Here's to Haley!

Haley is an original or an "OG," not just to Skin MPLS but in everything she does. What can we teach you about Haley? For starters, she is incredibly wise and well-researched but tries to hide it with a slightly self-deprecating sense of humor. Well, guess what, Haley—no one is buying that! If you are also obsessed with Haley, keep reading her 5-year anniversary article to get even more insight into who she is and how she treats skin. 

She doesn't know how beautiful she is on the inside and out. We've always said she reminds us of Blake Lively; she gives cool girl energy but is never a mean girl. Whether it's her Minnesota nature or her close-knit family nurture, she couldn't be mean if she tried. It's true that Haley technically started after we were really up and running, but it's hard to remember the Skin MPLS team before Haley joined – fortunately, we don't have to! Just like everyone here, Haley brings her own unique perspective on skin. She worked in a medispa alongside a dermatologist, so she is no stranger to lasers and botox and is knowledgeable on acne and rosacea meds. After a year at the dermatologist clinic, Haley realized her values did not align. She was very grateful for all the information. She said the doctor she worked under was extremely knowledgeable, but she felt the environment was cold and the patients weren't fully getting the right advice on how to take care of their skin between appointments.  

Haley is one of the few at the studio who has not struggled with acne firsthand, but that doesn't mean she isn't deeply passionate about treating it. In fact, she didn't even know being an aesthetician was an option after graduating college. All she knew was that she had a calling to help people. "My degree was in public health, but I was always interested in makeup and skincare – so I didn't know how that fit. It was when YouTube was popping off, and I was always watching makeup and skin videos. Then, my mother-in-law got me a facial as a gift and thought I would be great at doing it, but I didn't even know that was a job. Once I started exploring that more, it all just came together." 

She is talented and passionate about makeup, all things beauty, and the more advanced aesthetics and medispa side. Since she didn't love the dermatologist route, she thought she would just stick with beauty until she met Cassie at The Glow Lounge, where Haley worked at that time. The rest is history, and Haley was finally able to find a blend of medical, beauty, and patient care. 

Though we shared with you that Haley never really had acne, she did struggle with texture and sensitive skin. Even something as simple as Aquaphor could flare her dermatitis, and she's chronically reactive around her mouth. Then, adding too many heavy products to help the dryness gave her texture. Treating her own skin is a big way she helps clients who are afraid to get facial treatments or try products due to similar issues. While she's not afraid to be aggressive for the right person, she airs on the side of caution, which makes clients feel safe in her hands. 

"It took a long time for me to figure out my skin. I want to be able to use stronger exfoliants like Exfol-A-A because those are the secret to really bright skin. However, when I overdo it, I'm just raw. Rx Complex Serum is my very favorite to help balance it out. Also, I look closely at my skin each night to make sure not to exfoliate if I'm showing any signs of being reactive. I love hydration (Rx Complex Serum) and peptides (Rejuv Rx) to help aid in building tissues. I really specialize in creating a simple 4-6-step regimen for people who don't want to spend tons of time and money. Plus, if you have reactive skin, you want to use enough to get healthy skin – but not too much to use an irritating ingredient. I love solving that puzzle for people!" 

Unsurprisingly, Haley is an incredible mother because she has been mom'ing her clients for years. She is that blend of gentle but honest, which is what it takes to have a great treatment with a meaningful outcome. The other Skin MPLS girls often try to get in for a treatment with her because she's nurturing yet straightforward. Pamela remembers how Haley changed her skin years after getting mostly clear.

"I recall so vividly seeing her for a treatment. I had picked a spot (probably the night before…), and she said something like, 'You are just like my sister; your skin would be perfect if you didn't touch it.' I feel like her delivery was more delicate, though, and I've never been able to recreate it with my own clients. The way she said it, I never felt ashamed. I wanted to say, 'No, it wasn't the picking. It was the pimples themselves.' but I knew she was right. After that, I drastically stopped picking, touching, squeezing, etc., which really brought my skin to the next level. I doubt she even remembers, but that's just how she is. She's wise but doesn't know it. And outside of work, she has been giving me mothering advice that I can say is the reason I've been successful at that too." 

Haley is fond of giving her clients skin and life advice. She listens so deeply that in a skincare treatment alone, she does more good than she knows. She sees the beauty in everyone and everything, and when you get encouragement or a compliment from Haley, it's genuine.

Being a full-time mom would have been easy for her to take time away from the studio to focus on her family, but she simply can't do that. She loves her clients too much, and she puts the needs of others well before herself. Not to mention, she has to put all that skin science she knows to good use! We have watched her blossom and can't wait for her return after maternity leave.