Talking to… WILLIAM FOLEY

The first man to win Professional Beauty’s Therapist of the Year award tells Kezia Parkins about busting barriers and bringing his passion for biohacking into his practice

There are few industries nowadays where we talk about the need to encourage more men, but beauty therapy is arguably one of them. In fact, it was just a few months ago that Willam Foley became the first man to ever win Therapist of the Year at the Professional Beauty Awards 2025.

“Beauty has always been a really female-dominated field. In other industries, we talk a lot about highlighting and encouraging women but we don’t really do this for men in the beauty industry,” he says.

This meant that Foley had few role models to help him get to where he is today. “So I just followed my passion and what felt right. But it would have been nice if I’d had that as well. Being a man in this industry, it sometimes feels hard to be seen or to be heard,” he says.

As for men wanting to access beauty therapy, Foley says “there’s definitely been a shift”, adding, “Men are paying attention to how they feel, but also how they look. We want to incorporate wellness into our routines and it’s not just gay men that want that. There are tons of straight men I know that love a great facial or massage or dye their beard… it’s all connected and no different from how a woman feels to how a man feels about themselves.”

Breaking stigma

However, Foley is disappointed this growing interest among men is not translating into more men choosing to work in beauty therapy. “I wish more men would try and go into the industry to have a great career too,” he says.

Foley’s own journey into beauty therapy was deeply personal. “I think it goes back to being a teenager with quite bad skin,” he shares. “I had really bad acne, probably about grade three or four, and it was debilitating for me. That sparked my interest in skin – how it behaves and what’s happening beneath the surface.”

Despite his early passion, Foley didn’t enter the beauty industry immediately. Instead, he explored other avenues, studying personal training, science and nutrition before transitioning into health and social care. Eventually, he found his way to beauty and cosmetology, where he combined scientific knowledge with a holistic approach.

“Back then, there was such a stigma for a guy to go into that world,” he recalls. “There were no men in the classroom, very few in the industry. I was like a lone rider. But my passion came from being so affected by my own skin condition. I wanted to help others who felt the same.”

Now, Foley is renowned for his skill layering a multitude of technologies and aesthetic devices. “This is what brought me to aesthetics…results-driven treatments that really help people,” he says. “Skincare is great, but the space is overwhelming at the moment. For me, it’s about a combination approach to aesthetics and delivering real results through treatments that make a visible difference.”

In the past few years, Foley has been focusing on bringing his love for holistic wellness into his clinical practice. As well as traditional therapeutic methods, he incorporates mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral strategies and nutrition. “I’ve talked about biohacking for ages in and out of clinic. I find that, typically, when talking to a patient about their skin health, people just talk about things topically, not internally,” he says.

“Stress, lifestyle, what are you doing with that? What foods are you eating? What’s happening with that gut microbiome. Now, biohacking is a buzzword, which is fantastic because it means we are talking about this stuffmore, but that should have been the message all along – healing, that spirituality aspect, that mindset, to achieve great skin health, because it’s all connected. Having that full holistic approach is key for everything.”

Bringing it all together

Due to hardship that Foley experienced at a younger age, he used spirituality as a way to heal. “I’ve always had a curiosity about life and the universe and I love being in nature, so I think my spirituality has always been there, but going through difficult times, it’s about finding your way through it all. And for me, it’s always been through spirituality and believing in something. Don’t sweat the small stuff, have gratitude and embrace feeling because it’s not a bad thing.”

During this time of big conversations about toxic masculinity and how the “manosphere” is having an effect on younger generations, Foley’s approach and being a relatable face in the industry is important.

“Men are scared to be emotional; they’re scared to be sensitive or vulnerable. It’s tough because it’s a generational thing, it’s learned behaviour. But, I think we’re at a crossroads now where men are trying to be that way, but then they get judged for it, so they’re confused.”

He adds, “A cornerstone of my practice is empathy. I strive to create a safe, non-judgmental space where clients can express their thoughts and feelings openly. By genuinely understanding their perspectives and experiences, I help clients navigate their challenges with compassion and support, empowering them to find their own solutions and achieve personal growth.”

Bridging gaps

While Foley has seen a notable shift in the way all men, including straight men who have notoriously shied away from beauty and aesthetic spaces, are approaching salons and clinics, he says there is still a way to go to make these spaces more accessible. “Straight guys are still thinking, Where do I go? Is it all right for me to go to that clinic? Is it too female? Is it too pink?,” he says. “Gay guys will go anywhere! They’ll happily go somewhere predominately female. But straight men don’t want to go to a fluffy salon or clinic or somewhere where there are loads of women because they’ll find it hard to talk about what they’re going through or how they feel, so it’s a tricky place for them.”

Key Dates

2011
Begins beauty career as a therapist with Espa in Harvey Nichols while studying holistic therapies

2013
Joins Rodial as a regional therapist

2015
Trains with Emma Coates training academy in aesthetics (mesotherapy, skin peels, microneedling)

2016-2025
Works with aesthetics and skincare companies including Current Body skin clinic

2022-2024
Shortlisted for Therapist of the Year at both Professional Beauty and Aesthetic Medicine Awards

2023
Speaks on advanced skin treatments at Professional Beauty and Aesthetic Medicine shows

2024
Wins Babtac Advanced Aesthetician award

2025
Wins Therapist of the Year at the Professional Beauty Award

''I hope I can be a ROLE MODEL for other men, showing them that they can BUILD A GREAT CAREER in this industry. You don’t have to be female to SUCCEED IN BEAUTY THERAPY''

Foley believes the aesthetics industry has an opportunity to provide a safe space for this group too and bridge the gap between wellness and our current healthcare system. “This is where I really champion aestheticians, therapists and holistic therapists because they’re doing great work, but they just don’t get seen for the work that they do, in terms of that overall wellbeing of a person, patient or client. They’re offering emotional support through holistic therapies, and doctors often aren’t doing that.”

On receiving the Professional Beauty Award for Therapist of the Year, Foley says: “It means the world. It’s just great to have that recognition for all the hard work and dedication to the industry. I’ve been up for the award twice before and didn’t win, but that never stopped me from believing in myself. I always thought, ‘I’m still good enough. I just need to keep going, stay true to my message, and move forward’.”

He adds, “I never see failure as failure, it’s just a chance to improve. Winning was a real pat on the back, a moment to say, ‘You’ve done something great.’ And to be the first guy to ever win? That’s huge. I hope I can be a role model for other men, showing them that they can build a great career in this industry. You don’t have to be female to succeed in beauty therapy.”

His win is also a testament to his multifaceted approach to beauty and wellness. “I’m known for advanced aesthetics, but I’m also deeply rooted in holistic therapy. That’s what I stand for – blending both worlds together. That is one of the reasons I entered the awards, because I didn’t want to just be known for one thing. There is so much more to me than that. It’s about the bigger message: integrating aesthetics, wellness and holistic care into a unified practice.”

Future facing

Looking forward, Foley is very clear about his path. “I know which direction I need to go in and that is bringing the nutrition element into my work even more. I’m going to study naturopathic medicine and create a pathway for people to feel great through food as medicine, and then incorporate that into my holistic and aesthetic work for a 360 approach. That’s the part that is missing for me in clinic and that’s where I feel like my true passion is. As humans, we’ve got a little bit lost now, so I want to bring it back to basics.”

Foley, who will be working with VTCT on its skills advisory board, also plans to champion a qualification around these topics for beauty therapists. “I think we are missing a trick by not empowering beauty therapists with that information. We talk about skin and what to do topically, but why aren’t more of us talking about food and what’s happening internally to help with symptoms and go to the root cause? I’m going to be knocking that door down and powering that message through.”