PUBLISHED ONDecember 16, 2020 9:00 AMByTrini Ng
When women are expecting a bundle of joy, naturally the first people they would tell are their family and friends. However, due to the nature of her work, Jaleena Yong is often the first to know of her customer's pregnancies.
People often open up to her while they are lying down, pouring out about their lives in general, not just when they are expecting. She remains a steady companion for many customers in their life, seeing them through heartbreaks, pregnancies and promotions.
She has even seen some of them grow up from a secondary school student to becoming a parent. Over the course of the years, she has developed a close relationship with them and is the keeper of some their deepest darkest secrets.
She has also seen them through their darkest days of skin care woes as a beautician for nearly 12 years.
She started as a customer service consultant but soon made the switch to being a beauty therapist at New York Skin Solutions as she saw the joy on people's faces after they walked out of the shop with improved skin conditions.
Squeezing blackheads and getting pus in eye are all part of the job
More than a decade into her job, she still derives the same joy when she manages to successfully help a client with their skin issues and they see the massive change before and after. And out of the main procedures that she performs, squeezing blackheads gives her the most satisfaction and it's not as gross as it sounds, she qualifies.
That's not to say that she hasn't had unpleasant experiences on the job, every occupation does have its hazards after all. "I remember there was one (time) I was treating acne skin, the pus actually got into my eye. So I had to pause the treatment to rinse my eyes with eye drop."
Over the years she has also learnt that unlike what most people might think, women are actually able to handle pain much better than men. And she often has to spend time reassuring her male clients that the treatments she would perform on them will not hurt too much.
Acne is the topmost skin concern
For most Singaporeans, both males and females, the most common skin issues faced are acne and pimples, shares Jaleena, citing our humid weather and the recent bout of mask-wearing the likely causes.
And the worst thing that you can do it to pop your pimples DIY style as this might make the problem worse instead.
"I do get pimples once in a while too, and I need to seek help from my colleagues to do the treatment for me," she explains.
For new clients, Jaleena will first perform a computerised skin scan to understand the customer's skin type and the extent of their skin problems. Treatments will then be tailored accordingly to target the problems and concerns, using only botanical extracts that are gentle yet effective. Customers will also be given tips for a home care skin regime.
If a customer is facing severe acne and pimple problems, she would recommend the Activ-Clear Treatment, which soothes skin irritation, cleanses clogged pores and reduces the potential of future outbreaks.
A passion for beauty
Most people might think that beauticians enter this line as they are academically weaker and don't have many options to choose from.
Jaleena immediately dispels this, sharing that despite people sometimes "looking down" on the profession, she has colleagues who are university graduates. "They chose to be in this job because of their passion," she quips.
She herself also faced some opposition from her family when she told them that she wanted to be a beautician as "they didn't think there was any career progression".
However, the company has sent her for training and courses regularly, and she is now a branch manager at New York Skin Solutions' Woodlands outlet.
"They can actually see the growth in me, how I help customers achieve better skin and how happy I am to be able to help people."
Jaleena shares that customers with skin problems usually have low self-esteem but after getting treatment, they become more confident, so much so that some don't even need to wear makeup after.
And she knows that she has truly helped them when her customers recommend her services to friends and family.
"Because I know that I can actually show them results, and the kind of confidence they give to me (is what) keeps me going."
New York Skin Solutions is running a special promotion for new customers. Pay just $38 for their Activ-Clear Acne Treatment that will reduce skin inflammation, pimple size and acne scars. Click here to sign up or for more information.
New York Skin Solutions x AsiaOne Sign-Up Promo (WIDIWD Article)
This article is brought to you in partnership with New York Skin Solutions.