I’m a master tanner as well as a professional waxer but I don’t often take photos of my work as I’m there to make client’s feel better in themselves but almost every person who gets naked for a treatment apologise. Apologise because they’ve put on weight, have cellulite, not shaved/waxed their legs, not polished their nails etc. Everything they apologise for is because their confidence is knocked by what the media portray as perfection. The plain and simple truth is nobody is perfect. Constantly striving for perfection can be counter-productive and unattainable. As one persons version of perfection is not another. The age old saying os true - Beauty (and perfection) is in the eye of the beholder. There is always someone smarter, more attractive, and funnier than us. Perfection gives us a false sense that there is a ceiling to achieve, some level of the ‘right’ way to be. Just be yourself and accept your imperfection...that's what makes you, you.
This issue I believe started in the media and has now spread to social media. I separate my social media accounts - work, blog, vlog and a personal one as I only want my nearest and dearest to see me as I truly am and what I am up to. Too many people analyse to look at the negative whereas I’m always a ‘half glass full, lets top it up’ kinda gal. As soon as I get ‘I’m sorry but I have put on so much weight’ comment, I always say ‘haven’t we all at some point’. I like to ask ‘what parts do you like?’ Let’s balance the negatives with positives. A lot of people are now more body conscious than ever because of the pressures of photographs in all media formats. I have clients of all shapes and sizes that make references to every part of their body they dislike and Social Media appears to be flooded with the perfect face, perfect body, perfect hair and perfect life but in actual fact, the people who post the most about these aren’t that happy - they are following the trend, brain washed as to what is perfect which is mostly filtered. Why were filters designed? to hide flaws and imperfections. Most photographs in social media are filtered and I’ve a client who edited models photographs for papers and magazines since the 80’s.m I have also been reading a lot where plastic surgeons are being requested to operate so that the client looks like their filtered photo. The world has seriously gone crazy.
Unlike hairdressing, makeup artists, designers etc Social Media is so difficult when you are in the wax game. I mean, even if I wanted to ask (and get a client to agree and sign GPDR form) to a discreet ‘before and after’ photo of their intimate area, would you really want to see it? I see some worldwide waxers post this onto their Social Media. I’m used to working with intimate areas but it still amazes me; surely seeing an area of skin with removed hair isn’t going to make you book in like having an amazing transformation of balayage photo. Maybe I’m prudish or old fashioned (which considering what I specialise in seems odd) but what goes on in the wax room, should stay in the wax room and that includes photos.
Currently, Social Media is about the perfect face, perfect body, perfect hair and portraying the perfect life but in actual fact, the people who post the most about these items are more than likely brainwashed into the trend. I made a vow that as of 2019, I was removing all personal photos from my work social media and no more reviews screens hotted onto social media, I’m leaving them on Google or my website. My way of thinking is, if you’ re a potential client looking at having a treatment with me, I have either been recommended by a client or you’ve found me on Google - either way you’ve been told or will have read it there. My client’s do not need to know what they already know so no more flaunting it. However, I do love the #kittysanddickyshalloffame. This is always a funny text or WhatsApp from a client that shows what lovely clients I have and hopefully you can see what a great and funny relationship we have. Find out for yourself. Saying that, the stories I could tell you would make you cry, sometimes with laughter and sometimes with sadness. I hear it all. Now that’s something you can’t put on Social Media. I do put it on my anonymous blog and I have a podcast coming soon, thanks to a tv producer asking, so watch this space!