Anna-Mart Botha
Anna-Mart Botha is a committed beauty therapist who derives pleasure from using her skills to improve the physical appearance and self-confidence of her clients
She is a beauty therapist who specialises in the treatment of the face and body. She is also responsible for helping clients at Dis-Chem Skincare Salon make the most of their physical appearance and, more importantly, in the process making them feel less stressed and more confident about their looks.
Tell us about yourself
My name is Anna-Mart Botha. I grew up on a farm next to Senekal in the eastern Free State and went to school at Kroonstad High where I completed my matric. I came to Bloemfontein to study somatology at the Central University of Technology and completed my diploma in 2007.
Why did you decide to become a beauty therapist?
I have always had a passion to make people feel good about themselves. I initially thought of going into medicine, but I knew that I did not have the heart to lose a patient. So I chose to be a beauty therapy because I saw it as an opportunity to achieve my passion of making people feel good about themselves and improving their confidence.
Which career opportunities are available to beauty therapists?
The beauty industry is constantly evolving and developing and there is a constant flow of new products being introduced into the market. The excitement in this industry is illustrated by the number of salons and spas that are opening. As a result, there are many exciting job opportunities in the industry.
What is beauty therapy?
The concept of beauty therapy has its origins in the word somatology; ‘soma’ which means the body. In short, it is the study of the body and how to make it function. Most people think beauty is about applying make-up. There are other things such as aromatherapy, laser hair stimulation and facials that help people feel better. The somatology course includes subjects such as anatomy and physiology which equips with the knowledge about the body and how it functions. You have to have a deep understanding of issues such as blood circulation.
What are your day to day duties as a beauty therapist?
We do a lot of facials, massages, manicures and pedicures. Skin beauty therapy involves the use of professional products in the application of cosmetics and skin diagnosis. As beauty therapists, we are legally qualified to give advice and sell skincare products to match a client’s personal needs. For example, as a beauty therapist, you determine the kind of make-up that would best bring out your client’s natural features with specific focus on all possible side effects related to the use of the product concerned.
What are the challenges you face as a beauty therapist?
You need to really cultivate a good relationship with your clients and make sure you deal sensitively with their individual needs. The other challenge with my job is that it is very much time-constricted. If a beauty treatment runs over time it will have a “knock on” effect on all the other appointments for potentially the rest of that day.
Not meeting your appointments can lead to an impression among your clients that you are unprofessional and incompetent. More often than not it is the fault of the clients arriving late for their appointments and demanding that the therapist still sees them irrespective. And I’m sure most therapists will agree with me that the only way to make up for the time is by skipping breaks and lunches.
Some treatments can take more time than initially booked. For example, a waxing client may have left it a little too long after her last treatment and now the therapist has more “work” to do. Treatment timing is very important in beauty therapy and can put many newly qualified therapists under a great deal of stress if their new skills are not up to the speed required by their employer.
How does the beauty industry in Bloemfontein compare to those in other provinces?
If you work for a national company it is easy to compare our industry with provinces such as Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal and the Western Cape. One of the reasons the industry in Bloemfontein is so successful is because we have excellent training schools which are on par with international standards. There is also a high demand for beauty therapy with the growth of the middles class in Bloemfontein. There are nearly hundred beauty salons in the city.
For this reason, it’s my opinion that the Free State can easily compete with any province when it comes to providing high quality beauty treatment to clients. On the downside, we do not enough spas to meet the growing demand. We also do not have the technologically advanced treatments that beauty spas in provinces such as Gauteng offer their clients.
What are the female and male ratios of your client portfolio?
On average, about two percent of my clientele are male. In part, the reason for this is the fact that men in our province are as yet familiar with the metrosexual lifestyle. Men in the Free State do not really spend much time or money on their appearance, but I believe the situation is changing. These days most men prefer to have their first beauty experience with their partners. It makes it easier for them to familiarise themselves with the process.
What perceptions and misconceptions do clients have about beauty therapy?
Some clients do not always understand exactly what somatology is; our services go beyond the usual make-up and nail polish. It includes deals with complex issues such as physiology, anatomy, nutrition, psychology and communication skills. Clients also expect beauty therapist to have flawless skins and spotless faces. The truth is that the profession involves long hours and hard physical labour. We do not have time to pamper ourselves and the job can be emotionally draining. Spending personal quality time with each individual is the most important part of our job.
What advice do you have for people who aspire to be beauty therapist?
It is very important to have passion for the job. Always be on time for your clients’ appointment and remember that friendliness goes a long way. The other advice is in order to be effective and efficient you practice, practice and practice. It is the only way to get your skills up to speed, especially with waxing.
What are your future plans?
I work for a company that has a lot of growth possibilities. I plan to rise through the ranks to the top within the company. This will involve sacrifices such as relocating to Johannesburg. I plan to continue making my clients happy and maintaining a good working relationship with my colleagues.
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