The Ever Changing (and Challenging) Role of the Aesthetician: Education is Critical

Written by Pamela Hill and posted back in early 2007, we felt it was important to repost this as we focus on Aesthetician training and education this week.

If you think being an aesthetician is just about “rubbing faces”, think again. Aesthetics is an exploding career path. Consider the prospects for aestheticians; cruise ships, day spas, luxury spas, resort spas, destination spas, medical spas, hospital positions not to mention consulting, education, marketing and spa design. The opportunities are really quite endless. However, all of this opportunity requires preparation and where does one go for the proper industry preparation (education) these days?

Education for aestheticians is really in its infancy, having only recently broken away from cosmetology as an identified certificate.  Once thought of as a job for those who were not “college material”, aesthetic students now range from high school graduates to college graduates and those in middle age seeking a career change. But, as the business sector expands, so must the education. No longer can we accept the concept that a 300 hour or even a 600 hour course fully arms a potential aesthetician with the knowledge they need to be a successful clinician in the current industry environment.  Furthermore, we cannot depend on product vendors and equipment manufacturers to provide quality, unbiased advanced education.Those successful aesthetic schools with a clear future are racing to build progressive teaching models, a method of education that will produce bright, talented and ambitious aestheticians. However, there are some challenges in the development of a new model among them; confusion about what advanced aesthetic education may mean, a shortage of qualified instructors, the ongoing challenge of staying abreast of new technology and procedures, advanced techniques for which there is no educational base and a lack of resources, both financial and otherwise.To attract students, schools must respond to the demand of advanced education and all of the challenges that it holds.

So what might a new model of aesthetic education look like?

The best model would have several levels to the educational opportunity; one level built upon the previous layer of learning. To begin with, a baseline of knowledge is necessary.  This would be the traditional education currently found for basic licensure. A perfect model would provide a national licensure with a minimum of 800 hours to achieve a license, but this is a separate discussion altogether.  The baseline would include information on anatomy and physiology, biochemistry, safety, bacteriology, sterilization and sanitation as well as the beginning skills for treatments such as waxing, facials and elementary microdermabrasion treatments.

The next level titled “Advanced Spa Treatments” could provide education on resort, cruise ship and destination spa treatments. Included in this curriculum would be body wraps, advanced waxing techniques, massage to enhance treatments and exfoliation treatments.  Since this section would be focused on high end resort treatments, an in-depth course on customer service would also be necessary.

The final level would cover all of the medical treatments found in the aesthetic world today, those becoming so popular in medi spas. This section would cover advanced microdermabrasion, acne treatments, advanced chemical peeling and all the newest technology associated with these treatments. Additionally, courses on equipment safety in the medical facility and HIPPA would be critical elements.

Finally, continuing education and professional development is key to the ongoing success of a aesthetics professional. Those schools that have Saturday classes or online continuing education stay closest to their students, offering an ideal and convenient environment for both student and educator.  It allows the student to feel confident about the ongoing education opportunities and the school has an opportunity to stay close to the business environment.

Visionary schools are gratefully headed in this direction, recognizing that a broad offering to students is absolutely necessary in this competitive business environment.  Moreover, schools that offer a layered approach to educating their students have an opportunity to retain their students and increase their student population. As student population increases, so does school revenue.

While changing a business model is never easy, the stark reality is that aesthetic education is at a definitive crossroads. The business environment is hungry for more qualified graduates and students are anxious to learn more. The schools are in “the squeeze”. Beginning one step at a time, schools should add educational courses that make sense, ultimately improving the quality of the graduating aesthetic student. 
 
In the end the student, the school and the consumer all win.

 
Pamela Hill RN

President

Facial Aesthestics

Pamela Hill Institute

Pamela Hill Skin Care