Tzvia Hermann grew up watching her mom work hard as a beautician – and swore never to work in the beauty industry. Now she is the ‘queen’ of laser hair removal in South Africa.
The founder of The Laser Beautique, which has become somewhat of a nationwide empire, Tzvia (which means ‘doe’ in Hebrew) is passionate about helping people feel confident and beautiful. We caught up with the busy lady to chat about life, laser and love…
What sparked your passion for pain-free laser hair removal?
I had tried everything from waxing and tweezing to threading and over 20 IPL sessions to get rid of unwanted hair. I found the solution while watching the famous American TV show, The Doctors. They featured a revolutionary, pain free, permanent hair removal laser. I was glued to the TV, especially when I heard that the device was manufactured by an Israeli company. As fate would have it, I was already booked to go to Israel the next week. I organised to meet with the manufacturers, did an intense training course and that was the start of a great journey.
Some people are nervous about trying laser hair removal. What would you say to ease their nerves?
I totally understand why people are nervous. I like using the analogy of having a hot bath. If you draw a boiling bath and try get in, you will burn. Cheap and older lasers used a ‘pick and place’ treatment method, similar to getting into a hot bath. If you get into lukewarm water and slowly increase the temperature, you will not feel any pain and be able to handle an even hotter bath that would have originally scalded you. This is similar to the treatment technique we use – starting on a low frequency, accumulating energy and gradually heating up the hair follicle and coagulating the veins that feed the hair with oxygen and nutrients. If you gradually and painlessly coagulate the little veins, the hair cannot grow back.
You started the business with your husband, Neil. How do you juggle the balance between being business and romantic partners?
Most of our friends and family say they’d never be able to share a bed and a business. We share the same goals and values, celebrate successes together, have a deep trust and understanding of each other and a complimentary skill set – I focus on operations, marketing and the creative side, while Neil runs the financial aspect. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between personal and professional pressures and creating and maintaining a work-life balance can be tricky. The truth is, trying to separate work and family when your work is your family is pretty much impossible – especially as my sister and mother are also involved in the business.
What has been the biggest lesson you have learnt in…
Life: The importance of setting clear goals. Write them down and achieve them or you will wake up one day and realise you have not invested your time living the life you want.
Business: ‘Done is better than perfect’. I used to drive myself and everyone around me mad trying to make everything perfect. Sometimes, you’ve got to just get it done and perfect it later when you have the time.
Love: Special moments don’t just happen – you have to create them. I also learnt to invest time in my marriage. We can’t expect to have a strong connection if you don’t know each other and stay connected.
What is your beauty secret?
Technology facials, hands down! We invented the name about nine years ago when we launched the ‘Cinderella facial’, which includes radio frequency or near Infrared. A traditional facial consists of a cleanse, steam, extract, mask, massage, cleanse again, serum, sunscreen and off you go. Your face feels nice and clean on the day of the facial, but there are no real results – you can’t see any lines erased or any lifting. In about 48 hours, the facial is a distant memory. This is because a regular facial, and even a peel, is superficial. I love peels, don’t get me wrong. But if you want to see results, you’ve got to work the deeper layers of your skin and promote collagen products and reknit elastin fibres.
Details: Visit the The Laser Beautique at Ballito Junction or
www.thelaserbeautique.co.za
Text: Elana Wagner
