Yes!

You can tell them to be gentle. A good esthetician will ask you about your skin before he/she starts, and you can mention any concerns you have. In my experience, a facial is relaxing, makes you feel pampered, and leaves you feeling pretty. Plus, you can learn good stuff about your skin!

Do you enjoy just winding down and relaxing? Then hells yeah - it's a great thing for your skin and can last for weeks (and become a regular habit like my mom who swears by good facials). I have a hard time lying still under a twenty minute facemask and cucumber thingie while listening to whalesongs, or enya or some other crap and gets real antsy under that part but pain my way through out of pure vanity on rare occasions. It does make yor skin so much better for a long while.

(I really like the part wher ethey clean your face and massage in creams, oh, touchy felly massegy pampering - lurlevy!) Also, I have sensitive skin they spot that a mile away and go real easy on you if they're pro's.

The answer to that question is always YES!

And you can mention to them your skin is sensitive although they'll probably be able to tell.

Judging from the men's version of a facial (shave, hot towels, etc.), you definitely should.

A good esthetician

can we kill this term before it grows? It's right up there with 'sanitation engineer.' There's hairdressers, there's makeup artists, there's manicurists. There are no 'estheticians.'

Esthetician.

Aesthetician.

what was the matter with 'beautician?'

I am definitely a non-expert, but isn't 'esthetician' a subset of 'beautician'?

There's a difference between the two. There's a lot more science involved in cosmetology these days and an esthetician is trained to do such things as microdermabrasion, laser and chemical peels and other technical treatments, as well as ordinary facials. A beautician isn't trained to do those things but would be trained to give facials (which basically involve massaging lotions into your face).

jonmc, there is a huge market for spa services like facials, peels, body wraps and such, and this is what an esthetician does. There is a separate license. I've thought about getting my esthetician license to work under a plastic surgeon or dermatologist. There are RNs that are also estheticians, it's a niche. You can do chemical peels and other spa services with RN pay. I think it would be a fun job. Every client or patient that is there wants to be there. Anyway...

I love facials. They are relaxing and wonderful and you feel like you're doing something good for your skin. I always choose facials over massage.

Yeah, I guess it is a subset of beautician.

I or any other Joe can walk in off the street and obtain an esthetician license only. This is a person that is trained in skin care only. She doesn't do hair. She doesn't do nails (although I'm sure she may learn about nails in a clinical sense). She does skin only.

Well, then I am no longer a clerk in a bookstore. I am now a literatician.

You are a literatician. It suits you.

My bartender wishes to be called an inebriatician.

People like that stuff. We're hiring somebody right now. And, while the job is basically 'clerk,' the title is 'library assistant i: a/v manager'(this for a part-time employee whose only responsibilities besides sitting at the circulation desk (oh, man, there's another one) are fixing the cases when they get broken and calling people when they return something with a piece missing). To build on the work of dudes like Paul Fussell and Neil Postman, that's a move from one syllable to twelve. Syllables--maybe that's what they like about it.

People like that stuff.

People are weird. I believe that any job that can't be summed up in one word is usually some kind of bullshit.

I wonder if there are any esthetician/librarian jobs out there. I think I'd enjoy listening to ambient music all day as I built a client database or created training materials or put the beauty products in order or whatever. Would salon customers consider readers' advisory a value-added service?

I believe that any job that can't be summed up in one word is usually some kind of bullshit.

And "esthetician" is one word! Yay! Would you prefer "skin care specialist" or something, which would be three words and therefore more bullshitty? 'Beautician' is a very generalized term that can refer to someone who does hair, or makeup, or nails, or all of the above. An esthetician does none of the above, but simply cares for the skin in a specific way. Not the way a dermatologist does -- a dermo will have specific experience in diseases of the skin, etc. You go to a dermo for an all-over skin check, to see if you have any moles that need to be biopsied, but he's not going to give you a facial to make your pores smaller and your skin softer, you know?

I think maybe you have to see some of these folks in action to know exactly how skilled they are. There's a nail technician -- no, I can't think of a better word -- at a salon I used to go to who will spend hours on a woman's nails, doing all sorts of things that eventually turn into works of art. (Tacky art, in my opinion, but everyone has different ideas of beauty.)

Anyway, I think it's unfair to say that you can't give someone a name that refers to the specific art or science he or she practices. That's all.

PS -- Alto, get a facial and take me with you. :)

There's a nail technician -- no, I can't think of a better word

Manicurist.

People like that stuff.

I hate this importance-inflating of titles. My previous job was as an Executive Administrative Assistant. When I was hired, I expected more than 50% of my job duties would include assisting the executive staff: the CEO, the CFO, maybe the CIO. But instead I did form letters. And answered the phones. What. The. Hell. They weren't even worried that someone with office management experience wouldn't be stimulated by answering the goddamn phones?

Back to the topic at hand, I've been considering getting a salon facial. I've heard that some of the extractions can be painful, but you can usually request they skip that part.

OK, now i want to get a facial. They seem so expensive, though. What is the going rate elsewhere? Here it seems to be close to $75.

I've had facials from 45 to 85 dollars. I always opt for the extractions, it's a good kind of pain and worth it.

The best facial I get is 60 bucks. For a long time I went monthly. Years. I've been slacking a bit. It includes cleanse, steam, extractions. I am undressed (except for a robe thing) under a sheet, on a vibrating massage table. Soothing music is playing. She dips my hands and feet in paraffin wax and then wraps them in hot towels and puts them in these contraptions that warm. After the moisturizing wax is removed, she massages my shoulders, hands, and arms with lotion, and puts hot rocks on my chest. During this time my face is being steamed. She does extractions, microdermabrasion on my nose and cheeks, waxes my lips and eyebrows, and does electrolysis on my chin. She also goes over my face with this electrical wand. I think it's supposed to stimulate something. Who knows. She then leaves me for a minute or two alone while a light chemical peel does it's stuff. After that I am moiturized with creams or any treatment lotions I need-- eye, face, also lip balm, and puts mineral makeup on me so I won't have to leave with a red face. This is the most awesome facial ever, all for 60 bucks and she doesn't except tips because she works in a dermatologist's office. It's lovely. I rotate between her and a salon up the street that uses all organic products. The organic place is more expensive and certainly does not include a chemical peel, electrolysis, microderm, waxing, massage, etc.

I have to make an appointment tomorrow.

its not it's

The electrical wand thing is something called a galvanic wand. It delivers an electric current and is supposed to tone or something. I'm pretty sure it's bullshit but it feels good.

Manicurist - Nail techs work with acrylic nails and not all nail techs work on natural nails. Manicurists work with natural nails and not all manicurists work with acrylic.

Thanks all - I plan to make an appointment tomorrow. Not sure the term 'aesthetician' has hit the uk yet (I thought they were 'beauty therapists') but I'll be sure to ask.

I hope the half price facial offer doesn't mean the salon will close soon - my previous salon closed recently and quite a few businesses seem to be going under locally :-(

oh hell LoriFLA, that sounds awesome, I got sixty bucks here take me with you!

dabitch, double facial!

It is a great experience. My face can be very congested. In other words, acne prone. I have oily skin and large pores and facials help considerably.

doesn't accept tips, not except. Jeez.

Have fun, altolinguistic.