Ffion Evans is on a mission to break the stigma around working in the beauty industry and explains there's a lot more to it than meets the eye. Studying Level 3 Beauty Therapy Massage, Ffion shares her love for beauty with her family and is so grateful to work at hair and beauty salon Pearce and Chapman.
My mam taught me all about self-care
Since I was little, my mam would organise pamper days. Any occasion would be an opportunity to have face masks and pedicures. It was always my favourite kind of day and that’s where my love for beauty started.
I’m one of eight - I have three sisters and four brothers. They love what I do and are very supportive. If I need to practice, they are first to volunteer and love the fact they get free treatments.
There’s more to beauty than you think
Speaking openly about beauty, I felt people would dumb it down. There’s still a stigma that surrounds it. People have even said to me that beauty is an easy option.
Four years into my career and I can safely say it isn’t for the fainthearted. Studying Level 3 massage can be challenging and requires understanding about the medical side of things.
People underestimate beauty therapists. Until you work in the industry, you don’t realise how specialist it is. Once I explain what we do, people are surprised with how much you need to know.
From understanding skin biology, anatomy and physiology, to keeping up with the latest trends, products, and techniques. There’s a lot to learn. It requires a high level of understanding.
Discovering my passion for massage
When I started my Level 3 apprenticeship, I fell in love with the holistic side of beauty. Level 2 was great as I was able to learn a bit of everything but as I progressed, I discovered my passion for massage.
I never knew about apprenticeships when I was in school. I went to college and quickly realised it wasn’t for me. After leaving to find a job, a salon had mentioned an apprenticeship and I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it sooner.
I gained very little training at college. You would pay a lot of money for your beauty kit, but would only get to do practical once a week. It wasn’t enough to keep it fresh in your mind.
Doing an apprenticeship, you receive more practical training and gain first-hand experience with the clients. You learn a lot faster as well and are more likely to get a job at the end.
Learn more about our courses in beauty therapy.
