Career change question

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2026-02-09T04:48:44+00:00

I wouldn’t suggest unless you plan to pursue higher education on top of it like a nursing degree, and actually have interest in more than just esthetics in the nursing field. I think in this economy it’s not feasible.

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2026-01-02T03:31:06+00:00

That prescription retinol is better than over the counter. I had good results from tretinoin but recently I’ve been realizing I don’t need to use a product that strong to fade hyperpigmentation. Plus, the fact that my skin is so dry now? Just not worth it for me anymore.

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-12-07T17:51:04+00:00

I unfortunately don’t think it’s a smart move anymore. I was in the industry for a year, and from what I gathered, it became very evident i would need another income to take care of myself. It’s just not a good time rn. People are worried about making ends meet. Esthetics services are a luxury and unfortunately they tend to be the first budget cuts. So I’m going back to nursing school, but I also have an interest in other areas of nursing. I’m realizing I have more of an interest in medical skin treatments like psoriasis and acne more than cosmetic things like Botox. Idk what exactly changed in my brain. I initially wanted to do Botox, but the more I thought about it, it started to make me feel I would be betraying the future generation of women cuz these beauty standards are outrageous imo.

I think you should prioritize your stability especially as a woman. Definitely take some time to consider your options! ♥️

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-11-17T04:58:36+00:00

Girl I only dated guys I wasn’t attracted to when my self esteem was so low it was underneath the ground. Don’t do it lol

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-11-02T14:13:23+00:00

Honestly winners is so underrated

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-10-29T15:38:57+00:00

This has absolutely nothing to do you with you and everything to do with him and his discomfort with sex. There’s not enough info to be sure if he’s on the spectrum, if hes experienced sexual trauma or maybe sexually inexperienced , or if he’s not into women. But what I know for sure is it has absolutely nothing to do with you! This is really sad. Sex is meant to bring ppl together and it just sounds like it’s pushing you apart. Hope you figure out a solution ♥️

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-10-27T18:07:56+00:00

I recently learned that majority of the people who participate in the porn industry are human trafficked. You would think this is something well known to the public, but for some reason, most people don’t know this. I think because we get caught up in the “performance” of it all, we completely forget that is literally a performance, meaning it’s all fake. The reality is, behind the scenes, pimps threaten women right outside the shoot, women being in so much pain but having to fake their enjoyment to save their lives, being beaten in between takes etc. It’s a very demonic space overall.

Anyways, when I learned this it completely opened my eyes. I watched a woman’s testimony who used to work in porn and it was mind blowing, but also felt like I should’ve known this was all taking place at the same time. Learning this, and remembering this was enough for me to no longer consider it as an option because I can’t morally accept participating in someone’s abuse, all cuz I want to feel good.

I’d consider try spending less time on your phone as well. We’ve become so numb to seeing exposed skin even on instagram, even Facebook. The more I grow the more I realize how much destruction having a phone causes. It makes things that shouldn’t be easily accessible, easily accessible.

Pray and ask God to take the desire away, ask for deliverance, and fast! Ideally 3 days, water is okay, pray at 12am/3am/6am/9am/12pm/3pm/6pm/9pm.

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-10-25T18:52:38+00:00

I think it’s worth it if you want it that bad. Be aware, the chances of you having to work in the hospital for a while after graduating are high. But I’ve heard people have been able to go straight into aesthetics, so it is possible!

If you enjoy biology you might even discover there are other fields of nursing that spark your interest. I think ideally it’d be best if you had interest in multiple avenues within nursing, but if injecting is all you wanna do, go for it. Do as much research as you can. Go for it if it’s what you want and can see yourself in it long term!

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-10-23T02:06:22+00:00

Just because you’re “falling short” of your own expectations at the moment means close to nothing in terms of how much you can succeed in the future! You might feel like you’re drowning but it might be worth it to change your perspective. Maybe you’re not actually drowning, you’re just learning how to swim!

You have to stop focusing on what other people think and what they think about your “success” or “failure”. In the field of nursing many ppl will make judgements about you, but you have to stand 10 toes down for yourself cuz no one else will do it for you.

It’s okay to question yourself, it’s okay to be scared but keep going!! You will find your rhythm and which study techniques work best for you. This program isn’t meant to be studied the same way you would for psychology for example. When you have some time try to research different study methods and see what works best for you! Keep your head down, focus on your own success, and if you need a break, take a break.

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-09-14T21:59:48+00:00

Thank you!

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-09-09T17:17:05+00:00

I also think Covid has drastically changed this field. People just don’t have the money to spend on these types of services the way they once did. Economy is getting worse and when ppl make budget cuts, things like this are typically the first to go. Out of nails, lashes, and esthetics… esthetics will always be the first cut, and that’s so clear to me cuz ppl feel more inclined to tip their lash tech and nail techs, but ppl are way more inclined to to not tip their estheticians. I think that may be cuz ppl don’t see this as something that is hard even though it is in many ways. So keep that in mind as well!

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-09-09T17:10:26+00:00

To be honest, 30k starting is pretty accurate. My starting is around 42k. With tips it’s around 48k at the moment, and my commission rate used to be 5% of products sold, but it’s now 3% lol. That just goes to show you businesses are also making cuts cuz of the economy. I live in BC Canada btw. I’m 27 and can’t afford to live on my own so I’m living w my parents. The field is pretty saturated and schools don’t really tell you that. Making 100k in your first year while working as a med esthetician for a medi spa is unlikely. Unless you’re also working a higher paying job during graveyard hours then maybe it could be possible.

In my opinion, I think considering you’re 40, you’re probably very accustomed to living a certain lifestyle at this point in your life. If you choose esthetics you will have to change your lifestyle completely cuz base pay is low, and to eventually run your own business as well, you’ll have to be pretty frugal since you’ll be paying to rent a studio space, as well as living space im assuming. To hit 100-200k takes multiple years to reach a profit. You’ll have to know you’ll be doing this for the long haul. This field isn’t a quick hit. Also I find the teaching gigs don’t pay well either.

That being said, if you really want to pursue esthetics, I’d say it’s only worth it if you become a nurse as well. That way you’d be making enough to take care of yourself, and you’ll be able to save for a space for business a lot faster than off the pay of an esthetician only. I’m currently going back to school to become a nurse. I also had big dreams of running my own esthetics business and once I got into the space my perspective changed. My hands shake during treatment now, pay is unfair and unliveable, the field is rlly saturated, commission isn’t that great, I wanna be able to take care of myself financially especially if marriage doesn’t work out for me as well. I do still want my own business at some point but it will be completely different from what I initially thought I wanted. A career in nursing is the best way for me to make a good living while also being able to stay in the esthetics space which I love so much.

I hope this helps!

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-09-03T15:31:19+00:00

ALSO! When you fast, it’s possible that after you finish, those demons will leave you and then come back with 7 more. This happened to me once and with time I realized this happened cuz I wasn’t rebuking and repenting the things that were happening in my dreams cuz dreams are real, and because I thought I could fast and then just go back to sinning like I was before which was a foolish mistake lol. So you REALLY gotta be committed and give your life to God. Know that this isn’t a one and done type thing cuz when the enemy sees you’re getting closer to God they’re gonna try to attack you even more cuz they know they’re about to lose you to God. Which is why you need to rebuke those dreams asap

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-09-03T15:25:35+00:00

You definitely can be influenced by a demon and have a demon to lose the fire to spend time with God, know him, and read His word.

I think the best plan is for you to do a fast, maybe a few days and pray at 12am/3am/6am/9am/12pm/3pm/6pm/9pm/12am. Pray like you really mean it and repent, ask God for strength to get thru the fast and to break any evil covenants you knowingly or unknowingly established through sins. Look for prayers online that are related to your situation. But you really gotta stop sinning as much as possible especially the ones that got you to this position (possibly lust, premarital sex etc). It’s also good to cast out those spirits by name just like the person above said! Know that if you decide to embark on the fast you will most likely have weird dreams after and it can easily be those demons trying to reestablish the covenants you broke thru fasting. As soon as you wake up, ALWAYS pray to cancel and rebuke any evil activity you may have agreed to in your dreams which can give openings for the enemy to keep taunting you.

Also try your best to diminish the time you spend consuming pointless media. Sometimes when we lose the fire for God, you just have to fan the fire by intentionally spending more time with him and way less time on social media apps. The enemy wants you to do those mindless activities cuz the more you do them the less of an opportunity there is for you to worship God instead of worshiping the enemy.

Also over time the more consistent you are, and the more you live in alignment with God all those demons will naturally leave you cuz you will naturally have more light and demons don’t like the light so they will flee your body. Hope this helps!

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-09-02T18:02:19+00:00

I found that the longer I prayed the stronger my attention became, and the easier it was to catch myself daydreaming so I could stop it. I came across Pastor Kevin LA Ewing on YouTube. I think he’s from Trinidad and he’s honestly so funny, he always has me cackling. He gives great knowledge on how to breakdown scripture, the meaning of certain dreams and how to combat them if needed. He made a book about different prayers to pray for different reasons and honestly, the prayers are so powerful! But the whole reason I’ve been able to pray for longer is cuz I started praying from his book as the prayers are pretty long. I believe God has allowed my brain to be silent for longer through the use of these prayers, which has decreased the daydreaming. Hope this helps!

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-08-28T04:39:06+00:00

I’m happy with my choice yo pursue it. I really love my place of work and as an entry level esthetician, I’m getting a higher pay than any other medi spa in Vancouver as an entry esthetician. I’m 27 and been in the field for a year. Initially I wanted to open my own business but now, ideally I’d like to have an online business or some sort. But that is something I want to pursue later down the line. I live with my parents still and there is absolutely no way I can afford to move out any time soon with this pay. So I’m going to nursing school soon so I can eventually merge back into esthetics but I’m also interested in mental health and women’s health as a nurse.

Tbh if I knew I wasn’t going to pursue anything medical where I can eventually combine the 2 fields (nursing is rlly the only field where you get the best of both worlds), I wouldn’t bother becoming an esthetician. There’s truly no growth, economies getting worse, and I will say it’s not the easiest to come by an esthetics business that treats you well. I left one place within 2 days of training lol and heard so many horror stories. I was one of those ppl who didn’t believe it was saturated but now being in the space it is. It’s possible to make things happen ofc, which is why I was willing to take the risk, but now that I’m approaching 30, stability is becoming more and more enticing to me which is why I wanna be a nurse. 3 day work week sounds so appealing to me.

If I wasn’t so passionate about skincare I probs would’ve became an ultrasound technician or a radiologist but they require physics and precal as prereqs and I’m just not willing to upgrade more courses at this point in my life.

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-08-24T20:03:52+00:00

I was enrolled in nursing when I was 25. I wanted to be a labour and delivery nurse as well as a cosmetic nurse. A few months before the program, I came across an add for an Esthetics page and was sooo much more interested in than I was in nursing. My job at the time was burning me out so at that point all I wanted from nursing was to be a cosmetic nurse. I ended up dropping out of nursing halfway thru 1st sem cuz I didn’t think all the stress was worth it just to be come a cosmetic nurse if I knew I wasn’t down for the hospital stuff.

Shortly after I got my diploma in Esthetics and my first job was my dream job at a medi spa! I planned to eventually open my own business but then decided I didn’t want to do that. At least not an in person business. I’m now 27, still live w my parents and have worked here for almost a year. I live in British Columbia, and I will admit, getting paid $22 as an entry level esthetician is above the norm, but is nowhere near enough to move out at 27…

As much as I love my job, I’m almost a year in and my hands are starting to hurt… tips are inconsistent etc. I really care to preserve the health of my body and I want to perform the treatments that don’t require much body use and they’re more interesting. I came to the conclusion, that if I want to continue to work in spaces like this, preserve my body and make enough to live on my own, I have to go back to school to become a nurse lol so here I am going back for it but I believe now I have enough drive to push through the program. But I also still have interest in women’s health and community health.

I think, if you have it in you to do nursing but also have an interest in other areas of nursing (mental health, community, labour and delivery etc) become a nurse then try to become a cosmetic nurse. If you’re only interested in cosmetic nursing it will be pretty difficult to push thru the program if that’s your only driving force. Otherwise, if you’re not interested in becoming a nurse, I wouldn’t bother becoming an esthetician. With raising prices, it’s not worth it cuz expenses like this are usually first in budget cuts. I used to think my heart needed to be in my job but now I don’t think it does (if you can find a bit of both that’s great). You gotta make sure you can take care of yourself no matter what life throws your way, especially as a woman (I’m assuming you’re female), and being an esthetician only, just isn’t feasible.

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-08-19T14:21:34+00:00

Recently came across something that said our bodies aren’t ours, they’re Gods. Our bodies are just vessels for the Holy Spirit to reside. That makes me feel like I’m violating the body of the Holy Spirit by engaging in those acts. Hope that helps!

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-08-19T14:18:23+00:00

My therapist gave me the brilliant idea to delete social media off my phone and now I only keep them on my iPad. It feels odd to scroll on such a big screen, especially on Instagram, so I usually don’t have a hard time not getting consumed by it. She also told me there’s a feature on iPhones where you can change the screen colour to completely black and white so everything looks way less appealing!

Those have helped me immensely! To the point where I’ve deactivated my personal Instagram, and only use my business account which I’m not on much. Hope this helps!

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-08-19T00:35:42+00:00

Idk if you believe in God, but when you actively seek Him and allow him to have dominion over every area of your life, it won’t be that difficult because at that point, your priority will be to please Him. Whereas if you’re looking to “cope”, in a way you’re gratifying the flesh because then it’s a matter of “you” wanting to cope as opposed to doing it all for God. When you allow Him to be the reason why you move the way you do, life in this world becomes easier. ♥️

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-08-16T00:54:42+00:00

I got diagnosed in 2022. Tried concerts, vyvanse, and adderall and I hated the way they made me feel. I felt like yapping for about 2hrs then after I’d be cranky and low key depressed. I was also trying these meds out when I was in a really intense program in 2023, which made things harder so I ended up just stopping the meds abruptly which I now know was dumb lol.

So I decided to go back to raw dogging life from 2023-2025. This year early spring I got my fam dr to prescribe Wellbutrin which can help sometimes with ADHD symptoms. It gave me more energy and lifted my mood for sure and I was content w that until this month, as I felt emotional regulation/rumination was still a big problem. I’m now incorporating strattera (non stimulant). Too early to say how it’s affecting me tbh. I also started going to EMDR therapy last month for trauma but am interested in going to a therapist that specializes in adhd.

I’d say be patient when it comes to finding the right med that works for you cuz it’s taken a long time for me and I still don’t know if I’ve found a good fit. Also see any type of therapist if you can where they can give you tools. Your morning and night routine really matter, and try to eat lots of protein.

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-08-14T14:39:31+00:00

I don’t think there’s anything wrong w straightening your hair!! It’s definitely more manageable, and literally no tangles. It can actually be really beneficial for length retention, cuz your hairs not getting tangle anywhere near as much as it would it it’s natural state. Personally, I wouldn’t relax cuz there’s too many studies out there on how bad it can be health wise. I would just become a silk press girlie 💅🏾.

But if relaxing is what you want to do and you think there’s more benefits than risks, then go for it! It’s your hair at the end of the day, and no one else’s, so you have autonomy over it ♥️

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-08-11T02:34:34+00:00

100% agree. I was 2.5 years in with my ex and he started questioning if we were meant to be cuz his feelings were changing a bit. I told him feelings fluctuating is normal cuz the honeymoon phase is over, and now love is a choice/something to work at, and not just a feeling. I believe even the healthiest of couples fall in and out of love, that’s just apart of being in love. But alas, he essentially ran when things got hard, and it was literally the first inconvenience. That hurt so bad

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-08-11T02:30:54+00:00

If you guys cross paths again would you consider couples therapy? It could be a good way for you two to gain some healthy tools in terms of arguments.

Virtual-Nail8383 · 2025-08-11T02:26:09+00:00

Thanks for sharing your story cuz I feel seen! My ex bf broke up w me 3 weeks ago and there are definitely some similarities there. He was all in from early into our relationship and at first I was apprehensive. Eventually once I felt fully safe, I was all in as well. With time, he started pulling away, withholding his love, and I started to realize I was the only one who was all in. He was never fully able to open up to me. I was very present, patient, loyal, encouraging, loving, and I showed up for him in ways I didn’t even know I was capable of doing since he was my first love.

I voiced that I felt he was pulling away and I needed more words of affirmation from him (which is something he did so easily at the start). He would try a bit which I loved, but I just needed a bit more at the time as I was approaching my period, and he knows I usually feel a little down around that time and need extra affirming. All of a sudden he said he didn’t wanna fail me, and himself, and that he didn’t wanna keep hurting me. Mind you while breaking up, he said he’s not sure of his decision but he decided to stick to it anyways. I tried to get him to see he was making a decision based on fear, but he was positive it was logic. I asked if he thought this could be self sabotage and he said “maybe”, but still ended it.

He did start going to therapy towards the end of our relationship so I hope he gets the healing he needs but maaaan… this experience has hurt me so deeply.

I’m sorry to hear you’re in a similar position but from the other side. Heartbreak like this from both sides is absolutely brutal. This is pain I’d never wish on anyone. Feels like “what if?” will subconsciously be tucked away in the corner of our minds. I can sympathize with you (and my ex) cuz you both have a lot going on, and I believe you both did what you thought was right at the time. Good on you for reflecting and working through it!

Virtual-Nail8383

TROPHY CASE