Show your pride

To mark Pride month, Aesthetic Medicine spoke to aesthetician and AM Awards finalist William Foley about his experiences in the industry as an openly gay man

AM: How did you feel when entering the aesthetics industry?

WF: When I came out as a gay man, it allowed me to gain the strength and direction to push my career to where it is now. I was able to believe in myself and to truly throw myself into my passion with no stigmas attached. In my mind, I became detached from any prejudice and allowed myself to be free to follow my dream to have a career in the beauty and aesthetic industry. The industry has been phenomenal for me as a gay man. It has given me inner confidence and self-belief that I can achieve great things.

AM: Did you encounter any stigma?

WF: When I trained, there were many stigmas attached to men in beauty. People would always ask me why I was choosing a career in beauty as, back then, it was a female-dominated industry. I think people thought it was a ‘feminine’ choice for a guy to be called a beauty therapist and, sometimes, it would make me feel that way, but being an openly gay man, I could embrace that and carve out a great career without distractions.

AM: Did you feel like your work was taken seriously?

WF: If I’m really honest, I wanted to shake off the title of a ‘beauty therapist’ — not because I was embarrassed, but because I wanted to be taken seriously in the work I do. It seemed back then (and even sometimes now) that people don’t take the role very seriously. They think that beauty therapists are all about fake tan and nails, but, in fact, therapists that have studied as I did have a significant amount of knowledge of anatomy and physiology and should be given more credit. With this in mind, I carried out further training throughout the years in the aesthetic world and achieved the title of ‘aesthetician’ or, in some cases, ‘medical aesthetician’ as I work in a medical and clinical setting alongside surgeons. This has been a real achievement for me.

AM: Do you feel like your sexuality has affected your career?

WF: I can honestly say that being a gay man hasn’t held me back. In every working environment, I’ve been embraced and allowed to shine and thrive. I’ve been given opportunities to work with some of the biggest brands in the aesthetic industry, plus I have been featured in national publications and even done a stint on TV!

AM: What do you do to support the LGBTQ+ community? 

WF: I’m super proud to be an openly gay man in the industry and fully support my LGBTQ+ community. I support all the Pride events each year. I feel like we still have so much more to do in the world. If there are any gay men out there thinking of having a career in the aesthetic world, my advice would be to go for it.

AM: How do you approach LGBTQ+ patients? 

WF: As a gay man, I feel that I connect with people from the LGBTQ+ community on a deeper level. When they are telling me that they are not feeling too confident, or they want to improve how they look and feel, I can connect with them as I’ve been there myself. I try to show compassion and empathy for patients in the community. Sometimes things like having skin issues or even body concerns can be debilitating to someone’s self-esteem and I feel privileged that I’m in a position to help. After all, I believe this industry is all about how patients feel and we all deserve to feel our best.

WILLIAM FOLEY

William Foley is a leading UK aesthetician and a ‘Therapist of the Year’ finalist for this year’s AM Awards. Trained by Miss Jonquille Chantrey and mentored by her daily, Foley has over 14 years of experience in the aesthetic, beauty, and healthcare industries and holds many internationally recognised qualifications in aesthetics.