Nofu Chronicles #2: When One Door Closes, Another One Opens

Living in San Francisco was super fun because I was able to meet eccentric people like me. Being off of work for two years healing my back injury from Trader Joe's was a mixed blessing. I learned so much as far as hands-on people skills at Trader Joe’s, but I knew I had to go on disability in order for my back to heal. 

I finally got some relief and healing by resting and rehabilitating through chiropractic treatments and gentle yoga. However to this day, my back is still damaged, though, and my sciatica flares up if I do strenuous stuff. 

It was pure synchronicity when I met the coolest business owner and waxer in the city. I was her client, and I could tell her personality matched mine. She was bright, bubbly, and empathetic.

My career choices at that time were to become an esthetician or go back to college and get my master's degree. The latter sounded boring to me, as working at a desk on a computer with several co-workers was not my jam. Standing, sitting, and also moving around, though, would be good for me. Plus, I knew that one-on-one with a client would mean less stimulation for my sensitive self. The beauty industry sounded exciting to me so I signed up for an esthetician school in the South of Market district.

I attended a full-time program for 4 months. It sure was funny how close the school was to my old stomping grounds at Trader Joe’s on 9th and Bryant Streets. South of Market was a trendy, up-and-coming area of the city in the mid-90s. There were lots of fun lunch and dinner spots, nightclubs, tech companies, and places to play billiards. So, there I was at the age of 30, starting a new career and thinking I was so “old.” How does the saying go..." when one door closes, another door opens." 

The students at the school were fun people interested in doing similar things. Some wanted to specialize in waxing, some in facials, and some in just brow shaping. Our instructor was a Russian woman with a thick accent who had trained for 8 years in her country.  She knew her stuff! Our training included lessons on the biology of the skin, nerves, lymph system, waxing and facial techniques, face and shoulder massage techniques, and skin types.

Being back in school and studying skin was fun for me. In high school, I suffered from acne on my face, chest, and back. This was going to be cool, learning how to treat skin issues. I was juiced! 

We wore matching shirts at school. The esthetician students wore white shirts with red writing, and the cosmetology students wore black shirts with red writing so that you could tell us apart. Funny thing, the personality types of each group were very different. Estheticians seemed to all be introverts, and the cosmetology students were pretty much extroverts. The estheticians stayed in their classrooms. One was the lecture room, and the other was the lab with facial beds where we practiced waxing and giving facials to one another. 

In the first months, we learned the layers of the dermis and Fitzpatrick skin types (skin tones). Certain skin types require a lower PH for the skincare peels otherwise hyperpigmentation can occur. We definitely had to study because we were tested weekly on this biology.

By the time I started school, I had relocated to Oakland. Each morning, I took a bus to the Fruitvale Bart station. My routine was set; my twelve new classmates and a Russian teacher would be my circle for the next four months.

I loved being back in school and starting my new chapter!