This year ONLY Professionals may enter all three hair, make-up and fashion categories for a chance to win the Leo Passage Gold Trophy! Cosmetologists Chicago will annually award The Leo Passage Gold Trophy to the top cumulative winner in the Stars Photo Competition. Crafted after the prestigious Original Gold Trophy of Cosmetologists Chicago’s Midwest Beauty Show, The Leo Passage Gold Trophy will be engraved with the name of each year’s winner and at Pivot Point headquarters. Each Gold Trophy recipient will receive a replica of the trophy plus $1,000 and Cosmetologists Chicago Lifetime Membership.

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I just saw a video with Patrick McIvor and Fashion Director Nathan Rosenkranz at Patrick McIvor Color Studio on how to show your clients how to style a perfect ponytail that will properly accentuate their highlights!

Check out this video! It’s really fun to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/user/patrickmcivor#p/u/24/ia5t3FSlXlo

“Most women with long hair pull it into a ponytail during the summer months and that can lead to awkward color lightening from sun exposure constantly hitting the top layers down the center of the head. The result is similar to a Mohawk effect, lighter down the middle and darker on the sides,” explains Rosenkranz who created the Mohawk Ponytail as a way to control where the sun lightens hair.  Read More…

June 9, 2010 from Surface Medical Spas

1. Before anything else, speak to your state’s accreditation department to learn the state laws about laser technicians. Each State’s rules can vary. For instance, CA only allows doctors, physician’s assistants and RNs to carry out a cosmetic laser treatment. Some states require immediate direction from a medical doctor throughout each procedure.

2. Develop your business plan. From it, point out tips on nearby competition and their procedures, together with insights on how you intend to be competitive. Build a new expense plan of estimated purchases to include the Intense pulsed light and cosmetic lasers, (you should evaluate all of the newest cosmetic laser reviews and look into used cosmetic lasersbefore buying), the expense of renting a medical clinic along with all of the essential features, procuring a doctor to work on your workers, obtaining education as well as the required permits, and lastly advertising your laser clinic. Figure out how you are going to procure financing for your company, like a credit union or bank loan, close friends, or maybe an angel investor.

3. Depending upon the specific state, become a registered laser technician and / or Master Esthetician. Choose a credentialed education course which allows for hands-on training. Learn the biology for the dermis and hair, possible effects, laser configurations, hair growth cycles and ways in which to help assist customers about dealing with their skincare before every chemical peel, injection or cosmetic laser treatment.

4. Establish your laser clinic or medical spa as being a C corporation or limited liability company. Register your corporation with the state, obtain a Federal Tax number and purchase liability insurance for your medical spa business.

5. Rent the location for your medspa. Move into an old dermatologist’s medical practice or find acceptable space to make a waiting room, reception area and back office, meeting room, and procedure room.

6. Hire the team. At the very least, a new med spa team includes a assistant, a laser technician or esthetician to operate the laser, plus a physician to oversee operations. Your state will determine the degree of involvement essential from your medical director. He might only oversee treatments and be around in the event of a serious event, or be needed to be in the room for each and every procedure.

7. Buy an FDA-approved laser or IPL. Lasers range from the Ruby, Alexandrite laser, to the Diode, along with Intense Pulsed light (IPL) or CO2 fractional lasers. Various lasers respond in different ways to certain skin types. Communicate with top rated manufacturers such as Candela, Cynosure, Cutera, Lumenis, Syneron, ESC Sharplan, Palomar and Sciton to make it easier to find a cosmetic laser. Once you’ve purchased your laser, have your main office staff go through the education supplied from the laser company. It will be important to pay for separate instruction for each technology.

Spa and Salon Software Can Manage Many Facets of Your Business

Spa appointment software is beneficial in that it keeps a cohesive record of appointments in one place. These programs can also track employees, as well as their hours and sales, along with the list of their clients and what procedures those particular clients had. Software can even give discounts and keep track of specials that employees are charging their customers. The sales of the employees can  be tracked; there are bar code readers and gift card capabilities of some of the software programs.

Software has the capability to track employee sales commissions, hourly wages, insurance deductions, federal and state withholdings, print checks and tax forms. The computer can act like a register and print sales receipts, sales reports, and track the operator and the sales.

Track Client Information

Client files are tracked with software, it keeps the clients history, contact information, purchases and visits. The software also stores inventory control, generates bar codes and price labels. It  helps with marketing by printing or sending, postcards, letters, birthday cards, specials and anniversaries. It allows the computer systems to automatically back up and it keeps track of sales tax.

Track Advertisements and Promotions

A spa relies on advertisement, word of mouth and quality services, and with the software management system all of these are taken into consideration and they are catered to. The best way to increase sales and employee satisfaction is to keep track of behavior and sales. This can open a door for improvement and higher quality.

For Large and Small Businesses

Any successful business keeps record of its employees, products and clients and the best way to do that is with a software management program. There are different types of programs available that can keep track of large spas and small ones. The programs are equipped to track as few as one and up to dozens of employees, and it can track hundreds and thousands of clients. Every spa owner wants to be able to drum up new business by being able to offer the most advanced techniques and services to their client. That is where word of mouth and more business comes from.

Try Some Free Demos Today!

If you’re interested in the software that’s available you can try a salon software free demo from a variety of providers. See what’s out there and hopefully you’ll find a package that’s perfect for your spa or salon!

From IT/Technology Tech! – Q&A

While many anti-aging treatments such as wrinkle fillers and Botox focus on hiding the signs of aging, the most effective anti-aging treatments are designed to actively rejuvenate the skin, providing it with a better appearance, elasticity, firmness and moisture.

One exciting new medical spa treatment of this nature is called LED skin rejuvenation. This process uses light to encourage skin cells to multiple and produce collagen, which gives youthful skin its natural firmness. Unlike many popular laser treatments for more youthful skin, this process does not start by damaging the skin to promote growth. This makes the procedure safer than laser skin treatments and also reduces recovery time from any redness or swelling. While LED skin rejuvenation does require several treatments over a few weeks or months, it is pain free, unlike laser procedures. Read more …

Designer Fabio Milito has created an ingenious business card for MODhair, a rock ‘n’ roll-themed hair salon in Italy. Shaped like a comb, this card will play a snippet of The Rolling Stones’ hit “Satisfaction” when you brush your finger across its teeth. This follows the same basic principles of a music box.

A comb that plays rock music–this is indeed a very clever card that represents its business well. If any of you are visiting Rome, look out for it and shoot a video of the MODhair card in action. We’d very much like to see it.

(Source: Crave Asia via Notcot)