Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Aisha Massac. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Aisha, appreciate you joining us today. How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?

Although I started off in makeup artistry, my esthetics career leads my everyday passion so I’ll share how I stepped into my first esthetics job. After completing school, I was so scared to sit for the written or practical exam that I procrastinated for over 2 years! I just focused on makeup and doing makeup for weddings. I finally went back to my teacher after meeting a young lady who offered me to work alongside her at a local spa and asked if she could prep me for the boards. I never looked for an esthetics job, but I was excited to work alongside someone and have them show me the ropes so this encouraged me to finally go after my license. I passed with flying colors! Now I was ready to work at the spa…but GASP! As soon as I circled back to tell her I had my license and was ready to work, she had put in her 2 weeks because she was starting her own spa in Baltimore. I was left on my own to figure things out. I pulled out the binder to study the products and had no choice but to dive in on the clients that were put on my books. Even though my fellow classmates always admired my “touch” when doing facials on each other in school, I feared that I would do something wrong or not achieve results. Looking back, I never feared harming anyone’s skin! But in the end, I worked for the spa owner for 3 years before deciding to follow in my “mentor’s” footsteps and start my own business.

Aisha, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a graduate of Howard University where I went to school for pre-med. My goal was to pursue a career in Dermatology. I completed my 4 years and graduated with a Bachelors of Science. Following graduation, I went on to work in research for the next 7 years, in Genetics, Psychology, and Lasers respectively. I worked in the National Human Genome Center where I studied the genetics of pigmentation and co-authorized my first publication “Skin pigmentation, biogeographical ancestry and admixture mapping” in 2003. In my final years of research, I worked at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences studying and understanding the effects of laser wavelengths and how they can be used to heal wounds. I would be lying if I told you I planned all of this to get me to where I am today, but it has all come full circle to my current practice as a Master Esthetician who is certified as a Paramedical Skin Therapist through DMK International, and certified as a laser technician. I am working on transitioning my current spa into a wellness and medical spa, where I will offer holistic spa and wellness treatments targeting anti-aging and pigmentation reversal.

I think what sets me apart from others in my industry is that I not only approach things from a holistic point of view, but also incorporate the years of research and understanding from a scientific perspective and that includes me doing long, diligent research on the products and equipment that I decide to bring into the practice. My goal is not only to target the symptom, but to understand the source and resolve the condition from the source. Along with that, I still incorporate a relaxing and soothing environment that is unlike your typical clinical feeling medical spa.

I am most proud of the dedication to results that I give to my clients. I am passionate about my craft and I believe it shows in the work that I do and the time spent with each client.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The highlight of my career was when I had the opportunity to inherit a business that I was working for. The partners were splitting and filing for bankruptcy. They were getting out of the business. There was an opportunity for me to put in my bid. The location was ideal (a prestigious part of Washington DC) and my client base was steady and growing. I felt like things couldn’t be better. I was even on board to hire an additional staff member (a massage therapist). Things were great until a little over a year in when I started experiencing different ailments. I was back and forth to holistic practitioners and things would improve but then go back, or get worse. I could not continue to yo-yo my clients around and decided it would be best to close the doors. I felt it was unfair to myself and my clients that I could not commit fully to them if I wasn’t at my best and if I had to keep rescheduling their appointments. I took time for myself and started to see improvements in my health. My health later declined again after going back to work, which made me start to question whether this industry was truly for me. I finally received the proper care and diagnosis and was back on track to feeling my normal self. I decided to take a break from the industry to see if it may have been what was causing my illness. After 2 years of not practicing, I slowly eased back into seeing clients. I decided to pursue advanced aesthetics and worked under a physician for 3 years. I have since launched a line of sheetmasks and gained a dedicated client base and am on track to transitioning into my own wellness and medspa practice, set to launch in 2024!

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Other than training and knowledge, I think you must have a passion to succeed in the esthetic field. Not only a passion for the skin (and beauty) industry, but a passion for people and the betterment/healing of people. The industry is glamourized from an outsiders perspective, but there are a lot of grueling things that we as estheticians deal with, one of the most discussed being cancelations lack of respect for time. Many newbies are frustrated at this and sometimes get discouraged. When you have a passion for not only the industry, business and people, you create a bond not only with yourself, but your staff, your clients, and colleagues that you meet along the way. Your passion drives you to continually learn, to network, and even to teach!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.icfacesbeauty.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/icfacesbeauty/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aishamassac/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ic-faces-washington

Image Credits
DMillerPhotography