Esthetics Careers

With the increasing demand for estheticians in spas and salons, it’s not surprising that many aspirants are aiming to get a license for the profession. The licensing requirement varies by country or region, however, but most places require an esthetician to have one. 

Becoming a licensed esthetician opens plenty of job opportunities, providing you with a lot of options to pursue in your career. So, if you want to know more about what an esthetician does and the potential job opportunities for it, let’s find out in more detail below. 

What Is an Esthetician?

Estheticians are trained professionals who enhance the skin and treat skin-related issues for beautification purposes. Common aging signs like wrinkles, fine lines, and skin pigmentation are all treated by an esthetician. Aside from dealing with improving the youthfulness, color, texture, and tone of the skin, estheticians also perform other beauty therapies, such as hair removal and sugar or salt scrub applications.

On top of these skincare services, estheticians are knowledgeable about the different products used and aware of how the common ingredients help the skin. They are also trained to identify product ingredients that may trigger reactions and allergies.    

What Services Do Estheticians Provide?

Estheticians can perform a wide variety of skincare services, but the most common ones are as follows:

Facials

A facial is considered one of the basic skincare treatments. It aims to clean the pores, exfoliate the skin, and treat dryness and oiliness. This restores the skin’s healthy state while nourishing it at the same time. A facial is also a way for customers to relax as the therapy involves a light face massage. 

The basic process starts with cleaning the skin using a cleanser and then exfoliating it with a scrub or cream. Extraction follows, which removes clogged dead skin cells and excess oil from the pores. The esthetician then applies a light massage on the face to enhance lymphatic drainage. A custom mask application is the last step of the process, which moisturizes the skin and helps control oil production. 

Makeup Application

Makeup application is a very common and popular beauty enhancement. It uses makeup products, such as foundations, lipsticks, eyeliners, eyeshadows, and eyebrow pencils, to balance skin tone, cover imperfections, and make the face look colorful and beautiful. 

Makeup applications vary on the type of look customers prefer. The process can involve a simple application, creating a more natural look, to a complex one, which involves more makeup products.

Microdermabrasion

This treatment involves removing the skin’s top layer using a handheld device. It minimizes aging signs, makes the skin look even, and exfoliates the skin. The esthetician sprays fine crystals onto the skin and rubs them with the wand-like device. The procedure takes 30-40 minutes on the face and about 20 minutes on the neck. Customers may experience slight swelling after the treatment, which lasts for several days.   

Chemical Peeling

A chemical peel procedure uses a special chemical solution to remove the skin’s top layers. This treats scars, discolored skin, and wrinkles and can be performed with other skincare treatments. 

The level of peeling may also differ, from light to deep. Deep chemical peeling takes longer to heal. But if customers prefer light or medium peeling, they may need to repeat the treatment a few times to see the best results. Once the skin recovers, the new layers that grow back are a lot smoother. 

The process for this is simple. The esthetician uses a cotton ball to apply the chemical solution to the face. This makes the skin look white, and the customer may feel a stinging sensation in the treated areas. A neutralizing solution is then applied to the treated skin to get rid of the chemicals.   

Laser Resurfacing

Laser resurfacing uses laser technology to treat minor facial problems and improve the skin. It enhances skin complexion caused by sun damage or scars, improves skin tone, and minimizes fine lines. Laser resurfacing can be done through ablative and nonablative lasers. 

An ablative procedure wounds the skin by removing the outer layer and heating the inner layer. This regulates collagen growth, making the skin feel tighter and smoother. A nonablative method doesn’t create wounds in the skin and improves the texture and tone. It only requires a less amount of time to recover but is less effective than ablative. 

LED Light Therapy

LED light therapy works on improving wounds, sun damage, acne, and other skin-related issues. It uses different light wavelengths and colors to trigger the skin’s repair and healing processes. Repeated treatments using LED light might be needed to see the desired results.

Red and blue lights are the common colors used. Red light helps minimize skin inflammation, wrinkles, and the appearance of scars. Blue light aids in decreasing the sebaceous glands’ activity to produce oil, which prevents sebum overproduction.

Thermage

Thermage is a skin lifting and tightening procedure. It uses radiofrequency technology that puts heat on various skin layers. This activity creates an immediate skin tightening effect. In other words, thermage uses heat to regulate skin collagen production. Although customers can already feel the tightening effect upon treatment, full efficacy is usually experienced several months after the therapy. By then, the skin feels smoother and tighter.

Hair Removal

Chemical hair removal, threading, and waxing are also services that estheticians provide. They can do it on all parts of the body. Facial hair removal is common for many customers. Waxing, for example, uses hot melted wax that’s applied to the skin to remove the hair. Once the wax cools down, the esthetician peels it off, along with the air stuck in it.  

Threading uses a length of thread to pluck the hairs out of the skin. It requires a special technique to effectively use the thread to remove hairs. 

Chemical or depilatory creams are also used for hair removal. These are thick substances that weaken the strands of hair after leaving them on the skin to sit for a few minutes. The esthetician then wipes the cream off along with the hair to create smooth skin.    

Aromatherapy

The relaxing scents of essential oils in spas are common. But in terms of skincare treatments, the oils provide significant benefits. For facial services, essential oils can be mixed with skincare products and applied to the face. Geranium, for example, is a popular plant in many gardens because it doesn’t only look beautiful but also smells fragrant. Its oil can be used to mix with moisturizers as it has antioxidant properties that can help soothe and condition the skin.

How Do I Become an Esthetician?

To become a professional esthetician, you need to take an esthetics course and pass the licensure exam. But before you enroll in one, you must check with your local government’s regulations about becoming an esthetician first because the requirements differ by country. But generally, most places require you to be at least 16 or 17 years old, have a high school diploma (or any equivalent certification), and have specific identification cards for identity verification. 

Once you meet the qualifications, you can already start looking for an accredited esthetics course. These programs vary by location, provider, and course structure, so you might want to get one that fits your lifestyle. Once you’ve decided on which course to enroll in, you should complete it to get a certificate.

After getting certified, you can decide on either to pursue taking more advanced esthetics courses or to proceed to taking the licensure exam. If you opt for the latter, you need to pass the examination to get your license, so you can already practise esthetics.  

What Training Is Available to Become an Esthetician?

Again esthetics courses vary in different places, but most of them have the following areas of study:

  • Skin anatomy
  • Product ingredients
  • Facial service
  • Hair removal
  • Makeup application
  • Sanitation and disinfection
  • Business management 
  • Customer service 

For the hands-on training, you’ll expect to learn the following skills:

  • Workstation preparation
  • Client preparation before the treatment
  • Tools and equipment sanitation
  • Actual treatment practice

What Job Opportunities Are There?

Career opportunities for estheticians are abundant. You can basically work anywhere where skincare services are offered. But to give you an idea of the common job opportunities for this profession, here’s a list:

Spa Esthetician

This is where many new licensed estheticians start. You can provide different skincare treatments in a spa and gain experience. Aside from that, you have the opportunity to build connections with customers as you educate them about the products you’re using and services you’re offering. 

Spa Manager

Before becoming a manager, you need to start with providing skincare treatments. As you gain experience, it’s easier for you to climb up and become a spa manager over time.  

Licensing Inspector

Licensing inspectors are those that conduct inspections on spas and salons for safety and hygiene regulations. They travel to places to check business facilities to make sure they comply with the law. This activity is done regularly, usually on a yearly basis, and the people who compose the board are licensed estheticians. You can become one of them if you have the license.

Beauty Educator

If you’re interested in training students and sharing your knowledge about esthetics, you can definitely become a beauty educator. You can represent the brand you’re working for and provide training to aspiring estheticians.

Beauty Blogger

If writing is your passion, you can maximize that skill and provide valuable information to your readers about esthetics. Talk about the benefits of skincare services, and educate your readers about the products used. You can also provide expert tips on taking care of the skin. All you need to do is establish your blogging website to reach your audience.

Salesperson

Are you good at sales talk? Becoming a brand salesperson might be a great fit for you! You can be the best representative of the company you work with, especially if it’s a business that sells makeup products. You can explain the benefits of the ingredients in your products in detail more effectively.

Makeup Artist

Whether you have artistic skills or not, you can definitely hone your creative side by becoming a makeup artist. You can work in a salon or spa or build your own. Dream big by working your way up to becoming a makeup artist for famous celebrities!

Medical Esthetician

A licensed esthetician may not only work in a cosmetics setting but also in clinical setup. You can work with a doctor to treat patients suffering from different skin conditions. Assisting patients to recover from medical skin treatments is where your help is needed. This includes providing skincare services and expert tips to help the skin gain its healthy state back.   

How Can I Find a Position in Esthetics?

Job hunting is never an easy task, but there are plenty of ways to look for the right opportunity. For estheticians, here are the common ways to find a position in a business:

Social Media Job Searching

This is probably the easiest method for finding jobs. Most businesses are maximizing the use of their social media accounts to market their brand and even advertise job openings. Facebook, for example, is a huge platform where you can find many esthetician jobs. Make sure to use the right keywords to get the best search matches.

Talking to People You Know Who Are Working in the Beauty Industry

You might want to get in touch with your friends or distant family members who work in the beauty industry or who know someone who does. This way, you can maximize your resources in searching for available esthetician positions. 

Contacting Businesses

You can reach out to businesses directly for job openings. Many companies are posting job listings on their website and even provide steps on how to apply. If you have communicated with them and haven’t received any response after several days, you can do a follow-up.

Searching on Job Listing Websites

Job listing websites are becoming more popular nowadays because more and more people are searching online for work. Websites like Indeed are a great source of job opportunities. Make sure to read each job description carefully, so you understand the requirements of the company.

Optimize Your Professional Profile

You might want to re-evaluate your online profile and improve it. Whether you’re using social media or building a profile on job listing websites, it’s crucial to create an attractive one that draws many clients. LinkedIn, for example, is a great platform for professionals building connections and looking for jobs. You might want to create a profile there and start looking for beauty companies. 

Okay, So Where Do I Start?

To help you get started, check with your local regulations first on the requirements for becoming an esthetician. Comply with the qualifications, and then, enroll in an esthetics course. Complete the course and get your certificate. By then, you can take the licensure examination and become a licensed esthetician once you pass.