An esthetician is a licensed professional who helps clients look and feel their best. They often work in salons and day spas, but they can work in clinics that provide services too. Before you look at estheticians license basics and start thinking about going back to school, you should look at things like where you can attend school and what states require you have a license.
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What is an Esthetician?
While we already told you that these professionals help clients look better and feel better, you may want to know more about the treatments that they offer. They often give facials to help clients feel more relaxed, and facials can make the skin look tighter and younger too. These professionals can give massages that focus on the head and neck as well as the shoulders.
Some specialize in hair removal but use methods other than traditional waxing or shaving such as threading, which uses small threads to remove hair from the eyebrows and other parts of the body. They can also do microdermabrasion to remove dead or dying skin and laser treatments that make skin look more youthful. Some professionals offer skin peels too. Read more about how to become an esthetician here.
What Will You Do on the Job?
Though you might think that you’ll spend most of the day working on your clients, the job requires some other duties as well. These professionals often put aside a set amount of time every day that they spend meeting with clients, including returning clients and new clients. You’ll need to talk with them about what they hope to get out of their appointments and recommend the right treatments. Other duties of the job include cleaning your station before and after appointments and taking care of your equipment.
What Type of Degree Do You Need?
If you think that you can go right to work in this field without a degree or a license, you should think again. Estheticians must graduate from an accredited program and complete a certain number of hours of fieldwork. These programs are available from some beauty or cosmetology schools, but some vocational schools and community colleges offer the same programs. It can take just four months to complete a basic program and a full year to complete one that trains you on how to do all possible treatments. You’ll also need to complete up to 1,500 hours of fieldwork before you graduate.
Do You Need a Degree to Get Your License?
A common misconception that some have about this field is that they must have a degree before they can go to work. You actually need a diploma and not a full degree. This diploma shows that you understand how to work with clients and how to perform the treatments that they request. Unlike basic cosmetology programs that focus on basic treatments like facials and manicures, these programs cover more advanced topics like how to use hair removal laser techniques.
How to Get Your Esthetician’s License
You cannot even think of working in this field without having your license. Licensing requirements vary between states, which is why you should always check for the requirements that your state has in place. You typically need a diploma and proof that you completed the minimum number of hours in the field, but you may need to take a licensing exam too. This exam may require that you perform some of the treatments that you will offer on the job or just ask you questions about those treatments. Check with your state about whether you will need to renew your license in the future too because some states will only award licenses for a few years at a time.
Can You Work in a Medical Clinic?
As long as you meet the requirements for getting your state license, you can use your diploma and license to work in a medical clinic. As a medical esthetician, you’ll offer treatments designed to help patients recovering from certain skin conditions such as acne. They also provide help and support for patients after going through procedures like a facelift or chin tuck. These professionals typically work in plastic surgery offices and skin care clinics. Read more about esthetician resumes here.
How Much Can You Make?
Though you’ll want to find out how much you can make with your diploma before going back to school, you’ll find that you can make more with your license than you make right now. You may make a little more than minimum wage when first starting out, but as you gain more experience and build up your client base, your income will significantly rise. The average esthetician salary ranges from around $17,000 to more than $50,000 a year. Graduating from a good esthetician school can help you make more as a new worker because you can use your connections to find a higher paying job.
Who Makes the Most?
A licensed esthetician working in an outpatient clinic makes significantly more than those working for another employer. Though some department stores hire professionals to do facials and offer other basic treatments, those stores are among the employers who pay the least. The highest paying esthetician jobs include those working for doctors’ offices, in hospitals and in specialty clinics. Specialty clinics include those offering plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures.
Are You Ready to Learn More?
Now that you know the esthetician definition and what those professionals do on the job, you may want to learn more about how you can become one. Even though you already know that you need to go back to school and get your license, you may want to check out some of the top esthetician schools. This helps you decide whether you want to go to a school closer to your home or one in another city and lets you know if there are any schools within driving distance of you.
Getting your esthetician’s license will take 12 months or less and require that you do up to 1,500 hours of fieldwork, but other requirements will vary between both states and esthetician programs.