General Session

by William Strunk, Publisher, Dermascope magazine

Treating your expecting clients during and after their pregnancy is one of the most specialized services around. Mah discusses common skin care concerns of moms-to-be, including stretch marks, acne, the “pregnancy mask” and ways you can help your client cope with the inevitable body changes taking place. Mah also demonstrates the perfect “pickle mommy salt scrub,” which makes a great add-on treatment for your expecting clients.

Austine Mah is a licensed esthetician, an NCEA certified professional and ITEC beauty specialist. She serves as managing editor of PCI Journal and is a regular contributor to a variety of publications. Mah is president of Austine Inc., a consulting firm for the beauty industry.

Esthetics is a highly competitive industry where long term success can easily come from low-cost investments with high impact. Ensuring positive experiences, creating innovative networking opportunities and regularly participating in personal skill-building activities are relatively simple and inexpensive ways to develop a successful business.  Linder discusses multiple business-building strategies to fit every practice, outlining some of the most effective ways to increase income and shore up client bases.

Richard Linder is CEO of PCA SKIN®. Previously he held executive positions at Greenwich Street Partners, the St. Louis Economic Development Council and KPMG in Zurich, Switzerland. At Harvard Business School, Linder led a study on baby boomers, which focused on companies that solve health-related issues. He serves on the board of directors for the National Holistic Institute.

The key to efficient waxing is about getting the job done. Legs, underarms and bikini lines should never take more than 15 minutes each. Using both hard and soft wax, Nestore demonstrates how to quickly and gently get all three of these body parts completely hair free. She discusses how to conduct a consultation that ensures the client understands and is prepared for normal reactions, along with selling home care and keeping the skin looking beautiful in between appointments.

Lori Nestore, aka the “wax queen” and CEO of Eva's Esthetics, has30 years of waxing experience and a strong background in skin care and business. Nestore is passionate about sharing her expertise with other professionals with a humorous and distinctive style that makes learning fun and memorable.

Green is still the color of the day and topic of the season. As you strive to create more holistic environments and increase your conservation, a great place to start becoming more “green” is right in the comfort of your treatment room beginning with your facials. Curtis demonstrates how simple it is to green your facials in a way that awakens the client’s senses, stays true to the green philosophy and is exclusive to your spa.

Nina Curtis is principal of Curtis Communications, Nina Curtis & Associates and the Nile Institute. Curtis received her MBA from Pepperdine University and consults for leading companies in the personal care industry. With more than 20 years of experience, she holds certifications in aromatherapy, reflexology, acupressure and color light therapy. Curtis has been instrumental in the development of training programs for salons and spas nationwide.