A Career in
Beauty Therapy
Also known as Aesthetician, a Beauty Therapist
is qualified to carry out a wide range of treatments to
the face and body. A beauty therapist is in fact a beautician,
body therapist and electrolysist all in one. The therapist
is involved with her clients' needs in a caring profession.
Treatments are designed to improve skin care and condition,
and the work includes a range of electrotherapy treatments
for face and body, all designed to help improve facial and
body conditions. All forms of aesthetic treatments promote
a feeling of well-being - consequently, the aesthetician
must be caring, tactful, intelligent and have a well-groomed
appearance, especially their hands, which need to be sensitive
and supple. Aestheticians are fully trained to know when
to refer their clients to a doctor.
The growing interest in feeling fit and looking
good has created a growth in opportunities for aestheticians.
Since the vast proportions of qualified therapists are women,
there is a rapid turnover in job opportunities, and it is
possible to reach supervisory or management level within
two or three years of qualifying. Mobility is an important
factor in obtaining employment, largely because the geographical
location of salons or health resorts is often crucial to
its success.
Most people train by taking full-time courses
at a college or in a private school with a good reputation
for passes. Entrants can be anything from seventeen years
old and upwards. Private schools tend to have a wider age
range of students, but beauty therapy is a career where
maturity can be an advantage. Courses at private schools
tend to be shorter and more intensive, giving the student
the opportunity to be trained in smaller class numbers,
and enabling the student to gain a very high standard of
expertise and professionalism.
There is no single examining body, so it is
important that students ensure that their course leads to
examinations approved by one of the following organisations:
The benefit of choosing a training such as
CIDESCO ensures that the very highest standard in Aesthetics
has been attained.
When selecting private training, it is very
important that potential students are aware of the qualifications
available. They should ensure that the teaching standards
are excellent, check that facilities are good and that there
is an adequate amount of equipment for student use. A history
of pass rates is usually available.
The course work for Aestheticians is normally
made up of 30% theory and 70% practical, and should include
sessions on the public as clients.
With thanks to
Rosie Mac
Champneys College
Website: www.champneys.com
Email: college@champneys.com
