Accident victim opens business to help her, others deal with scars
6 November, 2006

More than four years ago, Emily Nicole Smith faced death on a Shreveport street.

Today, she hopes to help others get a new view on life at a Shreveport hospital.

Smith was involved in a car accident that nearly took her life. She lost much of the left side of her head and required skin graft. Despite extensive surgery and treatment, scars remain, including those on her forehead and arm.

It was a hard time, but the 27-year-old looks back on that experience with a positive attitude. "I'm just lucky and happy to be alive."

Smith said the experience led her to her current work. "I have a purpose, and my purpose is doing what I do. And that is helping others who have gone through situations such as my accident, helping them look and feel better about themselves."

She does that work in her new studio, located at Willis-Knighton South Wellness Center. Her company, Skin Care & Repair, operates on an appointment basis, with the average treatment lasting about an hour.

She gained experience by first working in cosmetics, where she learned to conceal her scars. That boosted her confidence, and she decided to expand her reach beyond simply helping herself. Smith earned a license as an esthetician then a degree in natural health with a concentration in paramedical skin care, which allows her to work in the medical arena.

The training and experience have come together in her business that's been open just about a month. She does a variety of work, serving both those with minor skin care concerns as well as those with serious ones.

"I offer a service to help cleanse the pores and educate you about your skin and treat any problems you have with your skin right now," Smith said. "And I show you how we can prevent any new problems from arising."

She discusses nutrition's place in skin health and performs popular threading and waxing treatments.

"When I talked with her about skin care, she seemed very knowledgeable and up to date on all the latest treatments and pros and cons of this treatment and that treatment," said client Mary Bremer, 58. "I wanted to go with someone who knows what she is doing."

Bremer sought Smith for help with skin-care concerns related to aging.

Smith said whether a person's skin care concern is large or small, each person wants to look and feel good. She recalls a time in her recovery when she was wearing wigs to cover the baldness that resulted from her scalp injuries.

The encouragement she received from the woman who styled her hair made her feel good. "'Oh, you look so beautiful,' she would always say," Smith said.

And when Smith learned how to cover her scars, her self-esteem grew. She knows the impact of good skin care.

"It made me feel so much better about myself not being self-conscious about little scars here and there."

Source:http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061106/NEWS05
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