Today we’d like to introduce you to Irina Cardos.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My professional career began very early in Romania as a server in restaurants while I was working to acquire my accounting license (CPA). As a server, I learned very quickly to pay special attention to our regular patrons’ habits and usual requests. Soon, my tables were requested by our most prestigious customers. I continued to expand my career once I emigrated to the United States in 2005. While working at my server/manager job in Chicago, I elected to pursue a career change and become a professional electrologist. Following my completion of electrology school, I went on to successfully complete esthetics school in 2015.
While practicing electrolysis and skin care out of my residence, I was invited to join an established plastic surgeon’s practice that specializes in male-to-female (MtF) facial and body feminization for the transgender community. The first step in that process is to permanently remove facial hair.
Soon thereafter, I opened my own spa in Chicago in addition to working in concert with the plastic surgeon. To staff my new spa, I recruited people I thought would be especially suited to perform this detailed work. Following their electrolysis schooling and licensure, I hired them to work as electrologists for Precision Hair Removal and Skin Care. Presently, Precision has six electrologists, four estheticians, and one permanent makeup artist. We offer electrolysis permanent hair removal and a variety of skin care services using professional-grade products.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The obstacles confronting this new business were many. The logistical challenge of getting people to and from where they live (many large volume clients live out of state, if not out of the country) was quite a quandary. The work is quite challenging in and of itself, removing each individual hair from every follicle. It takes a lot of practice and patience to learn how to perform electrolysis and we are always working to improve our techniques, try new equipment and products, and enhance results. Nonetheless, myself and my colleagues have been very successful completing the process, with excellent results. We’ve worked to develop a treatment protocol that includes pre-electrolysis hydrating facials and lymphatic recovery treatments to enhance results and speed healing time.
I believe any business owner will tell you that there are always challenges – everything from marketing to customer service to finances. We’ve been able to create a loyal client following and a steady flow of new clients by developing a relationship with each client and treating them as we would treat our family. We genuinely care about our clients’ success and results with their hair removal and skin care journey. Paying attention to customers’ needs was important in my restaurant days and is definitely important in this business. We believe this keeps people coming back and creates word-of-mouth advertising for us.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Precision Hair Removal & Skin Care – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
At Precision Hair Removal & Skin Care, we practice electrolysis and offer a variety of skin care services. We have two locations – one in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago, and the other in Wilmette, Illinois. At our Wilmette office, we focus on large volume and traditional electrolysis. In Chicago, we offer traditional electrolysis, facials, peels, microdermabrasion, and permanent makeup. Electrolysis is the only FDA approved method of permanent hair removal. It involves inserting a fine, sterile, probe into each hair follicle and applying current to destroy the hair growth cells.
Our business model for large volume electrolysis includes the only location in the United States to provide ‘twilight sedation’ and lidocaine injections to allow our technicians to efficiently remove a large amount of hair with little to no pain. This protocol has proven to achieve very high hair follicle kill rates and client satisfaction.
Performing large volume electrolysis with clients who are numbed requires a great deal of care and speed. Our clients for these treatments are typically male-to-female (MtF) transgender people who want an entire beard clearing per multi-hour session. Because of this need to remove large amounts of hair, we have developed techniques and tailored our equipment and supplies to achieve quality results in a relatively short period of time, while maintaining skin integrity. These techniques and our selected equipment have spilled over into our traditional electrolysis practice, benefitting all of our clients and allowing them to attain greater hair reduction in a shorter period of time vs. standard techniques.
Our team is constantly working to continue their education by attending seminars, participating in state and national professional organizations, and completing classes to stay current with industry trends and new techniques.
As a number of our electrologists are also estheticians, we’re uniquely positioned to provide skin care advice and services that will not only improve our clients’ skin but also their electrolysis treatments.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We plan to work hard to build our business at our Chicago and Wilmette locations. We are working on an exciting new offering which will reduce the pain of electrolysis sessions and allow for clients to tolerate longer treatments, to accomplish their hair removal goals sooner. A third location may be in the cards within a couple years as well! Overall, we look forward to continuing to provide the best in professional skin care and permanent hair removal services in the area.
Pricing:
- Electrolysis Consultation: Complimentary
- Skin Care Consultation: Complimentary
- Electrolysis starts at $35 for 15 minutes
Contact Info:
- Address: 1834 West Foster Ave
Chicago, IL 60640 - Website: www.precisionhairremoval.com
- Phone: 773-654-1132
- Email: info@precisionhairremoval.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/precisionhairremovalskincare/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/precisionchicago/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/precision-hair-removal-and-skin-care-chicago-8
Image Credit:
Precision Hair Removal and Skin Care
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