Ask the Experts

Our beauty experts answer your questions about every aspect of running a salon or spa business

How will creating a niche help to grow my beauty business?

Centring a new business idea (or recalibrating a tired one) around your personal identity can sound like poor advice in the current economic climate. As beauty pros, we know the importance of a full column and the sinking anxiety of too much white space. I’m here to reassure you that finding your place within the industry and delivering something unique, instead of driving away potential clients by being “too specific”, will actually help you stay booked, busy and motivated to grow your business.

I’ve been self-employed in the beauty industry for 10 years and if I can share a single pearl of wisdom, it’s to ditch the idea that you need to please everyone before you hit the ‘Create New Account’ button on Instagram.

I have built a brand around the residents of Manchester’s coolest postcode by leaning hard into my passion for community and subversive beauty. I’m talking about nail businesses here, although I’ll be answering questions about how to apply this in other beauty settings at Professional Beauty North!

If you’ve ever thought about your consumer profile, you’ll be aware that you need to consider the spending habits of your ideal customer, when they are likely to want to book in, and maybe their aesthetic when it comes to décor and social media content. Equally important is to think about what makes you love your job, the looks you love creating each day and what you would like to do more of. What do you want to carry from your own aesthetic and personality into your work and which designs would you ideally be working on all day long?

Tattoo artists are a great example of small businesses that focus on a consistent aesthetic and showcase of brand. Those of us with tattoos will relate to trawling Instagram for the artist whose work speaks to us aesthetically and whose approach warrants a few hours of our time in their studio. Nail artistry should be no different.

To say that our clients are consistently booking in for our boldest “level 4” design work would be a total misrepresentation of a reality where French tips and one-colour manicures will always be the go-to for most nail regulars. I’m talking about who we’re bringing into the shop. Yes, the more we post the work we want to do, the more of that work we’ll do, but consistently showcasing your unique salon offering also creates a sense of clarity, community and belonging among customers. We all have a plain white t-shirt in our wardrobe, but it’s a sense of belonging that dictates where we bought it, alongside price point and quality, which also feed into our overall brand image.

Take a look through Instagram at the beauty salons and studios with large followings. They all have one thing in common: a clear brand image. Whatever your chosen aesthetic, my advice is to lean into what makes you stand out as a beauty professional, whether that be choosing which work to showcase online or picking out the décor for your studio. It is your job to honour yourself when creating your brand and a space that makes you proud on a personal level.

Ellie Bebbington is talking about “Building a unique salon and making it a safe space” at PB North – catch her on the Business and Digital Skills Stage at 2pm on Sunday, September 29.

Ellie Bebbington is the co-owner and director of Doll Parts nail and beauty studio in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

What are the benefits of using tranexamic acid in treatments and homecare?

Tranexamic acid has gained increasing recognition in dermatology as an effective treatment for hyperpigmentation, and in recent years has become a popular inclusion on ingredient lists.

Originally developed as an antifibrinolytic agent to reduce bleeding, its skin-lightening properties have become a focal point in aesthetic medicine. Several studies over the last decade have demonstrated the effectiveness of tranexamic acid in reducing hyperpigmentation and preventing rebound pigmentation after advanced aesthetic procedures. Alongside this, more recent comparison studies with hydroquinone demonstrate positive results, high patient satisfaction and fewer side effects from tranexamic acid.

How tranexamic acid works

Tranexamic acid is well-known for its role in treating hyperpigmentation, but it also offers significant benefits for reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines and promoting skin barrier repair, making it particularly useful in the treatment of melanin-rich skins. It functions by inhibiting the plasminogen/plasmin pathway.

By blocking the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin, tranexamic acid reduces melanocyte activity and melanin synthesis, reduces pro-inflammatory mediators and facilitates barrier integrity. This pathway modulation effectively diminishes the formation of hyperpigmented spots on the skin and regulates barrier and inflammatory processes that could contribute to further hyperpigmentation.

Benefits of tranexamic acid for hyperpigmentation

There are a range of benefits for skincare formulations, and it is often included in chemical peel systems that provide extended resurfacing to target stubborn hyperpigmentation.

For example, studies have shown that tranexamic acid can significantly reduce melasma, making it an effective option for those struggling with this condition.

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation occurs following skin injury or inflammation, such as acne or eczema. Tranexamic acid helps lighten these dark spots, promoting a more even skin tone. Its anti-inflammatory properties also help soothe and regulate skin inflammation, reducing the likelihood of future pigmentation issues.

Tranexamic acid is safe and suitable for all skin types, including melanin-rich and sensitive skin. It is less irritating than some other skin-lightening agents like hydroquinone and retinoids, making it a preferable choice for a wide range of individuals who may have increased risk of irritation or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Tranexamic acid is compatible with other treatments and can be used in conjunction with other skincare ingredients like azelaic acid, vitamin C, niacinamide, and acetyl hexapeptide-1 to enhance its efficacy. This synergistic approach helps to tackle hyperpigmentation from multiple angles, leading to more significant and faster results. It is also an ideal active to include in chemical peels and resurfacing formulas and systems targeting hyperpigmentation challenges.

Don’t miss Candice Gardner at PB North, where she’ll be talking about targeting hyperpigmentation with a multifaceted approach, including Dermalogica Pro’s Melanopro Peel System, on the Skin and Advanced Treatments stage at 12pm on Sunday, September 29.

Candice Gardner is the education manager – learning and content at Dermalogica UK. She has over 30 years’ experience in professional skincare and education, including advisory and committee roles.

How can I increase my income while reducing my work hours?

I’d like you to write down what your ideal work life looks like – how much money are you going to pay yourself and how many hours a week will you work? What feelings come up for you when you read this back?

If anything comes up that isn’t excitement then I urge you to work on your limiting beliefs, money mindset and your mindfulness around your actions. It always starts with this.

If excitement comes up, or you can somewhat get on board with getting excited about it, then there’s practical steps you can use to implement what you wrote down.

There are three areas in your business to look at:

1. Your team

Hire people that want your business to grow and create a team that offers nothing less than exceptional customer service and treatment standards. Reflect on your current team – are they truly aligned with your vision? Your business’s success and your wellbeing depend on having the right people in place.

If you find yourself working harder than your team and being the most requested therapist, it’s time to invest in customer service and skills training. Nurture a team of highly sought-after professionals, enabling you to step away from day-to-day operations and focus on growth while maintaining a thriving business.

2. Delegation

Please stop trying to control absolutely everything that goes on in your business. Sure, no one will do it like you – but someone will do a good enough job at it (or maybe even better) if you just release a little control.

Delegate social media posting, appointment admin, stock management, paid advertising, website updates, new client follow-ups, client reconnects, accounts, wages… absolutely everything that is not the best use of your time.

3. Adding revenue to your existing business

There are many ways you can add revenue as a salon owner. Setting up a proper retail strategy within your team can see you bringing in an extra 30% or more in revenue on top of your services. Streamlining your services can be another good way to add revenue in ways that may seem hidden until you dive deeper.

Tiered pricing is another way; in my opinion this is essential in any kind of salon. If there are multiple therapists in the salon, then this is an opportunity for you as a salon owner to make more money by adding in tiers of pricing. Giving your clients options on price means they will stick with you through thick and thin when it comes to those tighter months of the year we have all experienced from time to time.

Kerri-Ann Angus will be sharing more top business tips at PB North on the Business and Digital Skills Stage – find her at 1pm on Sunday, September 29.

Kerri-Ann Angus is a business and positive psychology coach, and the founder of Rise and Thrive Business Skool. She was previously the director of the Peaches Wax Bar salons in Glasgow and Stirling before selling them to focus on coaching.

How do I educate my clients on treating melasma with skincare?

Many clients want to move away from wearing lots of makeup but they’re often worried about uneven skin tone. Typically, clients might complain about “dark spots”, “pigmentation”, “liver marks” or “large freckles”. However the client labels it, it’s important to establish precisely what kind of issue they have, so that we know how it came about, how to treat it and how to prevent further damage.

By far the most common pigmentation issue I see in clinic is melasma. This typically presents as symmetrical brown or greyish patches on the face, with the most common areas affected being the cheeks, forehead, nose and above the lip.

What we need to explain to our clients is that melasma is very difficult to treat. The patches can fade and may even disappear, but for many clients, the condition is stubborn and even if the treatment is successful it may reappear.

There is no one treatment that fits all so I like to recommend a combination as part of a management plan for my clients. Before suggesting treatment options and active skincare we need to understand the cause of melasma, what triggers it, the depth of the pigmentation patches and the client’s lifestyle.

During the skin consultation, I explain to my clients why melasma can be challenging to manage. It is so important to be transparent so that the client really understands that due to factors such as hormonal fluctuations, excessive sun exposure, genetics, medication and possible over-use or misuse of actives, melasma is often managed rather than cured.

I advise my clients to apply vitamin C every morning and, at night, some form of active ingredient to lift the pigmentation. There are a number of actives such as retinoids, AHAs and BHAs, azelaic acid and kojic acid, which differ in strength. I select the appropriate active for the client dependent on their skin tolerance and the seasonal climate.

But let’s talk about sunscreen. This is the most important ingredient we have and yet most people underapply it. Usually, my clients give reasons such as “I look grey”, “it breaks me out”, “I can’t reapply over my makeup”, “my skin peels with it” and “it doesn’t sit well on my skin”. However, sunscreen only works if it’s used correctly. We need to educate clients on how much to use, how often to apply and the correct formulation to treat melasma. I recommend physical sunscreens, which use zinc oxide to block the rays so UV is deflected away from the skin. For summer, I ensure clients take a water-resistant SPF and instead of makeup I recommend a tinted sunscreen.

Don’t miss Smita Ahluwalia at Professional Beauty North, where she’ll be talking about “Enhancing mature skins with non-invasive procedures and medical-grade skincare” at 3pm on Sunday, September 29, on the Skin and Advanced Treatments stage.

Smita Ahluwalia is an expert facialist with 20 years’ experience in the industry, and she runs her own beauty business, Smita London, in North London. Ahluwalia is also a judge for the Professional Beauty Awards 2025.