Ok, so you landed the job of your dreams! You finally got into aesthetics. WHOOP! The glitz and glam are right around the corner. Everything you’re learning it fascinating and you get to make your future clients feel beautiful inside…
How To Get More Clients As a New Injector
Ok, so you landed the job of your dreams! You finally got into aesthetics. WHOOP! The glitz and glam are right around the corner. Everything you’re learning it fascinating and you get to make your future clients feel beautiful inside and out. But, how exactly are you going to get these clients? How will they find you? How will they know how passionate and freaking awesome you are?!
How do you get more clients as a new injector?
This is the BIG hurdle that will take your dream job from being just a dream to sustaining your lifestyle. And depending on how you’re getting compensated for your work, the number of clients coming to see you could matter a great deal. Hourly pay workers may not care so much about their books being full if they make the same amount working 8 hours with nothing to do or 8 hours being booked to the brim. On the other hand, commission based compensation structures benefit greatly from a fully booked schedule.
You can find a breakdown of my first year of pay as an injector here. And I have a video version if you’d prefer here.
Here are my top 4 tips on how to get more clients as a new injector in the aesthetics field.
Reviews
I try to remember to ask any new clients how they found my clinic or how they found me personally. The top two answers I receive are: Google/Yelp reviews and Instagram. I’d argue that clients that come to me through review or referral are the most valuable of them all.
REVIEWS ARE GOLD. I cannot stress this enough.
When I was a newbie I took getting reviews very seriously. People trust you more when you’re recommended by someone else. Even if that someone else is just a user name on a website. Why do we all love Amazon so much? Not only because it’s fast, but because there are SO MANY REVIEWS. Not knowing the seller or anything about the product doesn’t matter as much when there are thousands of reviews to back up a product.
There are absolutely those people that randomly end up on your schedule, yes. They needed Botox, they Googled aesthetics clinics on the internet, and they booked for the next day with whichever provider was available. It happens. But it’s rare.
What you WANT is a client in your seat that already completely trusts you because all these strangers on the internet had the best things to say about you. Sounds great, right?
But how do you get said reviews?
I promise it’s not difficult. You really just need to ask. There are some earth angels that will leave you a review just because they had an amazing experience. But it’s more human-like to leave spontaneous reviews after you’ve had a POOR experience. It’s just how people are. So the trick here is to ask those clients that you clicked with. The ones that had a great experience or maybe you gave them a great outcome. Or maybe they are your relative and they allowed you to practice on them. Doesn’t matter. But you need to ask!
I found that the easiest way to ask was after their appointment. If someone reaches out to you (for me this is mostly on IG) to tell you they love their tox results or they love their new lips, this is how you should respond:
“OMG I’m so glad your happy! It would mean the world to me if you could write me a review whenever you find a minute”.
or
“AHHHH! I’m obsessed with how they turned out! If you feel called to leave me a review there’s a link in my bio. I’d appreciate you so much!”
The return rate on this method is HIGH! I’d say about 80-90%! This person loves you! They reached out to let you know. So you know their review will be stellar. Trust me, try it.
If you aren’t having people reaching out, here’s something else you can try. During an appointment, I like to tell people to send me a message so I remember to send them their before and after photos. Most people want possession of these, for themselves or to show friends. It also opens the door for them to contact you.
It can absolutely get overwhelming to have lots of clients DMing or texting you. But for me, its been very valuable to have that open line of communication. So when they do send you that message. You send them their pictures and add on a phrase like the examples above.
Social Media
Social media is my number one driver of clients to my schedule.
Don’t gloss over this section if you aren’t a social media person! This is especially for you. I’ll be speaking mostly to Instagram because it’s what I’m most familiar with, it works for me, and I believe its one of the best platforms for aesthetic professionals. Because it is a visual platform, it’s a great way to have an online searchable portfolio where potential clients can find you.
In order for your social media to help your business, you do NOT have to become a full on influencer. I know there are many ‘insta famous’ injectors out there but unless that’s your goal, you do not need to follow their lead.
Take people along the journey
If you’re brand new, be excited and share about it!! People are so interested in the career paths of others. If you have lot’s of nurse friends they’ll absolutely want to follow along. So even if you don’t have jaw dropping before and afters to share right at the beginning, share the other stuff! You’re trainings and the basics are a great place to start. For example: reconstituting a vial of Botox may not seem very exciting to you, but it may be to your audience! You don’t know what you don’t know. Try to remember all the mysterious thing you learned in your first days and weeks and share them on your socials.
Show behind the scenes
What are you doing when you’re not injecting?
Maybe lerning modules, maybe watching Patreon videos, maybe coloring a face chart to learn all of the muscles. Whatever it is, share it! This shows your building your knowledge base! This shows you care!
Share before and afters
In the beginning of your career, most of your time will be spent training. Hopefully your practice has a system set up for you to be able to practice your knew skills on models that will allow you to share their photos. SHARE THESE. If there’s one you’re not particularly over the moon about, don’t share that one, lol. There are no rules here, it’s your page. Just know that anyone who finds you on social media will be scrolling through your account to see your work.
Talk to the camera
This may be the most uncomfortable part for many of you but it’s the most important. Almost daily I’ll meet a new client that tells me they feel like they already know me because they’ve been following my social accounts already.
This is what you want! It’s SO EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to be yourself. Do not mimic another influencer you like. Don’t amp up your personality for the camera. Be exactly who you normally are and you will attract others that are like you. If you’re not genuine on your social media two poor outcomes willl manifest: 1. you’ll attract people who related to your fake personality. People you probably wouldn’t associate with in the real world. 2. Those people will meet you and feel disappointed. They won’t trust you. And they most likely won’t return.
Be a Friend
Sometimes, I feel like my schedule is full of people that I truly love and just wanted to hang out for a few minutes! I know this sounds silly but it’s true!
Service based professionals are literally therapists for some people. You know how you unload onto your hairdresser or your lash tech? You see them regularly enough to build a relationship but spaced out enough to have lots of updates for them at every meeting. And they’re removed from your immediate friend group enough that you can tell them anything? That’s the same as an injector!
You’re providing a service while also providing a listening ear or a warm hug.
It’s truly a blessing to be in that position. But this is extremely individualized. Not everyone is friendly warm and cuddly. Not everyone puts out the vibe of “come hang out! let’s chat!” Now I don’t want you to be phony and act completely out of character. But whatever type of friend you are in real life, be that type of friend to your clients.
It will keep them coming back to you and it will have them referring their real life friends to you. The number of times I’ve heard “oh my gosh my friend told me about you and she’s totally obsessed with you so I had to come”…this tells me that the being a friend aspect is not to be ignored.
Continuing Education
So many of my clients will send me Instagram Reels or TikTok videos from injector educators. The population is educating themselves more and more these days. There is so much information at everyones fingertips that you CANNOT maintain the clients you have without staying up to date with the latest trends and technology.
A client will see right through you if you don’t really understand what you’re talking about or if you’re lying through your teeth. Your trust factor will increase tenfold if you are actively seeking out new knowledge and new techniques to bring to your clients.
Seek out training opportunities, subscribe to a few Patreon accounts of injectors you admire, and soak up all the free content you possibly can on social media. A few of my favorites to follow are:
- Injector Bunny https://www.instagram.com/injectorbunny/
- PA Nicola https://www.instagram.com/pa_nicola/
- Jubilant Julie https://www.instagram.com/jubilant.julie/
All of these methods will take time to reap their rewards but it will be SO worth it in the long run. You are literally nothing without your clients. An educated and talented injector is nothing without someone to inject!
This article was about how to get more clients as a new injector.
Aesthetic Nurse Salary | What I made in my first year as an aesthetic nurse.
Aesthetic nursing is made to look extremely glamorous on social media. It all seems like rainbows and butterflies and WHY THE HECK would you not want this to be your career?! But what about the aesthetic nurse salary? Is it comparable to what you make at the bedside? Will you need to take a pay cut? Or can it be insanely lucrative?
In this blog post I’m going to go over my OWN aesthetic nurse salary, with real transparent numbers.
Pay Structure
There are a variety of ways an aesthetic nurse might be paid:
- hourly
- commission
- hourly + commission
- hourly + potential bonuses
Depending on the type of environment, the pay structure may differ. I go into a little more detail about this in this blog post here: [AESTHETIC VS. BEDSIDE NURSING]. And also in a YouTube video that you can watch HERE. But in my own experience, I started off on an hourly pay structure.
Knowing what I know now, this is what I recommend for anyone starting in this field. Why? Because you don’t have any clients. Nobody knows about you. And you might not be good at what you do yet.
I know that sounds super harsh but it’s true. You’re going to want some reliable income while you’re training, learning, and building clientele. Once you have your skills down pat, a good social media presence, and a little demand to get in your chair…that’s when you’ll want to consider another pay structure.
You may not have any say in this whatsoever, but I’ve been very lucky to have a boss that is looking out for my best interest.
So I began my new career in April of 2022. I remained an hourly wage employee until September 2022. At that point my boss had a conversation with me, telling me it would be in my best interest to switch to a commission based pay structure. She told me that I’d make substantially more working the same number of hours, or even less.
Coming from the hospital, where everything is predictable and stable, this was a little terrifying to consider. My paycheck would directly reflect my work output. But knowing myself, I said yes. I love competition, mostly against myself. I love having goals to work toward. So I trusted her and we made the switch.
I’ll be sharing actual numbers in this post a little later, but spoiler alert: she was right.
Hours Worked
Now, when considering and aesthetic nurse salary versus my salary as a bedside nurse; it’s important to know that I have never worked as many hours as I did in the hospital. I was working 3 12hr shifts per week at my hospital job. Which is 72 hours per pay period. In my aesthetic job, as an hourly worker I never worked more than 55-60 hours in two weeks. This was by choice.
My mental health had gravely suffered after two years on a covid-19 unit, and I was so ready to work LESS. I was switching to a career that excited me and I was ready to spend more time at home.
Right now as I’m typing this post, I work 24 hours per week. I work 4 6hr shifts, and that’s it. It’s glorious. Could I work more? Yes. Will my schedule change in the future? Maybe. But only if I want it to, which is what really matters.
Now let’s get into my actual aesthetic nurse salary from this past year.
The Numbers
If talking about money and salary is taboo to you, then don’t read this.
I think it’s important to be transparent about this kind of thing. How else would you know if this is a sustainable career for you?
Little disclaimer: because my aesthetic nursing job has required a ton of training and traveling, my hours are almost never consistent. So I’m going to display the AVERAGE HOURLY pay based off my gross pay/hours worked. Let’s just get to the point.
The infographic above displayed the average hourly wage from each of my nursing jobs so far. When I left my full time (90%) bedside nursing job I was making $65/hr. I moved to per diem on my same unit and was making $81/hr working only 3-4 shifts per month. When I started my aesthetic nursing job I was making $50/hr with the promise of jumping to $60/hr after my probation period. Before that time was up I switched to hourly + commission.
So how does my commission work?
I live in California, and in this state you legally must be paid minimum wage hourly. So I make minimum wage ($15/hr) plus 15% of my service sales and 10% of my skincare sales. I’ve been on this structure now for 7 months and my average hourly wage is $100/hr. DOUBLE my initial hourly rate.
Thank goodness for leaps of faith amirite??
Obviously, with a commission based style pay, there will be ups and downs, ebbs and flows. You will also become more skilled and more efficient overtime. So you can only really limit yourself. I love the fact that I have some control over the money I take home every month. And the sky is the limit in my mind! So I hope this was helpful to you.
Aesthetic Nurse Salary Monthly Breakdown
Here I am going to include each month of my first year in aesthetics with my hours and my income. I’m excluding September 2022 because half of the month was hourly and half was commission.
MONTHS ON HOURLY WAGE:
- April 2022 – $2051.65/39.5hrs
- May 2022 -$4348.78/82hrs
- June 2022 – $5443.38/97hrs
- July 2022 – $8249.17/144hrs (this month I earned $1500 in bonuses)
- August 2022 – $4385/87hrs
MONTHS ON MINIMUM WAGE + COMMISSION:
- October 2022 – $8470.78/91hrs
- November 2022 – $7591.53/87hrs
- December 2022 – $13318.61/127hrs
- January 2023 – $6374/63hrs
- February 2023 – $6953.35/72hrs
- March 2023 – $10203.45/90
- April 2023 – $3567.18/34hrs
Aesthetic Vs. Bedside Nursing
This post is all about the main differences when comparing aesthetic vs. bedside nursing.
Hey girl. In this blog post I’m going to cover the main differences [and similarities] between aesthetic vs. bedside nursing.
Bedside nursing holds the majority of the nursing population. There are a ton of opportunities that open up for you once you have your nursing degree but it’s most common to start off at the bedside. But once you’re there, how do you know where you want to go next? Or if you want to even make a change at all?
Taking the leap from the bedside is scary, I know. But hopefully I can help you on your quest for more information. I, like you, was so curious about the aesthetic world but felt that it was super hush hush. Why all the gatekeeping?
Well I’ve got no secrets here! Let’s dive into the nitty gritty of the main differences between bedside nursing and aesthetic nursing. The things that MATTER to you and can help you finally make a decision.
Let’s Talk About Schedule
There are a variety of different schedules that a bedside nurse might have. Maybe you’re working one of these already.
- 8hr shifts/ days, evenings, or nights
- 12hr shifts/ days or nights
- 10hr shifts
- M-F 9-5 schedule
The same goes for aesthetic nursing. if you’re opening your own practice working by yourself you could work all day everyday. you could work a M-F 9-5 and just always come to work when your clinic is open. or if you’re on a more commission based pay scale you may be able to make your own schedule.
I’d say overall, an aesthetic nurse’s schedule is most likely more flexible than that of a bedside nurse. But it can also change at a moments notice. Your schedule of clients being light or full can change when you come in to work or when you leave.
You might be at a clinic where you need to be there whether you have clients or not. Or maybe you only make your wages hourly so you WANT to be there whether you have clients or not.
In my case, I came from the hospital where I would work 3 12 hour shifts every week. I did both day shift and night shift at different times in my career. Now, I can kind of make my schedule whatever I want it to be. Obviously having a routine is nice. So I do keep the same days off every month. But I work 4 shifts a week, almost never more than 6 hours per shift. So I’m working much less. But still making more money. so, score! Haha
Let’s Talk About Income
Who loves safety and security? ME! You too? Ya figures, everyone does! That’s what you’ll have with a bedside nursing job in the hospital. Guaranteed hours every week, guaranteed paycheck that’s relatively the same every time, guaranteed benefits, etc. There is nothing wrong with having a “regular” job for the security of it…I mean, that’s what the majority of the world does!
This can be so variable in the world of aesthetics. Every situation will be different when it comes to income. There are three main pay models in aesthetic nursing:
- Hourly based pay
- Commission based pay
- Some mixture of both
This will probably hold a lot of weight in your decision making process, as it should. So make sure you FULLY understand how you’ll be paid if you’re venturing into the aesthetics world. Let’s look into each of them more in depth.
Commission:
This is where self awareness is VERY important. Are you getting into aesthetics because you’re creative, have an aesthetic eye, and a passion for making people feel their best? Are you a hustler and a self promoter? If this is you, you’d benefit greatly from a commission based pay model. Your work ethic and your skill level can now directly impact your income.
You, like me, may thrive in a more competitive environment. You’re not necessarily competing with your coworkers but with YOURSELF. You have so much control of your income if you’re in a commission based pay model. If you hustle, if you’re the best, you’ll be busy and in high demand. Which, in turn, means you’ll make more money.
Hourly:
In the hospital, the jaded nurse, the newbie nurse, and the badass nurse all make the same amount of money. The nurse that is time efficient and helpful makes the same salary as the nurse that is frazzled and always running behind schedule. This is great if you’re lazy and cranky [lol] but not so great if you’re a hard worker and you’re actually good at your job.
In aesthetic nursing, this is technically the same concept. Are you not confident in your aesthetic eye? Are you not great at self promotion or absolutely HATE social media? If yes, then an hourly wage may be best for you.
A quick word on benefits:
Because the world of aesthetics isn’t a heavily regulated sector of the medical field, there is a huge variety in workplace environments. There are giant chain laser centers, plastic surgery centers, small and large med spas, independently practicing providers that may rent a space in a salon, etc. The list goes on. So you can imagine how variable the benefits are at each different space.
Benefits, healthcare, and retirement will vary on a case to case basis and you need to do your due diligence during your interview or hiring process to make sure you’re completely educated.
Related Post: 5 TIPS TO WRITE AN AESTHETIC NURSE RESUME
More Ways to Make Money:
When I was working my bedside nursing job, I felt stuck. I didn’t want to manage a nursing unit, I didn’t want to become a nurse practitioner, and I didn’t want to teach. There was literally nothing else for me to do but work the same job day in and day out. How depressing, right?
It was for me anyway.
If you enjoy networking and creating opportunities for yourself, you can do that as an aesthetic nurse. Your income potential can be limitless. Here are some ways I know other practitioners are making extra income:
- You can eventually practice independently (with a medical director if you’re an RN), and open your own clinic.
- You can train for the different brands that produce injectables.
- You can speak or teach at conferences.
- You can offer shadow opportunities to other practitioners.
- You can offer private training.
- You can sell your own trainings online.
- You can offer a monthly membership for access to educational content you create. Like Patreon.
Let’s Talk About the Patients
I remember the first time I shadowed an aesthetic practitioner. Every client came in happy and healthy and delighted to hand over money to get stabbed in the face with needles. I couldn’t wrap my mind around it.
In the hospital, you’re meeting everyone at one of the worst times in their life. Either they’re sick, or their family member is sick. They feel awful and they’re most likely there because they HAVE to be.
Then there’s aesthetics. Welcome to the world of ELECTIVE procedures. As an aesthetic nurse you get the opportunity to get to know the people you’re treating, and they get to know you as well. It’s fun! Well, it’s fun if you like people. Haha. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this career path to anyone who generally doesn’t like mankind.
With all of your treatments being elective, comes the ability to be selective with who you treat. Obviously this will depend drastically on WHERE you are working. But generally, if someone gives you the creeps, seems difficult, or has unrealistic expectations, you can turn them away.
Can you imagine getting a rude patient in your assignment at the bedside and being able to refuse to treat them?! Sounds glorious right?
Let’s Talk About Creativity and Autonomy
If you are a creative, then I already know, the hospital is sucking your soul dry. The most creative thing you get to do in the hospital is cleverly manage your time. And after your shift when you’re drained and exhausted the last thing you want to do is put energy into a hobby to fulfill your creative side.
In aesthetic nursing, your job is to literally be creative for money!
This is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on what type of person you are. You can be taught HOW to inject, but the where and why can’t really be taught. This has to be an innate understanding. You need to have an aesthetic eye. You have to understand the contours of the face. So if that ISN’T your forte, then you’ll have a tough time in this field.
You also get the opportunity to work autonomously. Your clients come to YOU for a reason. They trust you, and in turn they trust your recommendations. You can develop your own style. You get to develop treatment plans for your clients. It’s extremely fulfilling to see a client from their initial introduction to injectables and literally transform their confidence.
If you’re an RN, and not an NP, you do need to practice under the supervision of a medical director. This can be an NP or an MD. Although it isn’t direct supervision, legally you need someone who can prescribe medications and perform Good Faith Exams (GFEs) for your clients. All injectables, afterall, are medications.
Let’s Talk About Education
When we’re looking at aesthetic vs. bedside nursing, the expected education varies greatly.
As a bedside nurse, you’re required to renew your license every two years. Maybe you’re proactive and you take courses that are of interest to you to secure your learning credits. Or maybe you’re like the majority of the nursing population and you pay a small fee to pass a few easy tests and get your credits all at once the week before your renewal is due. Lol, can anyone relate?
Your place of work likely has yearly modules for you to complete and maybe a few throughout the year when a policy changes or a new device is introduced. Education wise, that’s about it.
The aesthetic industry is changing at light speed constantly. Wherever the money is, the research is. Aeshtetics, being almost COMPLETELY elective, is a boat of potential money. This means that practices are frequently changing, new techniques are being discovered, new products are being created, and new devices are making advances ALL THE TIME.
You literally can’t fall out of touch or you’ll become irrelevant as a provider.
This places a lot of pressure on aesthetic nurses to continually seek out education and training opportunities. Sometimes your workplace may fund and set this up for you, but sometimes you’re going to have to invest in yourself.
My advice is to happily pay for education and it will come back to you tenfold.
I’m not even through my entire first year in aesthetics and here is a list of trainings I have attended. [For context I am based in California, USA]
- In office trainings with Galderma (x2)
- In office training with Sculptra
- Sculptra training in Napa, CA
- In office training with Radiesse (x2)
- In office training with RHA (x2)
- Viora Med laser training in Texas
- Ultrasound for aesthetics training in Illinois
- PDO thread training in Los Angeles, CA
- In office fern technique training with Tom Van Ejik from Amsterdam
Not to mention months of shadowing my fellow injectors and almost daily videos of Patreon members that I subscribe to.
Let’s Talk About Social Media
There are no questions about it, if you want to be a big dog in the aesthetic industry then you NEED to be on social media. And really, not just exist there, but thrive there. Instagram, in particular, will be extremely important if you make the leap to aesthetic land.
Instagram is the most visual social media platform. It’s where new businesses and influencers grow to success on a daily basis. This is where your future clientele will find you. This is where you’ll showcase your work AND your personality. The beauty of this is that people will feel that they know you before they are even your client. And they know what to expect because they’ve vetted you before coming for a treatment.
Do you have to be a social media expert? No.
Does it help? Yes.
If your income is based on your sales, then it would greatly benefit you to be driving as MANY people as possible to your client schedule. There is no better way to do this than with social media. You can absolutely grow an aesthetic business and a clientele base through word of mouth. But it will be a slow process.
If you aren’t dependent on being busy, then great. But if you’re needing a great income as soon as possible then this is how you’ll get there.So if you decide that YES, you will put forth effort into creating a social media presence, and YES, you want to grow as quickly as possible, then understand that you will be working or thinking about work all the time. Creating content and responding to DMs as you grow will consume a lot of your time. But if you’re passionate about your work then you’ll WANT to work all the time, trust me.
This post was all about the main differences when comparing aesthetic vs. bedside nursing.
more resources:
I have a YouTube channel that goes more in depth on all things aesthetic nursing.
Here’s a link to that: https://youtu.be/wSSOHF7u-FA
I also have an in-depth guide that is formatted like a sample resume with suggestions for filling out all of the sections that you can purchase here: https://sowl.co/s/r5JSa
Trust yourself and go for what you want <3
Aesthetic Nurse Resume – 5 Tips for Writing a Successful One
This blog post goes over my top 5 tips for writing a kick-ass aesthetic nurse resume.
So you’re wondering how to write a successful aesthetic nurse resume? Then you’ve come to the right place!
Aesthetic nursing is the hot glamorous side of nursing – or at least it comes off that way.
Once I made the decision that I wanted to leave bedside nursing for aesthetics, I was sooo set on this dream. This career field is so extremely different from any other type of nursing career.
Successfully securing hospital or clinic nursing jobs does not prepare you for navigating the application and interview process of aesthetic nursing. It’s a completely different beast and I WISH I had had some guidance when I was in your shoes.
Now that I’m on the other side, I have a few tips I’d love to share with you. Having gone through multiple interviews, and receiving multiple job offers, I’ve gained valuable experience that can assist YOU in doing the same.
So let’s get to writing an aesthetic nurse resume that lands you your dream job. (Or at least gets your foot in the door).
tip #1: be bold
Think about the person that is going to be reading your resume.
They work in the aesthetic industry and will probably be impressed by a resume that is aesthetically pleasing.
Make it super cute, use colors! If you don’t feel that you’re very creative (maybe rethink getting into aesthetics) BUT you can use resources like Canva that have premade resume templates that you can fill out with your own information.
Add a picture of yourself that makes you look friendly, approachable, and fun!
A straight faced professional headshot looks nice but does it make someone want to meet you or work with you? Probably not.
Add an “About Me” section with some fun quirky facts that make your personality stand out.
Just place yourself in the shoes of the reader and think about what type of person you would want to hire.
In a sea of white paper with black writing your resume will stick out without even being read! This is what you want.
tip #2: all of your past experience matters
Obviously you’ve never been an aesthetic nurse before, or you wouldn’t be here. But every job you’ve ever had has SOMEHOW given you useful skills and/or experience.
DO NOT sell yourself short.
Any job that has medical experience is pertinent. You’re able to assess a patient, you’re comfortable with needles and poking people with them (sounds silly but this is very useful!). You understand the importance of medical history, allergies, etc. You know how to read orders and reconstitute medications. You already understand medical jargon!
Any job that has taught you to deal with diverse populations is pertinent. THIS IS HUGE. You never know who you’ll be dealing with on a daily basis. All sorts of people from all walks of life visit med spas and aesthetic clinics so it’s very useful to be comfortable around everyone and anyone.
Any job in the beauty industry is pertinent. You have an aesthetic eye. You’re used to selling beauty products to people while demonstrating products on them. Maybe you’re already familiar with the skincare industry. SCORE!
Have you worked in customer service? The customer is king. Ever heard that saying? Ya, well It applies in aesthetics as well. Think of medical treatments that people are voluntarily spending thousands of dollars on. This isn’t bedside nursing people! Without clients, you have no business.
REALLY THINK about your daily tasks at your past jobs and make them work for your resume.
tip #3: plug your social media
If you know anything about the aesthetic nursing industry then you know that social media presence is everything. This is how clients will find you and a great way to showcase your future aesthetic work. This is NOT a job that you’re hiding your social presence from. So, actually, lets get really clear on that right now:
If you aren’t willing to commit to social media, then rethink getting into aesthetic nursing.
Most practices will have their own social media presence, and they’ll want you to have one as well. They will see that as a HUGE bonus to hiring you. A majority of my clients find me through Instagram, and I am so grateful for it.
But I know what you’re thinking…I don’t have aesthetic nurse content to promote because I’m not an aesthetic nurse. DOESN’T MATTER.
Are you a nurse? Start a nursing tips page.
Are you into skincare? Start a skin-care/anti-aging page. [This was what I did] You can find my Instagram here.
You can even put your focus into your personal page.
The angel human who hired me decided she wanted to meet me after seeing my Instagram.
It doesn’t have to have a huge following but it should look like you’re putting in consistent effort. Teaching someone to want to show up on social media is MUCH MORE DIFFICULT than teaching lasers and injections, so show them that you already have that under control.
Also, put yourself in the shoes of the person doing the hiring…Would you feel more connected to paper applications? Or more connected to the person who you can look up and see their face and personality?
tip #4: invest in education
Take online courses before sending out your applications. Notice I said ONLINE specifically. So many hands on beginner injection trainings are TRASH. They’re expensive and not worth your time or money. Usually what you learn is outdated and won’t apply to what you’ll be taught in your new job.
I recommend checking out paletteresources.com and taking any intro level courses you can. These classes are less than $100 and still look great on your resume. You put in the effort and are showing that you’re invested and committed to learning this new area of medicine.
The specific courses I took were: Level 1 Toxin and Level 1 Filler
A big issue in the aesthetics field is that there are a ton of nurses looking to get hired for training purposes only and then leave their new job high and dry when they feel like they can open their own place. So showing proof of you investing your OWN dollars and time into your education is HUGE.
tip #5: remember your audience
Think about who is reading your resume.
This is not your run of the mill hospital bedside nursing position. This side of nursing is fun and fresh. Think of the type of person who owns a medspa. Who are they looking for? What kind of applicant will be the most appealing to them?
Straight edge straight A girl? Probably not.
Funny, outgoing, hustler, bad-ass girl? Definitely.
Make sure to keep this in the back of your mind through all steps of the application and interview process.
bonus tip:
Send your resume to clinics that aren’t actively hiring.
Send your resume to clinics that aren’t actively hiring.
I know, that sounds like super weird advice, but hear me out!
You never know what’s going on behind the scenes. Someone could be pregnant about to go on leave. A medspa could have recently become busier than normal and they need more staff to keep up with the workload. There are numerous reasons why it could be beneficial for your PERFECT resume to land in the lap of a clinic owner or hiring manager.
When an aesthetic nursing job is listed on a job site or posted on Instagram, it will be overflowing with applicants.
I’m not suggesting that you can’t beat them all. But why not lessen your competition?
Especially if there’s a specific clinic you want to work for…reach out to them!
Every time I’ve been offered an aesthetic RN job, it was from a cold email or cold DM on Instagram.
Your email should look something like this:
“Hey! My name is Nadia and I’ve been watching your clinic for a while. I am SO in love with the work you do and how much of a family your staff appears to be! I’m not sure if you’re in the market for a nurse but I would be THRILLED to work with you all.
I super appreciate your time and I’ve attached my resume to this email. I hope to speak to you soon!”
- Quickly introduce yourself
- Compliment them (it’s their baby! They’d love to hear great things about it)
- Thank them for reading
- Ask for the hiring managers email or simply attach your resume
Short, sweet, simple <3
more resources:
I have a YouTube video explaining all of these tips (if video is more your thing).
Here’s a link to that: https://youtu.be/wSSOHF7u-FA
I also have an in-depth guide that is formatted like a sample resume with suggestions for filling out all of the sections that you can purchase here: https://sowl.co/s/r5JSa
Good luck to you guys! Everything happens for a reason. Trust yourself and GO FOR WHAT YOU WANT. An aesthetic nurse career is in your future, I can feel it.
11 Must-Have Nursing Essentials for the Brand New Nurse
If you’re about to start your new career as a nurse then congratulations! I know you want to be prepared as possible on this new venture so here’s a list of 11 must-have nursing essentials to make sure you’re ready for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.
This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission if you so choose to purchase from them. As always I appreciate your support!
1. Stethoscope
Every nurse needs their own stethoscope. Trust me, the disposable ones are trash.
Plus this is like the first legit nursing item you get to buy that shows a tad bit of individuality! How fun! Show your personality girl. Go pink, go matte black, go rose gold. Wherever your heart brings you. You do you.
You can go one of two ways. The uber fancy way, which is usually a Littman. These are pretty pricey and what most people will buy in nursing school. I chose an ADC because I wasn’t working on a cardiac type floor. I’m not diagnosing any murmurs so I don’t need the same stethoscope as a cardiologist, you know what I mean?
Here’s an ADC, the stethoscope I use ($34.99):
Here’s a Littman for those of you that are really into cardiac ($94):
2. Pens and Sharpies
This might seem obvious. Duh.
But I have a few tips.
And you almost never have a Sharpie in your pocket when you need one. Which is, all the damn time. But my tip with pens…get the retractable kind. Last thing you want to worry about is a pen cap. And make sure they don’t bleed ink! Impossible to read if you’re writing on an IV dressing or some tape or a lidocaine patch or something.
Here are enough Sharpies to last your whole first year in your career ($5.50):
3. Comfy Shoes
Before I became a nurse, I had no idea how much of a physical job it was.
YOU. WILL. BE. EXHAUSTED.
One way to support your poor body is by getting the most comfortable shoes you can. These will be totally personal and I recommend going to your nearest Fleet Feet and letting them do a full foot analysis on you.
4. Trauma Shears
Ok when looking for a pair of shears…aka badass scissors…the bigger the better. You can get tiny little suture cutting scissors from work. But you never know what you’re going to need to cut through during a shift. And you want to be prepared for anything.
Clearly black is the new black for me, I love these ones ($12.99):
5. Pen Light
So a pen light can be replaced by the flashlight on your phone. But, many nurses don’t like to bring their phones into patient rooms, understandably.
And even if you’re not checking the dilation of someone’s pupils…us night shift nurses just need to see without being total A-holes and turning all the lights in a room on at 2am.
So just get a pen light. Keep it in your pocket. Cheap and easy ($7.99):
6. Comfy Scrubs
Ok so everyone says that scrubs are like pajamas. That’s a half truth.
NOT ALL SCRUBS ARE CREATED EQUAL.
So this may be completely out of your control. A lot of hospitals will supply you with a certain brand or give you a uniform stipend that you can spend at a certain store.
But if you have any say over what scrubs you can buy…then I’d recommend Figs, Lago, or Grey’s Anatomy.
7. Hand Cream
Girl.
Your hands have never been so dry. As after a twelve hour hospital shift. Hand cream is not a luxury it is a NECESSITY. Keep it simple here. No fragrance, nothing fancy, just some OG hand cream that works. Here is what I, and almost any other nurse you ask, believe to be the best of the best ($3.99):
This is the tiny fit in your pocket or pencil pouch version.
8. Compression Socks
Now if I could start nursing all over again I would be wearing compression socks from day one. They promote circulation in your legs, lessen swelling, and prevent a bunch of vein issues you do NOT want happening to you.
Trust me.
Google search varicose veins right now if you don’t already know what they are.
And look at all the cute freaking patterns they come in!
9. Watch
Your watch will be your right hand man. And to make your life easier you want a watch that can perform numerous functions.
You’ll want a timer, a stop watch, reminders, a clock face, and maybe a place to check your text messages so you’re not always carrying your phone around.
This is something I would splurge on if I were you. And I was, you. I bought plenty of static watches before I FINALLY decided I just needed a damn Apple Watch.
Here is a series 3 (what I still use and works perfectly fine for me $229):
Here is a series 7 if you’re a fancy pants ($379):
10. Snacks
Nursing. Is. Busy.
If you’re lucky, you work in a state like California with strict labor laws. And you MIGHT get a lunch break. But, if you’re a bleeding heart like many nurses are, and choose to care for your patients or catch up on charting during your lunch break…you’re not going to have sufficient time to sit down and eat a meal.
So stock up. Keep them in your bag, your locker, your pockets. Keep them everywhere and bring more than you think you’ll need.
I love meat sticks, bars, cheese, grapes, trail mix, oatmeal packets, things like that.
11. Tylenol
And last, but not least, on the list of nursing essentials…is Tylenol. Because everyone’s favorite co-worker is the one with the cure to their inevitable weekly shift headache.
Sounds like I’m kidding but I’m not.
This post was a compilation of the 11 must-have nursing essentials for the brand new nurse.
Botox at 30 | Before and After + First Timer Experience
Are you wondering if you should start getting Botox at 30?
Maybe you’re nervous, unsure, or just looking for before and after photos. Don’t worry, I’ve got those. I’ll also tell you about my experience since I was exactly 30 when I went for the first time.
What is Botox?
According to MedlinePlus.gov, Botox is a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.
How does Botox work?
Botox works by weakening or paralyzing muscles or blocking specific nerves. Insanely enough it’s the same toxin that causes botulism. (A life-threatening type of food-poisoning).
What are the possible side effects?
The most common side effects are pain, swelling, or bruising at the injection site. As you’d expect after being poked multiple times with a needle. You could also have flu-like symptoms, headache, and upset stomach. Injections in the face may also cause temporary drooping eyelids. You should not use Botox if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Some medical conditions will keep you from being eligible for Botox injections, but your provider should discuss your medical history with you before the procedure.
When should you start getting Botox? Should you get Botox at 30?
There is no such thing as starting too early or, on the other end of the spectrum, being too late to start. Botox in your 20s and early 30s can act as a preventative treatment.
Why did I choose to start at 30?
I literally got my first injections on my 30th birthday. Little gift to myself, ya know?
But I was noticing lines in my forehead even when I was at rest, making no expressions. NOT ok with me, ok?
The overall rule is that you should start getting botox when your facial lines are lingering.
The age you start is the age you stay.
Liz k., my injector
After a mini consultation with the nurse I had chosen…I knew that I could start now and completely get rid of the lines. If I waited until they were deep then I may only be able to soften them instead of completely obliterate them. And I wanted them O B L I T E R A T E D, ya know? GONE.
Here is what my forehead looked like with my brows raised and then scrunched together.
You can see in the scrunched brow photo, I have faint lines across my forehead. Those were permanently there, no matter what my face looked like. Those are the lines that really made me decide to go for it.
How was the appointment?
Firstly, my nurse was amazing. I couldn’t recommend her more. You can check out her Instagram here. Sweet, warm, friendly, smart, all the good things, ya know? Her name is Liz and she practices in Folsom and Granite Bay in California.
There are a ton of different places that you could actually go to get your botox. A med spa, a doctor’s office, a cosmetic surgery office, or maybe it’s a private practitioner.
In my case, Liz was working out of a cutie patootie rental space. Sort of like those mega hair salons where there are multiple individual stylists’ salons inside.
Liz had already sent me consent information, procedure information, and possible side effects to read over the day before. I also had sent her a video of my face making several different expressions so she could gauge how many units I would need.
She verified I only wanted to address my forehead area and then I signed all necessary paperwork.
Because I had worn makeup to the appointment she removed my makeup from the procedure area and then further cleansed my skin. She had her syringes pre drawn and ready to go. Fast and efficient, loved her. She told me the needles were 32 gauge in size. Being a nurse, I knew this was TINY so I wasn’t nervous at all about pain. But she does recommend in her pre-procedure instructions that you take a Tylenol before hand if pain concerns you.
The injections themselves took maybe five minutes. MAYBE. Honestly it was probably less time than that.
Pain wise, it was a mix of pressure and teeny tiny pricks. 3/10 on a pain scale maybe.
I didn’t feel any different in my ability to make facial expressions immediately after. My forehead was slightly tingly for a couple hours after the appointment but other than that you would have no idea anything had happened. No bruising, no bleeding, no nothing.
When do you see final results?
Two weeks post injection is when your results are finalized.
But I noticed a dramatic difference starting at day 4.
Here are my two week results making the same expressions as my “before” photos:
What did it cost?
This will differ depending on where you live and what your provider charges. But Liz charges $10/unit of Botox. After her consultation with me we decided I needed 38 units and would reevaluate at two weeks. Since it was my first time and we weren’t sure how I would react she suggested we go on the lower side and add more if I felt I needed it.
I really appreciated this about her. Felt that she wanted the best results for me and not just more money out of my pocket.
My total came out to $380 to address my forehead lines and my “elevens” (the lines in between your eyebrows).
How long does it last?
Botox lasts around 3-4 months. People obviously vary and it may be shorter or longer for you. But the more treatments you get the longer it will last as time goes on. First timers tend to have the shortest lasting results.
Before & After, Botox at 30
Final thoughts
I am so glad I went through with it friends. I love my results and I will continue with whatever upkeep is necessary.
I really don’t have any cons besides that it is not permanent and will require repeat visits. But I don’t see this as a con because your face will change overtime and you’ll require different placement!
Overall I think GO FOR IT! I hope this was helpful in pushing you to make a decision.
I’ll leave off with a short video I made of my entire experience.
xoxo, Nadia
Simple Wash and Go for Natural Hair – Step by Step + Products
**This post contains affiliate links that I may make a small commission from if you choose to purchase from them. As always, I appreciate your support!
Hey mom friend. Good for you for embracing your natural hair. I feel like it’s a journey we all have to make our own way through, and it is SO totally worth it. But it’s a huge learning curve, going from straightening or relaxing to just getting out of the shower and…going?? I’ve spent the last six years researching and testing so I’d like to save you the time and hassle. Here is a simple, step by step wash and go for natural hair routine.
I’m also adding in the exact products I use and how to apply them to make it even easier for you to follow.
Why do we complicate our hair routines so much??
If you’re new on your natural hair journey and having trouble ‘taming your mane’, it’s easy to fall into a product layering trap. When your hair doesn’t turn out perfectly you add product on top of product hoping that all the cream and oil will give you silky smooth locks. It’s actually the exact opposite.
Less is more, guys. Let’s go through it together.
This post covers a simple, step by step wash and go routine for natural hair.
In the shower:
Olaplex No.3
The first step is to feed, repair, and strengthen your hair. I like to use the home version of a salon Olaplex treatment. It make’s a huge difference in the shine and overall health of your hair. I apply Olaplex No.3 from mid shaft to ends to my damp hair in the shower. (This is something you would do once or twice a month).
You want it to sit for at least ten minutes, so go ahead and do all the annoying shower chores here.
After you’ve buffed and bathed and scrubbed and shaved, go ahead and rinse this out. The rest of your shower time will be dedicated to your spoiled head of hair.
Shampoo
Using a vegan all-natural shampoo, (I use Hydrating Cream Hairbath by Innersense Organic Beauty), apply shampoo to your scalp. Like actually part your hair and apply the shampoo directly to your scalp.
This shampoo is very concentrated and activated by WATER. Water is, trust me, the most important step you’ve been missing in your hair routine so far. Dip your head under the water for a second and lather that shampoo up.
You want to cleanse where the majority of oil and buildup lives. As you create suds the rest of your hair will be taken care of. If you don’t get a good lather from your first shampoo, go for another round.
Think of shampoo being for the top half of your hair strand, and conditioner being for the bottom half.
Think of shampoo being for the top half of your hair strand, and conditioner being for the bottom half.
Condition
I use Innersense Organic’s Hydrating Cream Conditioner. Firstly, soak your hair. Then, apply conditioner from mid shaft to the ends of your hair. If you feel like you need more conditioner, add more water first. I promise you probably just need more water.
Do not rinse it out yet!
Detangle
With your hair full of slippery conditioner and water. (If you scrunch your hand in your hair it should sound like stepping in soaked sneakers). Detangle.
Be gentle. This should be easy because your hair is so slippery right now. I love the Tangle Teezer line of brushes. They have multiple kinds, I did a full review on the one for thick and curly hair that you can find here.
While you detangle, the conditioner will work its way up your hair and it should be fully saturated.
Rinse…or not
Now this will be generalized advice because I don’t know your hair type. But. I have medium/normal porosity hair so I leave about half of the conditioner in. I rinse my roots only. I’ll hold the majority of my hair out of the water and just make sure my roots are clean.
If you’re hair has trouble absorbing product or can’t handle heavy products then definitely completely rinse out your hair. But if you benefit from products like leave-in conditioners then just leave in…the conditioner. Why buy another product?
Ya know?
Out of the shower:
Olaplex
The first product I apply to my hair is the Olaplex No.6 bond smoother. It stays in the hair for 72 hours and it tames frizz and strengthens each hair strand. I just rake a quarter sized amount through the ends of my hair while it’s still damp.
Apply styling product
I like to apply my products standing in front of a mirror. So throw on an old t-shirt or put a towel around your shoulders and grab these tools: a misting spray bottle, your detangling brush, and some clips to keep your sections organized.
So the type of styling products you’ll need to use will depend heavily on your hair type. How thick it is, the result you want, and it’s porosity.
I have medium porosity hair and I like really defined curls. I use two different gels in my hair to style. One thinner, one thicker.
When applying your product, you want small sections. It’s annoying and it will make everything take longer but it’ll make all the difference in your curl definition.
So on a small, soaking wet section of hair, I apply the I Create Volume gel from root to end. There are a couple different ways to technically apply your product. I’ll offer up three:
- Either run your hands down the section like you were pulling a rope.
- Smash the hair in between your hands in a praying form and slide them from root to tip.
- Rake your fingers through the section like a wide toothed comb.
Then I repeat the same process with the thicker gel, I Create Hold. You can either go over your entire head with one product, then over again with the other. But I prefer to apply both products to each section as I go.
Dry
I use the beloved Dyson hair dryer with the diffuser attachment to dry my hair. Dang hair dryer has changed the game for drying my curls. It’s so fast and doesn’t damage my hair at all.
But the biggest hack to cut your drying time in half. Not exaggerating. Half.
Is to use hairspray before you start drying. I use the Innersense Organic Beauty I Create Finish. (I don’t know why this works but it just does, ok?).
So give your hair a good spray down, and turn on your dryer.
I go with medium heat and high power. The more damaged your hair the lower heat should use. **Also you could sit under a hooded dryer if you have access to one. Cheers to hands free and the ability to multi-task!
The important thing about diffusing is not to touch your hair while doing it, and the position you’re holding the dryer.
If you want your hair to retain it’s length then let your hair just hang and hover the dryer around your head all the way down to your hair’s end without making contact. If you want big bouncy volume then you’ll use the bowl of the diffuser to collect your curls and let them sit while they dry.
You can see an example of what I mean in the video below from my Instagram.
Dry your hair until it’s at least 85% dry. The more you touch your hair before it’s dry, the more frizz you’ll end up with.
SOTC
The nifty way to say ‘scrunch out the crunch’. If you’ve styled with a gel or a foam or a mousse, then your hair will dry with a ‘cast’. It’s like a crunchy layer that’s encapsulating your curl clumps.
IF you aren’t going anywhere and want a lot of longevity out of your wash and go then you can skip this step…going to bed and sleeping on a pillow will take care of it anyway.
If you’re ready to take on the world and need your hair to be in tip top shape then let’s go ahead.
Flip your head over so your hair is hanging towards the flood and you’re looking at your knees. Scrunch handfuls of hair up toward your scalp, then pulsate the hair in your hands a few times. Let go gently, and repeat over all of your hair.
If you want some extra volume use your finger tips to scratch around your scalp and loosen your curls up even more.
View this post on Instagram
This post contained a step by step tutorial for a wash and go for natural hair.
A complete list of my must have curly hair products can be found here.
Here are all the products used in this wash and go tutorial:
- Olaplex No.3
- Hydrating Cream Hairbath Shampoo
- Hydrating Cream Conditioner
- Olaplex No.6
- I Create Volume Gel
- I Create Hold Gel
- I Create Finish Hairspray
- Dyson Hair Dryer
- Tangle Teezer detangling brush
xoxo, Nadia.
My Curly Hair Favorites – 3C Curls
**This post contains affiliate links that I may make a small commission from if you choose to purchase from them. As always, I appreciate your support!
My Shampoo and Conditioner
Innersense Beauty I started using this brand because of a recommendation from my curly hair specialist. Honestly I’ve never learned so much about curly hair as I have from her. Clean ingredients are key! No heavy oils or butters (I know right, like what?!) These are the exact products she uses on my (and most of her clients) hair in the salon, and they are BOTH in my shower at all times. The brand is Innersense Beauty. It’s clean, organic, and professional grade. My curl pattern is 3c, my hair is fine, coarse texture, and I’ve got a lot of it! So I like to use the most hydrating stuff that I can get my hands on. Here is a link to the shampoo, and here is the conditioner. Total freaking game changers.
My Top Styling Products
Gels
Uncle Funky’s Daughter & Curlsmith I KNOWWWWW, we aren’t used to using gel on our hair. Like, mega crunch nightmare, right?? TRUST me. Gel will keep your curls looking fresh for DAYS. There are good gels now. Not like the big tubs of stuff your mom probably put in your hair when you were little. The kind that would keep your hair looking the same through a hurricane. No. Not gel like that. I apply gel IN the shower and use a ton of water while doing it. The first gel I use is from a company called Uncle Funky’s. Cute right? This is actually always the first product I put in my hair when styling. You can find it here. And if you run out…which you will because it’s one of the best products I’ve ever found…you can usually find it at Target (for a little extra $$$) if you’re in a pinch. The second gel (actually, jelly) I love is by Curlsmith. This smells like a tropical dream. Very mango-papaya esque. I apply this on top of the last gel. GENEROUSLY. You can find it here.
For Refreshing
Bounce Curl To refresh I like to have a creamier product. I’ll spritz the sections that need to be brought back to life with water, and finger coil each curl with cream on my fingers. I love this cream by Bounce Curl. It’s super concentrated so you barely need any to get the job done. The first time I received this I felt the jar was super small. And I mean, you know what it’s like to have a lot of hair. “I’m going to go through this in a week!” Welp, I’ve still got it. And I love it. So much. You can find the cream here. **unpopular opinion: you should not be putting more than 3 styling products on your hair, MAX. make your life easier chick, curly hair doesn’t have to be as complicated as you’re making it. You can watch a video of my latest curly hair wash and go routine on my YouTube channel, here. 
Tools
Detangling Brushes
Ok there are two types of brushes that I use on my hair. I like to use a wet brush, because I feel I can detangle the quickest with this. But the Tangle Teezer for Thick and Curly hair is hands down the best brush you could ever buy if you have curls. I have a full review on the brush you can read here.
Dryer (Diffuser)
Ughhh….ok ok I know. You’ve seen all your favorite influencers using the Dyson on IG and in YouTube videos. It’s so expensive. I know. But, somehow I convinced my husband to gift one to me, and it’s worth every penny. (Sometimes it goes on sale). First of all, its beautiful and sturdy and doesn’t blast you with hot air. Honestly, I don’t know how it works but my hair dries in a fraction of the time and it’s not left blow-fried, as the Curl Doctor would say. You can totally air dry guys. It’s just imperative that you DO NOT TOUCH YOUR HAIR until it is completely dry. Otherwise you’ll be a frizz ball. Just trust me.
Towel (Microfiber)
It is so so important that you do not use regular towels on your hair. Really you shouldn’t be towel drying anyway. But, if you need to scrunch some excess water out after styling, then always use a microfiber towel. They will save your hair from frizz and breakage.
that’s it.
Don’t make your hair more complicated than it has to be.
xo, Nadia