Magazine for the professional nail industry.
Issue link: http://nailsmag.epubxp.com/i/107610
Legal Matters Massage licensing and certification are done at the city and county levels. Some cities and counties require anyone who practices massage to be certified by an approved massage education school, while others only require certification if the service is a full body massage. Others do not require a massage certificate if the service is just from the knees to the feet, or from the elbows to the hands. Often just a Doing Business As (DBA) filing is all that is needed to set up shop and open doors. For reflexology, its statutes vary from state to state. There are currently three states that have separate legislation and licensing: North Dakota, Tennessee, and New Hampshire. But the service mostly falls to the city and county level, like massage. And the differentiation between "massage" and "reflexology" varies. There are also zoning matters to consider. Many times a city will have specifications on how many massage businesses they allow within a given area. So make sure to check with your local department of business and finance as well as your state board to make sure you are fully informed on all the legal requirements for massage and reflexology. What It Means To Nail Techs The new foot massage parlors do not need to be viewed as competition to nail salons' foot services. And a nail tech can in fact offer everything that a foot massage parlor can by being able to beautify the nails. Sometimes advertising a new service, like foot massage, can be a great way to get new clients in the door, and it also gives the nail tech something new to try out. Offering a foot massage can pique a beauty professional's curiosity to seek out further education on massage and reflexology, or at the least it could just be offered as a special service certain times of the year. Prices and duration vary widely for foot massage and reflexology sessions. Most pedicurists interviewed who offer foot massage averaged their prices to $35 for a 40-minute massage, with certified reflexology sessions being a bit higher at $75 an hour. Resources For foot massaging, there is a wealth of information to help you improve the quality of your massage, and because your manicuring or cosmetology license incorporates massage services from knees to feet and elbows to arms, there's no reason why you can't put the service on your menu. You can read up on reflexology to incorporate some of the techniques and theories, and you can also invest in furthering your education through massage and reflexology courses, both of which will provide you with a wealth of new information that will be beneficial to your clients and also deepen your salon menu and personal skill set. 1 2 HERE ARE SOME ONLINE RESOURCES: 1. The American Commission for Accreditation of Reflexology Education and Training (ACARET), acaret.org 2. The American Reflexology Certification Board (ARCB), arcb.net The ARCB and the ACARET both offer education and certification for reflexology, and provide excellent information about reflexology and how interested people can become certified. 3. massageregister.com Massage Register has a database of the licensing requirements for each state and can help put you in touch with an approved local massage school. 3 4. www.nailsmag.com NAILS Magazine has a wealth of information about foot massaging, from step-by-step demos to themed pedicures that highlight the massage aspect. And our Feet channel can help you with any question you have regarding feet and pedicure services. MARCH 2013 | NAILS MAGAZINE | 129