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Sponsored by European Wax Center
Esthetician Deidra Green had an unusual start to entrepreneurship in the beauty business after rising through the executive ranks of Morgan Stanley. Leaving corporate America to become a licensed esthetician, she opened and operated her own salon in Maryland, specializing in women’s body waxing services for several years. Now she works as a field training manager for European Wax Center, where she is also a member of their diversity and inclusion committee.
How did you make the leap from being a director at Morgan Stanley to entering the waxing industry?
I was not happy in finance. I did not love the work that I was doing, even though I was good at it. I really wanted to be able to work with women and positively impact them. My family has a history of being in the beauty industry doing hair. I knew I did not wanna do hair, and I stumbled across a course to become an aesthetician. I was like, “I love makeup. I love facials. Maybe that’s a route that I could go down.” I went to school and I absolutely fell in love with waxing and decided to do my own thing.
When did you decide to open your own salon?
I was working at the front desk at Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa until my graduation. My plan was to work as an esthetician there, but then I decided to work for myself. I took the plunge and used my savings to open Skin Bar. I had no clientele when I started, I actually [used] Groupon to start building my clientele. That helped me out a lot initially and then my business grew by word of mouth. I was in Baltimore at the time and there were a lot of Black women that wanted to get waxed. I ran it for years until I experienced a few deaths in my family and took some time off. Re-entering the business to work for European Wax Center was just the right decision for me.
There is a rumored boom of Black women entrepreneurs in the waxing industry. Is there any truth to that?
The beauty industry is popular for minorities in general because it is an industry where we thrive and where there is great opportunity. I have seen stats to back that up. Social media has also made entrepreneurship seem sexy and I honestly believe that is where the trend began. I love that entrepreneurship empowers people to take control of their life, but social media can do a disservice by not showing all sides of running a business.
Since entering the beauty industry, what changes have you noticed regarding the demand for waxing services?
The demand has increased because people know that there are inexpensive options for hair removal that work for them. Waxing has become normalized. It’s not a status symbol as much anymore. In the past, if you wanted to get waxed, you had to book an appointment at a spa. It was a long, drawn-out [process] that took like 45 minutes to an hour. Not only was it out of reach for some people, but it was also time-consuming. On the other end of the spectrum, you could get a cheap wax from a shady place without even knowing if the person was well-trained or licensed. People did not talk about it but now talking about getting waxed is less taboo. Waxing has just become something people do for self-care.
Large waxing centers, like European Wax Center, have received criticism over a lack of diversity. What have you observed as a Black woman in the industry?
Source: Courtesy of European Wax Center / EWC
I work for corporate, which is separate from the individually owned and operated franchise locations. There is a myth that there are not a lot of Black women or women of color getting waxed and doing the waxing. I visit centers all across the country as part of my role and have not witnessed a diversity and inclusiveness issue amongst our employees or clients. However, it is a common misconception that the European wax center is only for white people because of our name. It is named European Wax Center because the wax is from Europe, but anybody can go and get wax there. My experience is a little different because I had my own salon and then I transitioned to working for European Wax Center, but I had a great franchisee with a diverse staff. However, experiences between franchise locations could differ.
Sugaring is super popular now. What is the difference between sugaring and waxing?
European Wax Center uses our proprietary blend of wax, which is a hard wax. We do not need strips to remove the wax, the wax hardens and becomes the strip that removes the hair. With sugaring, there is a reusable paste that removes the hair. They are both forms of Appalachian and the technique is what is different. When you sugar, you are removing hair in the opposite direction of the hair growth. When you wax, you are removing in the same direction of the hair growth. You also work in smaller sections when sugaring than you can with a hard wax. Two different modalities, but they both remove the hair from the root.
Some believe Black skin and body hair require different treatment. How is Black body hair removal different and do Black women need to find a Black wax tech?
A good wax specialist, or a good esthetician, should be able to serve any client. There is a common [belief] that all Black women have coarse, curly hair and all white women have smooth, straight hair. That is absolutely not the case. You never know what you’re gonna get, so it behooves any professional to learn how to alter their technique to wax different hair types. Education on aftercare is really important when it comes to Black skin. The issues that we commonly run into are ingrown hairs and hyperpigmentation. A poor wax technique can exacerbate those issues. It is really about finding someone that actually cares about skin, that knows skin and does aftercare education.
For Black women, do you recommend waxing over laser?
Yes, I recommend waxing over laser because there are a lot of other factors when it comes to laser treatment. Laser is very expensive and if the wrong laser is used on your skin it could easily cause hyperpigmentation. Lasers typically work best with darker hair and lighter skin because the laser needs to be able to identify the hair. Sometimes, you just won’t get the best results. Hormones also impact the outcome, so there are a lot of different considerations. To me, waxing is a sure thing.
What would you say to Black women that are curious about getting waxed, but fearful of getting started?
Don’t believe everything you hear and don’t be afraid to try new things. All you need to do is just focus on finding somebody that has been trained properly and is certified. Make sure they have good reviews so you have a good experience all around.
