Working with a chronic illness

[Bettyb84]

Hi, I’m hoping some of you can advise please. I have a chronic illness that causes chronic fatigue weakness and pain. I’m looking to find treatments that I can do on clients preferably sitting down that are not tiering, strenuous or exhausting. Can anyone give suggestions
Many thanks

 

[Trinity]

Hi, I’m hoping some of you can advise please. I have a chronic illness that causes chronic fatigue weakness and pain. I’m looking to find treatments that I can do on clients preferably sitting down that are not tiering, strenuous or exhausting. Can anyone give suggestions
Many thanks

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I'm not sure beauty or nails is the career for you with your condition. A full set of nail extensions including consultation, application, payment, rebooking and escorting clients out can be 2 hours work, continuous, no let up, solid work, my arms and back are usually killing me by the time I finish. Do that 3/4/5 time a day and your body is hurting, a lot, despite the fact that you are sat down. Manicures and gel polish are quicker services, but you are still working solidly for 45 minutes at a time and to make any kind of decent money you need to be doing several a day unless you can price yourself in the higher price bracket based on your client base demographic. Consider you charge £25 for a set of Gel Polish on Natural nails, approx £7 of that will be for products (I've upped that a bit to cover PPE atm) so you're making £18, then you need to pay Tax/IN of 20%, that leaves you £14.40 per client, if you can manage 4 a day thats £68.40 a day, if you can manage 5 days a week thats £345 a week. You need to deduct your rent, less assume £20 a day that's £100 per week so you've earned £245 a week.....IF and it's a big IF, your condition allows you to work solidly for 5 days a week. Many of my friend who suffer with your condition just couldn't make that kind of commitment or physical exhertion consistently without it impacting on their health and their life outside of work.

Facials and beauty are also pretty labour intensive even though you can do them sat down, it's quite hard work and constant for an hour or so.

Maybe eyelashes? pretty intense, you have to concentrate hard and lean over a clients face for a while but all done in a contained space so not a lot of moving around.
Eyebrows might work, again intense but not a lot of moving around.

Not sure just eyelashes and brows will allow you enough profit

Spray tanning is labour intensive, set up and take down can be hard work unless you can site a tent and leave it up. Good profit in tanning I believe

I don't want to rain on your parade but I wouldn't want you to spend all your energy and effort getting trained then find you just can't cope, that would be heart breaking.

 

[PitaBread]

I kind of agree with Trinity. Are you already trained and if so, in what? If not, maybe you need to find an alternative. If so, we shall take it from there.

 

[Beautyrama]

Hi, I’m hoping some of you can advise please. I have a chronic illness that causes chronic fatigue weakness and pain. I’m looking to find treatments that I can do on clients preferably sitting down that are not tiering, strenuous or exhausting. Can anyone give suggestions
Many thanks

Hi Bettyb84,
Firstly, I’m sorry to hear you are facing this health challenge. It takes a lot of adjustment. I have similar health issues and I would say you need to work within your limits. The ladies raise some valid points about some treatments being more physically demanding than others. However, depending on how you work and what you have space for, there are ways to mitigate this. Why shouldn’t you contribute to an industry you feel passionate about if you can ably perform treatments like anyone else. For example, using a spare bedroom at home may be an option to cut out any commute. Doing brow services and gel/classic manicure as the ladies suggested is probably the least physically taxing but you must research this for yourself and find a training provider who can meet your needs, most are amazing! Don’t forget you can get great training in Reiki and Crystal therapies which could also be an option for you and are in demand. Make sure if it is for you that you invest in a good stool/chair with full adjustability and anything else that helps. Remember you aren’t your condition, you just happen to have it. You aren’t obliged to disclose this to clients unless it is right for you. It goes without saying about insurance etc being a must. Being self employed you have more control over your bookings as opposed to renting a room in a salon too where you may easily become overwhelmed by work. You go for it!

 

[Bettyb84]

Hi ladies thanks so much for your in depth reply’s they are VERY helpful!
I trained in beauty many years ago and since then did another course in anatomy and physiology. When doing the beauty the treatment I enjoyed and found the least tiring was facials so I’m thinking to maybe go more towards this and holistic therapies.Maybe reiki, and specialising in facials but adding little extras to them to make them a bit different. I’m not quite sure on the things I could add into the treatment though to make it a bit different. Maybe a gentle hand massage. I also enjoy meditation and feel I could maybe do sone guided breathing with my client at the start to relax them. Many thanks for your input x

 

[Trinity]

Hi Bettyb84,
Firstly, I’m sorry to hear you are facing this health challenge. It takes a lot of adjustment. I have similar health issues and I would say you need to work within your limits. The ladies raise some valid points about some treatments being more physically demanding than others. However, depending on how you work and what you have space for, there are ways to mitigate this. Why shouldn’t you contribute to an industry you feel passionate about if you can ably perform treatments like anyone else. For example, using a spare bedroom at home may be an option to cut out any commute. Doing brow services and gel/classic manicure as the ladies suggested is probably the least physically taxing but you must research this for yourself and find a training provider who can meet your needs, most are amazing! Don’t forget you can get great training in Reiki and Crystal therapies which could also be an option for you and are in demand. Make sure if it is for you that you invest in a good stool/chair with full adjustability and anything else that helps. Remember you aren’t your condition, you just happen to have it. You aren’t obliged to disclose this to clients unless it is right for you. It goes without saying about insurance etc being a must. Being self employed you have more control over your bookings as opposed to renting a room in a salon too where you may easily become overwhelmed by work. You go for it!

Some excellent suggestions and points to consider too

 

[Beautyrama]

Hi ladies thanks so much for your in depth reply’s they are VERY helpful!
I trained in beauty many years ago and since then did another course in anatomy and physiology. When doing the beauty the treatment I enjoyed and found the least tiring was facials so I’m thinking to maybe go more towards this and holistic therapies.Maybe reiki, and specialising in facials but adding little extras to them to make them a bit different. I’m not quite sure on the things I could add into the treatment though to make it a bit different. Maybe a gentle hand massage. I also enjoy meditation and feel I could maybe do sone guided breathing with my client at the start to relax them. Many thanks for your input x

Awesome! Wishing you all the very best!

 

[TheDuchess]

I suffered similar issues when I started in beauty. I was officially classed as unfit for work. I was in a lot of pain.

I now employ someone with fibromyalgia who also has lots of problems with anxiety and depression.

I would say that you have everything to gain from giving it a go. I had to build up from scratch, so some days I just cleaned and worked on my website, other days I’d have 2-3 clients. I started just one day a week and then added a half day due to demand.

I found that working helped to distract me from my issues. By focussing on my client I rested my mind from all the other thoughts swirling around constantly. I felt a great sense of achievement and my health gradually improved. I’ve become stronger and stronger. Lockdown hasn’t set me right back to where I started, but it has reminded me that I’m not “cured” and that working helps me pace myself.

My therapist with fibromyalgia has had a similar experience. She says that she has “no life” at home due to her pain. She sometimes really struggles at work, but she is so sympathetic and kind to her clients that they all adore her. This improves her life immeasurably. She’s suffered badly during lockdown with nothing to distract her from her constant pain and my team and I are all worried about her.

Trinity has raised some very valid points. I hope that my experience has also shown the potential benefits. I do a varied mix of treatments but I didnt get on with lash or nail extensions. Funnily enough, I have gradually learned to be an amazing massage therapist. When I first trained even a facial was quite challenging, but my shoulders improved with gentle, light exercise and now I’ll happily massage for 4-5 hours a day!

 

[TheDuchess]

I suffered similar issues when I started in beauty. I was officially classed as unfit for work. I was in a lot of pain.

I now employ someone with fibromyalgia who also has lots of problems with anxiety and depression.

I would say that you have everything to gain from giving it a go. I had to build up from scratch, so some days I just cleaned and worked on my website, other days I’d have 2-3 clients. I started just one day a week and then added a half day due to demand.

I found that working helped to distract me from my issues. By focussing on my client I rested my mind from all the other thoughts swirling around constantly. I felt a great sense of achievement and my health gradually improved. I’ve become stronger and stronger. Lockdown hasn’t set me right back to where I started, but it has reminded me that I’m not “cured” and that working helps me pace myself.

My therapist with fibromyalgia has had a similar experience. She says that she has “no life” at home due to her pain. She sometimes really struggles at work, but she is so sympathetic and kind to her clients that they all adore her. This improves her life immeasurably. She’s suffered badly during lockdown with nothing to distract her from her constant pain and my team and I are all worried about her.

Trinity has raised some very valid points. I hope that my experience has also shown the potential benefits. I do a varied mix of treatments but I didnt get on with lash or nail extensions. Funnily enough, I have gradually learned to be an amazing massage therapist. When I first trained even a facial was quite challenging, but my shoulders improved with gentle, light exercise and now I’ll happily massage for 4-5 hours a day! My facials are amazing and I work in a holistic mind and body style as you are thinking of doing

 

[cola]

I originally trained in aromatherapy and massage, then added beauty a few years later so I could sit down more.
The beauty side is more facial massage, and a bit of holistic facials. The main thing I do is pregnancy massage, it's easier massage, avoiding any deep work around the shoulders. Ayurvedic marma point facial massage is my go to facial routine. I also do Upledger craniosacral therapy - a light touch technique with a lot of opportunity to sit down. (I will say with the training, it usually made sense the next course I did, the previous course would suddenly be an 'ah ha' moment and I'd still be confused about the current one.)

I use a anti-inflammatory aromatherapy blend on a lot of non-pregnant people, which is good for me
Non-pregnant people also get some heated heamatite spheres used on them. I trained in LaStone but the cleaning and care for the stones was too much for me, but I've found just some heamatite heated in a wax pot works amazingly well and is very easy to clean. I often include some room temperature marble spheres too, again easy to clean.

 

[RosieR]

Hi everyone, If I could just add from my experience that I find reflexology very stress free on the body and being seated throughout the whole process is great.
I have always washed my clients feet beforehand which would be the difference in how you could begin. Perhaps using a couple of hot towels from the cabby instead.

For your facials I would also recommend a few add on services to increase your clients' experience and spend per service. Crystal or gem stones are easy to add on during the facials.
Hand/arm ,foot/leg and scalp massage can all be provided as add ons if you are able.
Gua Sha stone and face roller are some added extras which could be provided without straining your hands too much. They offer a face lifting stimulating treatment which is becoming more recognised.

Electrical facials such as galvanic, high frequency and micro current are fairly static services and the machine does the work. You can have a couple of trolleys around you so that you don't have to keep moving around.

Normal manicures are a quick treatment and I think you could provide those without too much stress.

Eyebrow and lip waxing are fairly quick to do and so is eyelash tinting. I do find lash lifting a bit more of an effort because sometimes it's really hard to see enough of the lash line from the seated position. I can never get comfy , but I am quite arthritic.

 

[AcidPerm]

You’ve said you are interested in offering holistic and alternative therapies and mentioned guided breathing.

Have you considered retraining as a hypnotherapist?