The afternoon before prom, West Jordan High School students got their nails done, their hair cut and tinselled, eyebrows laminated, eyelashes extended and teeth gemmed by professionals at the third annual self-care prom. The event, organized by the WJHS Sources of Strength club, was open to all students whether or not they were attending the dance.

“Our goal for this is to provide services that make our students feel better, so like it's a pick-me-up for our students,” SOS Service VP Izabella Rasmussen said. “Getting pampered makes you feel better and helps with your mental health, for sure--looking good and feeling good.”

More than 40 professionals volunteered their services for more than 100 appointments and walk-ins.

Licensed nail tech Isamar Flores, of nailsbyy.marss, said she was contacted to provide nail services at last year’s event and was excited to participate again this year.

“I like how the school is prioritizing their students' mental health and putting up the whole organization for them to get pampered up for the ones who really can't afford it,” she said. She said she also appreciated the opportunity to get more exposure for her nail business.

 Landon Hansen, from Savant Barbershop, spent four hours giving free haircuts and getting to know students and even some parents, who had to give permission for their student to receive services. “Working in a barbershop is a lot about working with the community, getting your cuts out there, getting your brand out there and reaching more people,” he said. He also donated his time because he knows how important it is for teens to feel confident about how they look for special events. 

“I remember my prom,” Hansen said. “I remember how important it was for me, how good I wanted to look.”

Many students signed up for free eyelash extensions and eyebrow laminations provided by licensed estheticians. Ellie Isobe, from Beauty with Ellie, brought her table, lighting and eyelash extensions all the way from Orem for the third year in a row because making people feel good about themselves is her favorite part of her job. “Especially for kids--they need the self-esteem boost,” she said. “They need to feel supported, they need to feel good about themselves. I think it's really important.”

 There were some new volunteers offering new services this year, like Estrella Lopez of @blingbrowsbystar who offered tooth gems, but SOS advisor Robyn Briggs said most of the volunteers were the same ones who were part of the first self-care prom. “Most people who volunteer once want to come back the next year,” Briggs said.

This year there were also more volunteers because students from the hair and nail design programs at Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers provided nail services and hair styling for students while earning hours toward their certification.

The self-care prom saved students a lot of money. Nail and hair services begin at about $40, teeth gems start at $50, eyelash extensions cost $100-140 and corsages can range from $25-40.

“I just saved myself $25,” said one student as they sealed their handmade corsage into a bag. 

WJHS floriculture teacher Madison Sorenson helped students make corsages and boutonnieres for their prom dates with flowers donated by Ensign Floral. She said removing financial barriers allows more students to be able to attend prom, which she says is an important part of the normal high school experience many might miss out on due to their family situations.

“It's just becoming more normal for those high school students to take on more of that adult role in their home lives, especially for a low income area,” Sorenson said. “And so this helps emphasize they don't have to always be an adult, they can still be a kid, and can still have fun.”