Interest in skincare is at an all-time high and continues to grow, putting estheticians in high demand. For beauty pros who want to take their career to the next level, becoming a licensed medical esthetician has never been a more appealing option.
Like general estheticians, medical estheticians help their clients improve their skin’s appearance and health. However, they are able to provide more advanced treatments–including those that involve chemistry, pharmacology, and more–allowing them to offer more intensive services and work with a wider range of clients.
If you’re considering becoming a medical esthetician, one of the key considerations is getting licensed in your state. While the exact process can vary state to state, there are universal ways to prepare yourself for that all-important step of achieving your license.
Key Takeaways
Becoming a medical esthetician opens the door to tremendous opportunities–both in your career and in your ability to help others. Here’s how you can get licensed as a medical esthetician in your state.
Becoming a Licensed Medical Esthetician - Everything You Need to Know
Know Your State’s Medical Esthetician Licensing Requirements
Ambition, passion, and talent are all valuable assets when you want to become a medical esthetician. However, relying on these attributes and chasing a dream will only take you so far. To make the most of your journey and be efficient on your path to becoming a licensed medical esthetician, you need to have a clear direction.
This means knowing your state’s education and licensing requirements so you can pursue your passion with clarity and in an organized manner. Creating a checklist of the steps between where you are and your ultimate goal–becoming a licensed medical esthetician–is a great way to ensure you stay on track and accomplish your goals.
Remember, every state has different requirements. So, before you start signing up for classes or preparing for exams, verify exactly what requirements you need to meet.
Finish an Approved Medical Esthetician Program
Once you have a clear picture of what you must do to become licensed in your state, you will want to find, apply for, and complete a medical esthetician program. This is where you receive the education you need to become a licensed professional, so it is a valuable step that is essential to your future success.
Chances are, you will need a high school diploma or GED to enroll in a medical esthetician program, so make sure you have the qualification taken care of before investing your valuable time into applying.
There are two basic options for completing your medical esthetician education–obtaining a certificate from a cosmetology school or pursuing an associate degree from a college. Some cosmetology schools offer programs that take as little as nine months, while associate degrees often take two years to complete.
You can expect a mixture of coursework, classroom lectures, and hands-on training. In order to graduate, most programs require you to have a certain number of hands-on training and treatment hours. Check with your institution of choice to confirm their graduation requirements.
Study and Prepare for Your State’s Medical Esthetician Licensing Exam
With your requirements in mind and your education and training complete, you can obtain medical esthetician licensure in your state. Remember, every state is different–you may need to complete supervised training equivalent to a set number of hours, demonstrate your competency, and pass an exam.
Thankfully, you can determine all of these requirements and more by doing some basic research and reaching out to your state’s licensing board. From there, you can find online practice exams and study guides, receive guidance from your school, peruse your local library for resources, and so much more.
Choose Your Specialties and Build Your Medical Esthetician Career
Becoming a licensed medical esthetician is a huge accomplishment, and you should be proud of yourself for all the hard work you committed to your craft. Now, it’s time to kickstart your career and start helping clients live happier, healthier lives.
Medical estheticians perform a variety of services, giving you the opportunity to diversify your skillset and find your niche. Whether you become a microneedling master, body wrap wizard, or facial phenom, developing your skills and honing your interests can work wonders for your career. While you don’t have to limit yourself to a particular path (your niche can be nichelessness!), many medical estheticians choose to focus on a specialty or two!
Medical estheticians are in high demand, and it’s easy to see why. They provide a variety of valuable services that can help people overcome challenging skin conditions, feel more confident about their looks, and live healthier lives. It’s a diverse, exciting, and rewarding career that is worth pursuing, and getting licensed is one of the first steps!
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