If you’re interested in pursuing a career in aesthetics and need guidance on where to go next with your education, look no further than this extremely comprehensive and complete guide. It covers all the important factors to help you find the perfect aesthetic courses to get a position where you are comfortable and confident enough to start your career.
Whether you’d like to become an aesthetic nurse, therapist, or doctor, a spa manager, dermatologist, or laser treatment specialist, this guide will give you a complete overview of what your options are and which factors to consider while choosing your course.
What is an Aesthetic Course?
Aesthetic courses teach you how to perform and offer a range of treatments in the medical, nursing, and beauty industry. They also give you a thorough understanding of the human body and its functions because your ability to practice certain treatments will depend on your knowledge about this.
It mostly includes specialized courses such as Laser Therapy, Nurse Aesthetics, and Medical Esthetics. If you’re considering these as your career options, make sure to look for a course that specializes in them specifically.
The courses come in many forms: from diplomas and certificates, right up to Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. So what is best for you? Well, it all depends on your personal preference, but you should always consider what kind of practitioner you want to be.
Do You Need a Degree?
If you’re interested in pursuing this work as more of a hobby or part-time occupation, then a certificate may be enough for you. It will give you the basic knowledge about the treatments and their applications, but little substance in terms of practical experience.
Diploma Aesthetics courses generally last about one year full-time, and almost all of them teach practical work during the course. The knowledge you gain will be limited to a specific area, such as laser therapy or medical esthetics, meaning that your studies will most likely focus on one main branch of aesthetics.
In most cases, a Bachelor’s degree is the standard minimum requirement for those who want to start practicing as Nurse Aesthetics or Medical Estheticians. Both professions require extensive knowledge and substantial experience, these aesthetic courses will provide you with a solid basis in theory and practice without focusing too much on a specific area.
To get into a Master’s degree course in aesthetics, you will need to have completed your Bachelor’s and obtained at least one year of experience in the field. Most Master’s degrees are research-based and will teach you how to design treatments and their success rates based on scientific studies.
Do You Want to Specialize in a Certain Field?
In most cases, Bachelor’s degree courses will give you a foundation education in all areas of aesthetics. But if you know for sure that this is the career path you’d like to follow, then it’s worth finding out how many options each course offers.
Keep in mind that some schools offer specializations in medical aesthetics, advanced skincare, laser therapy, etc. Suppose you want to become a Nurse Aesthetics or Medical Esthetician. In that case, it’s worth checking if the course caters to this specific area because it will give you more experience and expose you to different clients.
What Type of Work are You Aiming for?
Before you commit to aesthetic courses, it’s important to know exactly what kind of work you will be doing. Since some courses are more comprehensive than others, they often focus on practicing in specific areas.
Suppose you want to become either a Nurse Aesthetics or Medical Esthetician. In that case, it’s worth looking into the level of focus each course places on this specific area since it will give you plenty of experience practicing with real clients.
However, suppose you are interested in pursuing a more general career path that involves all types of treatments. In such a case, it’s best to choose a course that provides an introduction to many different areas.
What is the Cost?
The cost for each course varies depending on whether you choose to study full-time, part-time, or online. Not only that but the cost will also differ depending on where you live and which school you choose to complete your studies with. It’s best to research courses and find out what they charge and how much it will cost to travel to school.
If you are not able to attend full-time, consider looking into online courses. They are great because they allow you to work at your own pace and spend more time with family or on other jobs/gigs while still completing coursework. Plus, some online courses will even allow for remote practical training.
Completing an aesthetic course is a great way to start your career in aesthetics, but you must choose the right one. It would be best to look into who teaches the aesthetic courses because certain names are more reputable than others.