Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/857404
www.ascpskincare.com 51 Oncology Spa Solutions Q: Why did you start Oncology Spa Solutions? A: My dream started with a personal journey through cancer. I experienced many gaps in the care for oncology patients and I decided I needed to make a diff erence. No cancer patient should be turned away from a spa, or be treated diff erently, poorly, or unsafely, and thus, the vision of Oncology Spa Solutions (OSS) began. Q: Talk about the importance of using natural/organic products. A: In 2009, I was asked to do a presentation at a cancer survivor conference on the importance of choosing safe personal care products. I spent months preparing, researching, and studying the topic. I found that the big, mass-market skin care companies can and do use whatever words necessary to sell us a product (organic, fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, etc.) and they don't have to back it up with facts. But the truth is right there in the ingredient deck. Anyone can and should look up ingredients to fi nd out what they are putting on their face and body. When someone has a compromised immune system and is also on multiple medications, they tend to have more skin reactions and side eff ects, so choosing safe ingredients is a must. Ingredients can either support the skin barrier or break it down. Q: Why should estheticians go through your training? A: In the beginning, I would have said this class was for anyone who wanted to work with clients who had cancer or compromised health. But now, I fi rmly believe that anyone who encounters clients needs to take this class. It not only teaches how to work with the specifi c cutaneous conditions that occur with cancer treatments, but it also teaches how to become a better esthetician. You can create client loyalty for life by learning what questions to ask every client in order to structure a custom treatment specifi c to their needs. We shouldn't fall into the practice of having and doing only a set of cookie-cutter treatments from a spa menu. FOLLOW THE LEADERS ascp skin deep special advertising section Becky Kuehn, owner of Oncology Spa Solutions Q: What's the biggest challenge you've had in owning OSS, and how did you overcome it? A: The biggest challenge was getting the medical world to acknowledge our role in the patient circle of care and being open to working with us. Since I had done it here in Washington State with two hospital/cancer center locations, I knew it could be done elsewhere. So, I created a model and a proposal of the program that could be duplicated and customized for my graduates once they were trained and ready to roll. I can happily share that we have added six new locations in 2017 with oncology- trained estheticians off ering patient/client services, bringing the total to a couple dozen locations now in the United States. Q: What do you believe are the qualities of an e ective leader? A: Have a dream. Set goals. Be passionate about and love what you do. Be open to new ideas. Share the dream with others and build a team with like-minded people—you can't do it alone! Be strong and stay focused. You will be challenged by others, and sometimes you will get discouraged, but never, never, never quit! sponsored by "Anyone can and should look up ingredients to find out what they are putting on their face and body."