late 17th-century wigs were very long and wavy, but became shorter in the mid-18th century, by which time they were normally white. Short hair for fashionable men was a product of the Neoclassical movement. In the early 19th century the male beard, and also moustaches and sideburns, made a strong reappearance. From the 16th to the 19th century, European women’s hair became more visible while their hair coverings grew smaller. In the middle of the 18th century the pouf style developed. During the First World War, women around the world started to shift to shorter hairstyles that were easier to manage. In the early 1950s women’s hair was generally curled and worn in a variety of styles and lengths. In the 1960s, many women began to wear their hair in short modern cuts such as the pixie cut, while in the 1970s, hair tended to be longer and looser. In both the 1960s and 1970s many men and women wore their hair very long and straight.In the 1980s, women pulled back their hair with scrunchies. During the 1980s, punk hairstyles were adopted by many people.

The term is derived from the name of the town of Spa, Belgium, whose name is known back from Roman times, when the location was called Aquae Spadanae, sometimes incorrectly connected to the Latin word spargere meaning to scatter, sprinkle or moisten.

Since medieval times, illnesses caused by iron deficiency were treated by drinking chalybeate (iron-bearing) spring water (in 1326, the iron-master Collin le Loup claimed a cure,when the spring was called Espa, a Walloon word for “fountain”).

In 16th-century England, the old Roman ideas of medicinal bathing were revived at towns like Bath (not the source of the word bath), and in 1596 William Slingsby who had been to the Belgian town (which he called Spaw) discovered a chalybeate spring in Yorkshire. He built an enclosed well at what became known as Harrogate, the first resort in England for drinking medicinal waters, then in 1596 Dr. Timothy Bright after discovering a second well called the resort The English Spaw, beginning the use of the word Spa as a generic description.

It is commonly claimed, in a commercial context, that the word is an acronym of various Latin phrases, such as salus per aquam or sanitas per aquam, meaning “health through water”.This is very unlikely: the derivation does not appear before the early 21st century and is probably a backronym as there is no evidence of acronyms passing into the language before the 20th century;nor does it match the known Roman name for the location

Some of the earliest descriptions of western bathing practices came from Greece. The Greeks began bathing regimens that formed the foundation for modern spa procedures. These Aegean people utilized small bathtubs, wash basins, and foot baths for personal cleanliness. The earliest such findings are the baths in the palace complex at Knossos, Crete, and the luxurious alabaster bathtubs excavated in Akrotiri, Santorini; both date from the mid-2nd millennium BC. They established public baths and showers within their gymnasium complexes for relaxation and personal hygiene. Greek mythology specified that certain natural springs or tidal pools were blessed by the gods to cure disease. Around these sacred pools, Greeks established bathing facilities for those desiring healing. Supplicants left offerings to the gods for healing at these sites and bathed themselves in hopes of a cure. The Spartans developed a primitive vapor bath. At Serangeum, an early Greek balneum (bathhouse, loosely translated), bathing chambers were cut into the hillside from which the hot springs issued. A series of niches cut into the rock above the chambers held bathers’ clothing. One of the bathing chambers had a decorative mosaic floor depicting a driver and chariot pulled by four horses, a woman followed by two dogs, and a dolphin below. Thus, the early Greeks used the natural features, but expanded them and added their own amenities, such as decorations and shelves. During later Greek civilization, bathhouses were often built in conjunction with athletic fields.

The staff at Entrepreneur Press and writer Eileen Figure Sandlin explain how to launch a successful full-service hair salon and day spa, a business that can be personally rewarding, make a lot of people happy, and be very profitable, in Start Your Own Hair Salon, Hair Extension, and Day Spa. The writers describe the six areas of your business that can help make your salon or day spa profitable in this edited sample.

It’s never too early to start thinking about some of the operational concerns that will affect and contribute to your company’s success. To begin, you must carefully examine your operating hours so that you can accommodate the greatest amount of clients during the working day.

You’re probably aware that the beauty industry isn’t a 9-to-5 job. Hair salons in major cities are typically open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in smaller towns. Sunday and holiday hours are often the same as those of local businesses such as malls and department stores, and typically run from noon to 5 p.m. Salons are often busiest during the lunch and early evening hours. Hours may also be required to suit particular needs. For example, if you do a lot of wedding work, you’ll probably need to open earlier on Saturday mornings, perhaps at 7 a.m., to accommodate brides who need to come to work on time.You’re probably aware that the beauty industry isn’t a 9-to-5 job. Hair salons in major cities are typically open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in smaller towns. Sunday and holiday hours are often the same as those of local businesses such as malls and department stores, and typically run from noon to 5 p.m. Salons are often busiest during the lunch and early evening hours. Hours may also be required to suit particular needs. For example, if you do a lot of wedding work, you’ll probably need to open earlier on Saturday mornings, perhaps at 7 a.m., to accommodate brides who need to come to work on time.

Salon owners that manage their time in a way that maximises their earning potential will see their business expand and develop faster. Concentrate with laser-like intensity on revenue-generating tasks. As a new business owner, you may be inclined to do everything yourself, from working behind the counter to managing the books and supervising your personnel. Instead, engage qualified employees (both business and salon professionals) to handle day-to-day operations, then delegate responsibilities so you can spend your time to things that will help you build the business and make more money.