For most of her working life beauty therapist Jill Yvette has battled against multiple allergies that at times have threatened to end her career. But through sheer determination she’s survived and this year celebrates 30 years in the business. HILARIE STELFOX reports

THERE WAS a time, three decades ago, when the young Jill Yvette Hobson (now Painter) planned to build a beauty empire – a chain of salons in her native Huddersfield.

She started with a large salon in the Greenhead area and employed six staff.

But she was only in her early 20s when her ambitions were quashed as she began to suffer more and more from a series of extreme sensitivities, allergies and the eczema that had begun in childhood.

At one point Jill, now 49, says she had become hyper-sensitive to everything from car fumes and moulds to cotton and paper, as well as foods.

She has been intolerant to foods such as wheat and dairy products from childhood and is allergic to nuts, onions and coconut – carrying an EpiPen which contains a drug to counteract a potentially fatal allergic reaction.

She has to be careful not to “overload” on many other foods and common substances.

Over a decade ago Jill’s problems became so severe she spent a month in an allergy centre near Keighley and was given injections to desensitise her to a range of substances.

“I was in a room where everything was sterile and even the air was filtered,” she says.

“The doctors went through everything and were surprised that anyone could be as sensitive to so many things.

“When I came home I realised that I had to change and my goals had to change.

“I was very weak and had lost a lot of weight, but continuing to work in a reduced fashion gave me something to get out of bed for and kept me going.

“My husband, Mark, was tremendously supportive and continues to be.”

The future looked bleak. However, Jill is made of stern stuff and is passionate about her work.

She found out as much as she could about allergies, sensitivities and food intolerances, changed her diet, modified how she worked and, eventually, was able to carry on.

Today she has a small salon in Crosland Moor, which she runs single-handed.

It’s not where she expected to be at this point in her life, but Jill says she enjoys being able to give a one-to-one personal service to her clients.

Seven years ago Jill celebrated her 20th anniversary in business and shared the occasion with friends and clients at a gala dinner.

But shortly after the event she was once again struck down.

“I was in such pain because everything was swollen and my skin was red raw,’’ she said. “I was in a terrible state.”

This time Jill struggled on, eventually finding help in a surprising place.

“I was at the Trafford Centre with Mark and saw one of those Chinese herbal places offering acupuncture,’’ she said. “I had a treatment there and then and afterwards slept for 20 hours straight.

“I hadn’t been able to sleep for more than two hours at a time, so I went back for regular treatments.”

As a beauty therapist Jill is exposed, on a daily basis, to the many and complex chemicals used in the products of her industry.

Among them are countless potential irritants and allergens.

Jill still runs the risk of sensitivities to products, although she has stuck with a range by French company Gernetic, which she says gives her few problems.

She protects her health by wearing surgical gloves when applying products.

“It means that I can use what my clients need,’’ she says. “I couldn’t work without them.”

It is 30 years since Jill qualified as a beauty therapist and recalls how even finding a place at a college was initially a struggle as the nearest provider in Manchester rejected her because of her eczema. This was in the days before Huddersfield Technical College’s beauty department.

She ended up spending a year at a private college in Retford.

Over the years, despite her health problems, she has continued to study, taking on a raft of complementary therapies such as aromatherapy, reflexology, Indian head massage and reiki.

She is now at the stage in her life when she wants to offer the benefit of her experience to other therapists and has launched a training course to teach her new signature therapy, which she calls I Wish.

This is a soothing facial that incorporates elements from complementary therapies, along with neck and shoulder massage. I Wish is the culmination of all her experience and skills.

“I’m very excited about it,” says Jill. “It’s unique and very powerful and brings together all the things I have learned.

“Having health problems all my life has made me very sensitive to other people and their needs. I also have a lot of knowledge now about allergies and sensitivities and I often pick up on them when someone comes to see me.”

JILL YVETTE is so confident about the effects of her I Wish full body facial she is offering one reader the chance to experience a course of three treatments followed by a 10 Years Younger make-over.

As well as the treatments by Jill and a selection of Gernetic products, our winner will get a hair appointment at the Mark Riley salon in Huddersfield and an outfit from the Phase Eight range at House of Fraser. The prize package is worth more than £500.

To enter, write and tell us why you’d like to look and feel 10 years younger.

Give us your full details – include a photograph where possible – and clearly state where we can contact you.

If nominating someone else please ask them first.

If you’d like more details about I Wish consult www.iwishtherapies.com or www.jillyvettes.co.uk

Send entries to: 10 Years Younger Competition, Features, Huddersfield Examiner, Pennine Business Park, Longbow Close, Bradley Road, Huddersfield, HD2 1GQ. The closing date is one week today. Normal competition rules apply. Entries can also be taken into our office in John William Street or email them to hilarie.stelfox@examiner.co.uk