During a back wax, pants should be worn. (This guy is not Frank. And he did it for charity.)

Miss Jenny asks us to go around the room and talk about which field of esthetics we’re most interested in pursuing. Everyone is deciding between being a makeup artist or “medical esthetics,” which is where you work in the office or medi-spa of a plastic surgeon or a dermatologist. Sometimes you apply camouflage makeup to burn victims or people recovering from a face lift. You might also perform facials or, with advanced training, laser hair and spider vein removal. And of course, you’ll handle the retailing of whatever skin care line your doctor has displayed in her waiting room.

“I want to do something to help people,” says Blanche. “Something not so superficial, if you know what I mean, though that’s just my opinion.”

We also talk about having the right personality to work in a spa. “I’m scared I’ll get some Miss Diva rich person snob,” says Blanche and we all laugh. “I don’t think I have the right personality to handle that.”

Miss Jenny says that you learn to handle difficult clients. She once had a man (“a top-rated psychologist”) undo his pants and put a wad of cash on the counter in preparation for a back and chest wax. “You don’t need to take your pants off for me to wax your back,” she says. “I did his back and then said, Frank, I’m going to step out so you can get yourself together and turn over for your chest wax.” She ignored the cash. Frank came back and kept his belt on next time.

Meg worries about having health insurance. “I just can’t see myself working on commission in a spa. It’s too uncertain.” She’s a single mom and has a couple of chronic medical conditions that require frequent doctor’s visits and medication.

“It was always my goal to be a spa esthetician,” says Miss Jenny, who works on commission, earning 46% of every $45 makeup application and $50 back wax she performs. “I knew when I was in school that this was what I wanted to do.”

[Photo Credits: Yanda Time and Premier Pigments]