Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Haley
Hi Hannah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When I was 9 years old I was pinching my cheeks for color on the way to a birthday party. No one teaches a child that. It’s just in my bones. I have always had a deep interest in beauty, despite my family being very minimalist. I started as a makeup artist when I was very young and worked for a very well known beauty brand. They invested a lot in me and I began learning more about skincare. That lead to me teaching in schools and staff meetings and thus my new obsession was born.
I then got my esthetician license, have worked at many med spas doing lasers, facials, microneedling, brows, and much more. I realized quickly this is what I was meant to be doing. I pursued my education hard, (still do) even after school, and I devoted myself to skin.
I decided to open up Salt Spa in 2023. It’s been the greatest joy to continue sharing my knowledge with my clients and to see so many amazing before and afters. I do both facials and makeup in the space, and it’s in a great location just behind Whole Foods on west Ave.
I sometimes joke that I’ve been keeping hot girls hot since 2012. In all seriousness, though, I genuinely want everyone to feel good in their skin. I know what it feels like to want to hide your skin. I have made it my life’s mission to research many different modalities. I believe in the low and slow approach. As a person who’s studied nothing but beauty my entire adult life, the people that age the best are doing small consistent things over a long period of time. With regular facials, a customized home care routine, and other science-backed modalities and ingredients.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing has come easy in my life. At 18, I was very much on my own. I’m very grateful for my parents, but they also had to work their way up in life and they didn’t give me a dollar or any support from 18 on. Moving to Austin at 23, I had 100 dollars to my name when I brought my portfolio in to a high end salon.
I remember my first week at work we all went to lunch and I nervously got one tiny croissant for 3 dollars because that’s all I had left until my first paycheck. I was relieved when it didn’t decline.
To even get a job as a makeup artist, I had to do so much free work to get my name out there and keep building my portfolio. This sounds much easier than it is- These are several days long, 13 hour shoots, and my lunch break was taking a bite of a sandwich and getting back to work because the photographers waiting. I was in Vogue, Estetica, and many more publishings all while barely surviving. I worked 6 or 7 days a week for years, with almost no vacations or time off, still wondering where my next meal would come from. My partner and friends did not understand my purpose which was very isolating.
To make matters worse, as a young artist desperate to make it, I didn’t realize the corruption of the fashion industry. Oftentimes you’ll do free work for publishings to get your name out there. When you finally see your work in a magazine, your name is nowhere to be found. Many times I wouldn’t even have access to the high res photos. They really take advantage of young artists. Luckily as I was discovering this, my passion for skin was completely taking off. I was obsessed. I worked my butt off doing makeup and other gigs until I could afford to get my esthetician license, which I did while maintaining my job as a makeup artist.
I believe there is a hustle that can’t be taught or given. There’s a certain fire that develops because there’s no plan B. I had two missions: get out of poverty, and do what I know I’m meant to do. What I LOVE and is in my bones. I wanna make little girl pinching her cheeks for color proud. I now proudly own a spa in downtown Austin, which is actually where I started working when I moved here 13 years ago. It’s a beautiful symmetry, really.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m the owner of Salt Spa. I work at Salt as an esthetician. I offer facials, chemical peels, dermaplaning, microneedling , brow lamination, waxing and more.
I’m most proud of my experience and knowledge base. Because I’ve completely immersed myself in nothing but the beauty industry my entire adult life, I have a lot more experience than most estheticians. I was teaching about skin before I even got my license.
I also work closely with injectors and other professionals. They are not my competition. I don’t really believe in competition in that way. I educate myself on all modalities so I can properly guide my clients and I’ll happily refer out if that’s what she needs. I know what I bring to the table.
My makeup background also really helps me map out a plan for my clients. Sometimes they don’t know or see what’s “off” but they just feel “blah” or not quite themselves anymore. For one person, it could be that their brows need a tint because eyebrows start to thin as we age. For another, it could be loss of elasticity because she’s a runner. So we map out a plan for her to get that bounce back in her skin.
My clients often say “I learn something new every time I come see you!” I educate without the pressure. You can think of me like a huge beauty thesaurus. The more questions you ask, the more you WANT to know, the more you’ll get out of your service with me. I can do a mean facial, and am known for my hands— but the real treasure is the knowledge I provide. You’ll go home equiped with how to look beautiful for a long time. It’s up to you if you are willing to invest the time and money to do it. That’s the one thing I can’t give- the drive. That’s up to you. But if you’re ready to prioritize your skin, I’m on your team.
I love taking before and afters. I always say to give me three months for big changes. My clients are amazing. They listen to what I say, and their before and afters show it.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
You have to have a great joy for skin. If you are not obsessed with it, (I’m talking listening to podcasts on your way to work, taking extra classes- you genuinely WANT to learn) you will likely not make it.
I think out of all the women I went to school with, maybe 3 of us are practicing estheticians. Many dropped out. In the beginning it’s hard, and if people aren’t rebooking, you’re doing something wrong. And you will likely be doing many things wrong for a while. It’s a humbling thing to be new at anything.
But if you love it, press on. You owe it to yourself. Be nice to your coworkers, make your clients day better then it started. You have to want to learn, want to be better. It’s tough for a lot of girls to even get their first job these days. It requires a lot of skills- it’s knowledge of skin, people skills, sales, having a good physical touch, and you have to take pride in your own appearance. We represent the beauty that our clients want. If you are not walking the walk, they can smell that.
If you think you’ve got most of those and are willing to learn the rest, then I say go for it! Just make sure to further your education past getting your liscence.
Pricing:
- First facial- $100
- Chemical peels- $50-105
- Dermaplane- $69
- Microneedling- $325, packages of 3 at a discount
- Brow wax- $25
Contact Info:
- Website: https://salt-spa.square.site
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahhaleysalt?igsh=a3Jqc3RxajFnczdi&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@hannahhaleyatx?si=9GGlzPkjgcjFLM0R
Image Credits
Photography by Maja Buck (headshots of me)
