Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1078197
52 ascp skin deep march/april 2019 It was like visiting an old friend. We excitedly exchanged hugs and shared brief stories of our travels. Not long after, we were joined by Pamela's husband, Major Matthew Bolado. Decked out in his flight suit, Major Bolado kindly welcomed us to McChord. We took in the backdrop for our photo shoot, an enormous C-17 Globemaster III aircraft that seemed to grow impossibly larger the closer we approached. It was the perfect juxtaposition on which to photograph Pamela, who glowed in front of the looming gray giants behind her. As our day unfolded, it became increasingly clear why Pamela was chosen as ASCP's first ever Esty of the Year. Here is her story. Q. When and how did you fall in love with skin care? A. I always had interest in caring for my own skin when I was younger. I had my first facial when I was 18, and I left feeling absolutely incredible. I thought about how wonderful it would be to do that as a career and make others feel amazing every day. Q. Where did you go to school and when did you graduate? A. I studied esthetics at The Academy of Cosmetology in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and graduated in 1999. Q. Talk a bit about your love of travel and how your license has allowed you to pursue both travel and esthetics. A. I grew up in Moncton, New Brunswick, and didn't travel much growing up. I did have a desire to explore, and after graduating from esthetics school and working for a year in Halifax, I applied for a UK part-time work permit. Three months later, I moved to London. Within the first week of moving, I was offered an esthetics and makeup position at the Aveda Concept Spa at the prestigious Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge. Six months later, I received an opportunity to move to their newest Aveda Lifestyle Spa at Martyn Gayle in Notting Hill. In 2001, I moved to Kuwait. This was before the September 11 attacks and opportunities for employment, especially for foreigners, were very promising. I quickly applied for licensing, and in no time began working for a clinic—California Skincare, owned by an Iranian- American woman—in the central district. My interest in more clinical/medical treatments began to pique, and I sought advanced courses outside of Kuwait. I traveled to Atlanta in 2005 to train with Lynn Ross at Institut' DerMed Spa. At that time, I was fascinated by treatments like dermaplaning and chemical peels. I returned to Kuwait in 2007. The Royale Hayat Hospital, a new state-of-the-art hospital, was being built in Jabriya. I was offered a position by Dr. Max Sawaf, former CEO of CosmeSurge in Kuwait and Dubai, and currently the founder of Novomed Centers in Dubai, as manager of the medical esthetics department. This was the stepping stone to my career in medical esthetics. Q. How is training/education different in various countries? Are you able to legally use that education in the United States? A. In general, I think training is similar, but in the United States, an esthetician cannot receive training on medical treatments; however, while working in Kuwait, I would often train with physicians. I trained with Meso Esthetic at their laboratory in Barcelona. I was the only esthetician in a group with 10 physicians learning about layering peels, facial threads, fillers, and mesotherapy. I have received training for IPL, LED, Dermapen, laser hair removal, micropigmentation, and fractionated skin resurfacing in Paris, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Kuwait. In the United States, licensing is far more complex and is diverse from state to state. I currently own a private boutique in Gig Harbor, Washington, and while I may not be able to perform many of the treatments in the United States that I learned in other countries, I am grateful that I have them. It makes me a well-rounded and educated master esthetician. I can share my thoughts on different procedures and recommend treatments I am unable to perform. Master esthetician. Business entrepreneur. World traveler. Military spouse. Mother of three. These attributes do not begin to graze the surface of the woman we were about to meet at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in the Pacific Northwest, 40 miles south of Seattle. Dressed in a soft pink pea coat, her blonde hair falling gently around her shoulders in loose curls, and greeting us with a warm smile was ASCP's 2019 Esty of the Year: Pamela Bolado. M