Licensed Estheticians
A licensed esthetician is a skin care professional who has graduated from a state licensed training program, and has passed both written and practical exams of the State Board. Estheticians also take post-graduate continuing education classes to stay up to date with the latest developments.
An esthetician is an expert in the field of beauty. Estheticians provide services ranging from facials, waxing, and makeup to nutrition, reconstructive cosmetics, and cosmetic research. Employed in a variety of settings, such as salons, medical practices, television and movie studios, photography studios, and even mortuaries, estheticians often have flexible schedules and a myriad of career options.
Regardless of their environment, most estheticians spend much of their time clinically analyzing skin. Before giving facials, estheticians study a client’s skin and often prescribe a restorative skin-care plan. These skin-care plans vary from person to person and estheticians must be knowledgeable in all skin types. Also, though they are not generally medically trained, estheticians must be able to recognize and treat a variety of skin conditions. Some esthetician training programs prepare estheticians for this by providing para-medical courses that cover methods used by dermatologists.
Esthetician training programs also train students to use cleansing, exfoliation, and deep-pore cleansing chemicals, including masks and alpha hydroxyl acids. Product knowledge is incredibly important to estheticians and training programs familiarize students with quality products.
Most states require estheticians to attend a training program in order to qualify for licensing. The majority of states require at least 6 hours of training, but state requirements vary from 26 hours to 1,2 hours of training. In addition to dermatology courses, some training programs require students to take advanced courses on medical equipment and medical treatments, such as those used in laser procedures and plastic surgery.
For students who are unable to squeeze 6 hours of training into their schedules, online training programs are also available. Online courses in esthetics and skin care are offered by some online colleges and training schools. These courses offer the convenience and flexibility of taking classes from home but many require hands-on training through internships with local spas and salons. Online esthetician programs cover the same material as traditional programs but allow students to study the material at their convenience.