What I Learned in Beauty School: Spa Therapy

Chrystal left a career in communication analysis to become a spa therapist. She enrolled in Bellus Academy's dual license program in esthetics and holistic health practice, which includes various types of massage therapy. "I wanted to help people and make them feel beautiful," she says. "And that makes me feel great, too."

What was the most helpful or useful thing you learned in cosmetology school?

Bellus Academy really embraces what is going on in the beauty industry and integrates it into the curriculum. The most helpful thing I've learned is how to take my beauty school education and apply it to my future, whether I'm working in a spa for someone else or working for myself.

How would you describe your cosmetology school experience?

I've loved every bit of it. A beauty school education is amazing. Some people don't think it's challenging or that it leads to much of a future, but there is a lot to learn and you are learning skills that you can use to make a living for the rest of your life. It's also rewarding to make people feel good.

What was taught on your first day of cosmetology school?

On my first day we started with anatomy, learning about the skeletal system.

What was a challenging lesson that took you more than one try to get? How are you at performing that service now?

The most challenging part for me was being comfortable with getting hands-on and making clients feel comfortable, as well. To do that, you have to learn to read a person's body. During a massage, a spa therapist should be able to tell from the client's body if she's being too firm or too soft, or during a facial, too fast or too slow. Now I feel confident about reading people's likes and dislikes.

Chrystal says that people thinking about becoming a spa therapist should know that it's about customer service. "I just love having someone come to me with a concern and trying to fix it or make it easier so that they'll feel better," she says.

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