During your career as a lash or brow artist, you may be asked to perform a treatment on a client who has recently passed away. This may come as a shock to some people but is becoming increasingly popular in our industry.

You may be asked by the client themselves beforehand or by a family member after your client has passed away.

If asked by your client personally, be honest with them if you have never had a request like this before, if you feel you would like to carry out this treatment you should sit down with your client privately and listen to their exact wishes as you may not be able to give them the style they would normally have but ensure them that you will do your utmost to replicate their request.

If a family member approaches you to carry out the treatment, again, you would sit down privately with them and listen to their wishes, always remember that you know what style your client would normally have for their lashes and you may have to explain to the family member that it might not be entirely possible to style them as normal but, again, reassure them that you will do your utmost to replicate the style required.

Some people ask for their hair to be styled or for make-up to be applied and now they can request for lashes to be applied as well, which shows how much the lash industry has evolved.

This is where our professionalism comes to the core!

Some people may not feel able to perform the treatment, especially if they have never experienced seeing or touching someone who has passed away, but I hope this article will give you some insight as to how you would go about this and what is involved in the treatment if you are ever requested to carry it out.

Lashing someone who is deceased is maybe a daunting task, but it is also a very rewarding one.

It may be a good idea to meet with the funeral directors and maybe allow them to show you around the area where you would be carrying out the treatment, just to familiarise yourself with the surroundings.

They can also give you an insight as to how the person will look and feel compared to when you styled them before they passed away.

When someone dies, the body has to be taken through the embalming process. The purpose of embalming is to disinfect, temporarily preserve and restore a person's body to a more natural appearance to allow for the viewing of the body.

After embalming is complete, cosmetics can then be used if requested by the deceased or deceased’s family; this can be a full make-up, a certain hair style and/or a full lash/brow application.

If you are requested to carry out any type of lashes on a client who has passed away there are a few things you need to take into consideration:

The type or style of lashes the client normally had from you may not be achievable, having previously discussed this with the client or family beforehand will allow you to be prepared for what you can achieve.

The timing of the procedure – if you normally spent 2-3 hours styling your client, you may not have that amount of time allotted to you and you may need to make some compromises to ensure you can finish the treatment in the allotted time, check with the funeral director to find out how long you have to carry out the treatment.

Cleansing – The cleansing process is carried out during embalming, so, there is no need to cleanse the lashes, just brush through gently to separate or de-tangle before you begin the process.

Isolation – this is going to be more difficult as you will not have the same flexibility around the eye area. The eyes will have been closed prior to your treatment, do not worry too much about isolating each individual lash for this particular treatment, you will use your brush more than your isolating tweezers. Closing of the eyes involves eye caps which work a lot like contact lenses in the way they are inserted. Eye caps are plastic and serve two purposes: they maintain a natural curvature of the eye, and they have little ridges to help keep the eyelids closed.

You may want to create a lash map beforehand, although you will be familiar with your clients mapping, in this situation it may help you if you are maybe nervous about carrying out the treatment, even just to have the lash map next to you to give you some reassurance.

Eye gel pads/tape – as it will be difficult to apply tape it is best just to slip or slide the eye gel pads under the lashes. There is no need to cover the lower lashes, but the eye gel pad will prevent any adhesive going on the skin or lashes sticking to the skin. They will also prevent the tweezers from causing any unnecessary dents in the skin, again, use your brush.

If you have difficulty applying eye gel pads just leave them off and be aware of your pressure with the tweezers to avoid dents and use a minimum amount of adhesive to avoid getting it on the skin.

Due to the massive reduction in body temperature and the natural lashes being more brittle your adhesive might take longer to dry so try to use a quick drying adhesive if you can.

If you normally apply volume to your client, you might want to pre-make your fans the day before to cut down on time and also if you are feeling nervous.

If you think you are going to struggle with the treatment at all you may want to apply express lashes, you will still be able to achieve a beautiful set of lashes for your client.

You may want to take with you an adjustable beauty stool as the client will be laid out in their coffin and you will be unaware of the height you need to be sitting at to comfortably apply the lashes.

Being well prepared in advance will make the whole experience a little easier for you and allow the treatment to be carried out smoothly, professionally and with great care.

To be asked to lash a client who has passed away is a privilege and an honour, it means that they and the family trust you and appreciate your service to your client.

You may want to request that a family member or members, or a funeral director be with you in the room just to put you at ease, or, if the family member struggles whilst being there, the funeral director will be on hand and they are familiar with these types of requests.

If you have never seen or touched someone who has passed away, it may come as a shock to you how cold the person feels. It is extremely hard to explain, and everyone experiences it differently, please be prepared for this, they will be extremely cold. A good idea is to wear disposable gloves and also place a small towel on the client’s forehead while you work, this will make the treatment much easier and more comfortable for you.

Ensure that you have organised all your tools and equipment beforehand and only take with you what you will need as you may not have a lot of space to work, this is why it is a good idea to see the area and set up of the room before the actual day of the treatment.

You will be sending this person on their last journey with beautiful lashes, take a deep breath, be confident in yourself and remember them as they were and how good you made them feel when you lashed them in their physical life.

I hope you found this article helpful.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact me.

Kim Gibb

I did that some 33 years ago, when I began my training to become a massage therapist. I was 34 years of age when I began, having already owned and built a small bakery business which I purchased in 1976 at the age of 21. During the fourteen years that I owned it, I grew the turnover from £9k a year to £1.76m The only reason that I include this piece of information is that it gives a little insight to my character, I am, by every measure, a serial entrepreneur. I love to build things. Probably a good thing, as I had left school at 16 without a qualification to my name, and certainly no chance of going to university.

When you work for yourself you learn a thing or two about business, or you go bust! I managed to get more things right than wrong, but only by trial and error, take my word for it I made plenty of errors! There are common threads in both careers, as stated above, I love to build things, also I need to do what I do, to the very highest standard possible, and perhaps the driving force behind everything, is that I love to really learn my subject matter, be that bread and confectionary or massage.

I was a regular recipient of massage whilst running my bakery business, and remember with clarity, a conversation with Neil the therapist at his home about my decision to sell my business and train to become a therapist. He smiled and asked me to look out the window, he pointed to my car which was parked in his courtyard, I owned a Ferrari at the time. He said your car, and then pointed to his own car, which was a 10 year old wreck of a Volvo. He said “John, there is no money in massage” My thought at the time was, “I bet there is, you just don’t know how to make it.” Today, as I write this, I believe my thought was arrogant and inappropriate, thank goodness I did not actually verbalize it!

I sold my bakery business early in 1990, took a little time off, and started to seek out different colleges to teach me massage. I quickly learned that even a full time course was only a commitment of a couple of days a week or so, many were over weekends, and some evening classes too. I was used to working 80 hours a week in the bakery, so this was going to be a doddle.

I decided that I could attend several college courses at the same time, having realised very early on, that the practical aspects of massage concentrated on technique, and the cerebral, on anatomy and physiology. I quickly realised that technique, was just technique, or better described as “how hard you press somebody, and with what” Anatomy and physiology varied on the different courses, but here again, I realised that I did not have to study the A&P of each college course, I simply had to study the highest level of anatomy, at one of the colleges to be able to pass at all the others. At the time that was at the London School of Sports Massage.

It was during this time that I had my first insight to the problems of becoming a massage therapist, and that is the quality of information that is taught. As explained, I was attending several colleges simultaneously and learning A&P at each of the colleges. I remember one particular test question, it appeared to be innocuous enough, “What is respiration”

My answer at the time was “Inspiration, expiration or breathing, the actions of the diaphragm ” My paper came back marked with a zero! The correct answer is “The gaseous exchange at a cellular level”

I was annoyed, but also fascinated, so much so that I read up about it, and could even draw an example of it. To my absolute joy a few weeks later, the exact same question came up at the London School of Sports Massage.

I gave the correct answer and drew my diagram. To my astonishment, my paper came back marked with a zero! When I questioned the principle of the college, he said he wanted the answer to be about breathing, inspiration, expiration and the actions of the diaphragm. I tried to explain that he had asked the wrong question, and that respiration only occurred at a cellular level and had nothing to do with breathing and the actions of the diaphragm. To say I was incensed is an understatement! I was told, I could retake the question and provide the answer that he wanted to hear, or I could take the zero mark. I opted to take zero, which may give you another little insight about my character!

Having gathered a decent collection of massage qualifications plus fitness instructor and weight lifting qualifications I set about starting my business, I did a few home visits, but never intended to continue to do so, it was simply not commercial viable as far as I could see. I managed to get a room at a Gym in Aylesbury and my therapy career began. I had a reasonable number of qualifications, I was enthusiastic and I am built for massage (6ft-2inch and the better part of 15 stone at the time, and big strong hands)

I was perhaps fortunate in that I became busy, very quickly, I had regular clients and people generally were pleased with the massage treatments that I provided. I was still very inexperienced, made loads of mistakes, but I was learning every day. Within 18 months of starting, I was doing forty hours a week of massage! It is now that I need to reflect on the words of my therapist Neil. “John there is no money in massage” That was clearly untrue, I was earning £600 for a forty hour week, (equivalent to around £1,300 per week today) now, to give you some context an hours massage cost £15 and this was more than thirty years ago!

But, Neil knew something that I did not. It is simply this, It is neither sensible or smart to do forty hours of massage each week and be able to sustain it. You will damage your wrists and back if you attempt to do so. I know, because that is what happened to me.

I went from being able to do forty hours of massage a week, to a point that I could not even put my finger tips together, I was devastated. Less than 18 months after I started my life as a therapist, my career looked doomed……

I will admit to you all that I have always felt a little ashamed or embarrassed about my lack of educational qualifications from my schooling, however with the wisdom that accompanies age, I think differently about it now. It is true to say that when I went to college to learn massage and anatomy and physiology I was presented with something that would test my ability to learn, and that in turn, taught me something else about me and my character.

I can still remember with great detail the first muscle I ever learned in the human body, it is called the Sternocleidomastoid, I remember looking at that word in my blissful ignorance of that time and thinking “Who bloody hell came up with that as a word”? Why have they made it so difficult to understand, my curiosity had been provoked! So I looked it up in a medical dictionary and discovered the “etymology” or in simpler terms ,the roots of the word. “Sterno” comes from the Latin “Sternon” which means breastbone or related to the sternum” Cleido comes from another Latin word, Clavicle or little key, it relates to the collarbone. And finally, Mastoid comes from the Greek word Mastos or Breast shaped. What I had begun to learn was that most of the science of Medicine is founded in the languages of Latin and Greek, with a bit of German and French thrown in to confuse us! But Latin and Greek can be truly descriptive. The word Sternocleidomastoid was telling me where the muscle comes from and goes to. I am a muscle that originates on the sternum and clavicle and I insert onto the mastoid process of temporal bone. Genius! I was in love. Wow, the word actually describes something really useful. Sadly, Latin and Greek was not taught at my School, but you will now probably see why most Doctors have a classical education, which includes Latin and Greek. Clearly they went to a far better School than I did at the time!

I have studied and latterly, taught anatomy for the vast majority of my time as a therapist, it has both fascinated me, and intrigued me, and the more I learned, the more I realised that I had to learn. But given enough time, which for me is thirty years and counting, you can amass quite a lot of knowledge. I have always found that the more I know, the more I can do as a therapist, equally, I learned in the bakery, that the harder I worked, the luckier I became, strange isn’t it?

Back to my problem with my wrists and back. I could see the problem, my wrists were extended, and I was applying a good deal of force through my wrists, primarily through the carpal bones. This is known as “Carpal compression”, interestingly, most compression forces things together, but in the case of the wrists, it forces the carpal bones apart! This is what some therapists experience, as the wrists effectively become loose, unstable, and very painful! The opposite of compression it expansion but to achieve this I needed to do a massage that consisted of “pulling, rather than “pushing”. To my certain knowledge, massage has applied techniques that pushed rather than pulled for at least 5,000 years, so it was not something that was generally done.

I already knew that I could use my elbows and forearms, but these lacked the intricate feedback that you can get with the hands, I had even learned how to use an Ayurvedic method of using the feet, but these required the therapist to be able to support themselves using ropes or chains suspended from the ceiling, fine in Southern India, where I learned the technique, but ropes and chains hanging from the ceiling in my clinic in rural Buckinghamshire, That’s a different proposition!

I began my worldwide search for a solution, but could find nothing. It was whilst reading an article in an American magazine on contusion and haematomas, and how some therapists were working using plastic bags full of very cold water and alcohol to reduce swelling and inflammatory processes in muscles, that I saw a picture of a bag of water on the thigh of an enormous American footballer, that it struck me….Water, water could be the solution. If I had a large bag of water that someone could lay upon, I might be able to slide my hands beneath the client and do at least part of the massage by pulling, rather than pushing, the idea of Hydrotherm was born!

It took me less than twenty minutes to draw my basic Idea of a large plastic bag with a simple watertight filler cap in one corner. Another hour with a ridiculous book called Yellow Pages and I found a small company that specialised in making plastic bags, called them and arranged to go and see them with my idea. Within a week I had an example in my hands that I could test.

I am perhaps fortunate, in having friends and fellow therapists from the world of beauty, and one of these called Debbie, agreed to be a model for me whilst I tried to fathom out how I could work with massage by pulling rather than pushing. Debbie was amazingly tolerant and understanding, but she could see something and more importantly feel something that I could not. I remember her words with great clarity. John have you any idea what you have done? Yes I replied, I think I have managed to solve my problem! No, was her reply, you have solved an industry problem!

This story has much further to go, but I was asked if I would explain a little of the history of how and why I designed Hydrotherm, and I think I have just about managed the basics of that.

Today, The Hydrotherm business has around 3,800 therapists here in the UK. We have a reputation for high quality training that is second to none, but we are still just a small family business. You can learn more here www.hydrotherm.co.uk

I have some thirty three years of massage under my belt, and somewhere between 55,000 and 60,00 hours of hands on experience. I am fortunate to have one of the most successful specialist massage therapy businesses in the UK. You can learn a little about it here www.massagematters.clinic

My way of thinking has opened opportunities beyond my wildest dreams and that includes my role as Director of massage training for the massage company, the fastest expanding massage therapy business in Europe, we now have eight centres and employ around 120 therapists here in the UK. You can learn more about that business here if you would like www.massagecompany.co.uk

There is so much ore that I could share with you about how to build a successful massage business, or massage for those with cancer. It might have to wait until I get enough time to write my book on the subject, but we shall see.

I hope that any readers of this will find it interesting

Best wishes

John

John Holman

Tel: 01296 714254

Email: info@hydrotherm.co.uk

Web: https://hydrotherm.co.uk/

Social Media Links: https://qrco.de/bdJKL8

If you are considering a career in the Beauty industry there are a few issues you may want to consider beforehand to establish which route you should take and which will work best for you.

If you are already a qualified beauty/holistic therapist, lash technician or nail technician you may be considering additional training to enhance your portfolio, this article will help you decide which route to take.

We all have different lifestyles and commitments, so what works for one person may not suit you, take into consideration some of the points listed below.

College pros

• More hours spent in class with supervision from trainer, if you are practising at home you won't have the trainer there to keep you right. You may find it difficult to commit to practice out with college hours.

• New friends and relationships can be formed when you are attending college for a period of time. It gives you a chance to socialise with people who are interested in the same industry as yourself.

• More funding is available through government schemes in colleges compared to private training providers. This can make a huge difference to some people.

• More time for practical work as you will be attending regularly and carrying out practical work on a constant basis with supervision from trainer.

• Childcare facilities are available for people undertaking full time college courses.

• External or additional courses are sometimes available to advance or further your education.

Private pros

• Qualifications are obtained in a short period of time as private courses are usually from 1 day to 5 days training depending on the qualification.

• Private training providers tend to have smaller groups which may suit some people who don't feel comfortable in larger groups and may feel overwhelmed. In a smaller group some people may find it easier to ask questions and speak out if there is anything they are not sure of during the training period.

• Smaller groups can mean a more one to one time with the trainer, they will have more time to spend individually with students compared to training a large number of people.

• Private training providers tend to keep more up to date with new trends and training and can be more versatile with courses they offer.

• Private training providers are more flexible in the courses they offer which means students can build up their portfolio and only undertake courses they are interested in learning.

College cons

• It takes longer to qualify as most courses are offered on a full time/part time or evening timetable.

• College groups tend to be much larger, some people may find this intimidating and would prefer a smaller intimate environment.

• College lecturers may have less time to spend with individual students due to large numbers in classes and timetables can be strict, they may not have time for questions or problems after class.

• More time will be spent in class covering theory work which some people would prefer to do at home after initial practical training.

• You have to commit to the college timetable once you have enrolled on your course and attend regularly to avoid missing any tuition within the course so as not to fall behind.

Private cons

• As most private training courses are short and fast track you may not have time to get to know your fellow students or build new friendships.

• Private training can be expensive with less funding available compared to college training.

• Most private courses will be self funded.

• You will have a limited period of time to spend on practical work so you have to commit to lots of practice out with the training course.

• Finding reputable training schools can be quite difficult as there are many offering training which may not be accredited by an awarding body or charging huge training fees for not much training.

I have 5 years of experience working as a college lecturer and 11 years of experience as a private trainer, both have been very rewarding and I have met some lovely people during my teaching career. In my opinion it depends on each individual which route they should take, if you are opting for college training it is a very big commitment as far as attendance is concerned, whereas with private training you will spend much less time attending but will have to commit to working hard out with the training days.

Whatever route you decide to go, do your research and find out as much information as you can before making a commitment.

Working in the beauty industry is hard work but a very rewarding career, be prepared to set aside sufficient time for studying and practicing. Keep up to date with new trends and aim to be the best you possibly can. There is huge competition in regards to our industry and I’m sure this will continue in the future so it is worth considering all the facts before you commit to any training.

Below are quotes from Ellen J Burt Stewart, Carolyn Carroll, Heather McMurray, Donna Black and Leanne Harber. All from a variety of teaching & learning backgrounds.

Here are the thoughts on college versus private from industry experts from a variety of backgrounds:

Ellen J Burt Stewart - Educator

“I think college training offers inclusion in that, it’s accessible to everyone regardless of ability, financial status and, personal restrictions, like child care. College courses however, tend to have large numbers in each class and the curriculum is set within strict guidelines with limited resources determined by tight budgets. Private training can be expensive, therefore not always accessible, but offers training in smaller numbers, so more one to one attention, and courses are on line with current up to date trends.”

Donna Black – Massage Therapist at Sole-to-Sole Salon

‘After having worked in the care sector for a number of years and gaining degree status through college and university, I decided I would like a career change, I wanted to go down the route of Holistic Therapy. After having experienced college and university I felt I didn’t want to be attending and committing to college for a number of years, I then researched private training and decided this would be the best route for me to take, I found private 1-1 training was an excellent way to learn a new skill and apart from working in a salon I have also incorporated Holistic Therapy into my work as a support worker offering service users calming, relaxing treatments in their own environment. Although I enjoyed college and university at the time, it was a very big commitment and I found the private training I received, although less time consuming, was the correct route to take for me at that time.

Carolyn Carroll - Owner of The Beauty Post Salon

“I found with following private training that I had more confidence in my treatments due to more personalised instruction from my trainer. Any areas that I struggled with were picked up quicker than in a college environment due to large class numbers. I feel I have more confidence and skills carrying out nail treatments than the students that studied in college, and they have agreed with me.”

Heather McMurray - Team leader at The Priory Group

"As a single mother I feel college can be a huge commitment for most and it may not suit your family needs, i.e. childcare, funding and time. I believe from my personal experience being a single parent I found it very difficult to find the correct life balance. I did my own research online and found so many independent companies who could help give me the qualifications I needed to fulfil my current role without all the added stress of college commitment. My experience with private training was very positive. I felt it was personal centred to my specific needs, as well as having more direct learning and 1-1 support with my lecturer. I would highly recommend private training especially for full time working mothers."

Leanne Harber - Owner of Ultimate

"My name is Leanne Harber, and I have been in the Beauty Industry for 28 years - around 18 years of this as a trainer myself. I have both been taught in a college environment, private courses and now as a trainer with my own Academy. I opted for private training as this was best for me, and here's the reasons why; I am dyslexic and consequently a very visual learner, so for me it was all about the practical. I found college courses focused a lot on paperwork and I really didn't suit my needs. Also, I found that having 1 college tutor for 16+ students wasn't efficient and didn't feel I received enough time with the tutor. Whilst my dyslexia has been a challenge I am a very quick learner, and the college environment just didn't suit my practical skill needs. Therefore, I went down the short course route and absolutely loved it. Some people don't think the short course is sufficient, however, for me I still did all the reading and research, but in my own time. Going back to teaching, I did enjoy teaching in a college environment - I would go to the college and deliver the advance day courses or workshops. Again, as I alluded to earlier regarding the time spent by tutors with individual students, I also felt I couldn't give enough time that I would like to each student. With my short course I am able to give each student sufficient time individually which ultimately allows me to feel I have done my job properly. This blog is an excellent way to provide a view of both sides, as everyone is different and has a preferred way of learning and/or teaching. Hopefully colleges can look to either improve or tailor their courses for students which I feel will only help the student and the experience of their courses." Leanne x

I hope this helps in some small way to guide you on the correct career choice for you!

If you have any questions or would like some help with your training decisions please contact me at info@beautyindustryapproval.com FAO Kim.

Kim Gibb

BIA Assessor & Verifier