voices
Promoting Personal Maintenance
That Supports Industry Growth
A Closer Look at ‘Home Care’ vs. ‘DIY’ Home Treatments
BY SHEILA FREDRIKSEN
SHEILA FREDRIKSEN
has been a licensed
manicurist since 1997,
specializing in a natural
approach to hand foot and
nail care. She is the mastermind, creator and CEO of
NONTOXIQUE professional
holistic skin care for the
hands, feet and nails, the first
100 percent active natural
skin-care line for manicurists.
She is motivated to educate
spas, manicurists and the
media on the importance of
the hands and feet, the value
and benefits of proper spa
and home care, and providing
accurate information that
helps bridge the gap between
those who report and those
who serve in the spa. She is a
member of the International
Spa Association, the
Professional Beauty
Association and is based in
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
48 PULSE
■
December 2011
I
t’s hard enough in today’s economic climate to stay afloat, let alone thrive. And for one area of
the spa/salon experience, some of us who hold the title “manicurist” feel undervalued especially
amidst media-driven “Do-It-Yourself” (DIY) home treatments in the name of saving money, doing
a better job than the professional, or suggesting professional nail services are just not safe. While
DIY is not exclusive to hand or foot treatments, a lower-value perception—due to a lack of understanding and education of the hands and feet—make this specific area of service the primary target for
media-driven DIY instruction.
After conversations with manicurists across the country, there is one thing many of us agree
on: Promoting DIY undermines the credibility, importance, safety and value of professional treatments, particularly in our area of service. This leads us to the big question: Why doesn’t the
media partner with licensed, credible manicurists for consumer home care tips that are accurate,
safe, productive, and that support what we do, not devalue it?
ADDRESSING CONCERNS STARTS WITH US
The idea behind spa treatments is that they provide value and enhance the well-being of the
client, no matter what the treatment may be. After all, spa treatments with licensed professionals
mean clients receive customized expert care backed by education and according to their needs,
right? In theory that would be correct, but after speaking to Janet McCormick, a licensed nail technician since 1980, esthetician since 1993, industry educator, and a prolific writer of many industry
topics with over 300 articles behind her, that is simply not the case.
According to McCormick, “The top reason consumers follow DIY treatments over professional
is economic.” But it goes much deeper. She adds, “It’s about education.” Although DIY instruction
is too general to be considered safe for everyone, the major gap in education and sanitary protocols in the nail department, mixed with bad press, make it easy for consumers to feel they are
better off tending to their own hands and feet at home.