Once you complete your beauty school program, the final step will be taking and passing your state’s licensing exam. This may involve either written or practical tests and its length will depend on where you reside.
Many licensed estheticians are leaving California in favor of states which allow micro needling and lancet use in their services!
Education Requirements
California is home to an estetician community with exceptionally high standards for excellence. Furthermore, several estetician-friendly schools provide world-class esthetics training. If aspiring estheticians want to make an impactful mark in the industry, selecting an estetician-friendly school is key step.
California esthetics license requirements involve the completion of 600 hours of coursework and passing both written and practical exams administered by the Board. After fulfilling these criteria, an esthetician license will be issued by them.
Many individuals opt to complete additional specialized courses as well, to further expand their knowledge and skill-set in esthetics. Such courses could include advanced esthetics and medical esthetics. A licensed esthetician in California is permitted to perform procedures like microdermabrasion, facials, waxing and hair removal – however microblading requires special permission from a tattoo artist.
Medical esthetics is another field in which estheticians specialize. Registered Nurses who hold either an associate’s degree in nursing, or an RN license, can enroll in an advanced course to become licensed medical estheticians and practice this profession under physician supervision. In order to do this work professionally, however, an RN must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
The International School of Beauty offers an intensive medical esthetics course to equip nurses to perform aesthetic treatments on clients. This program gives participants hands-on experience treating real clients. Students aspiring to manage spas one day also receive business training at this school, which also is military friendly by offering veterans the chance to use their VA benefits towards education. Palm Desert provides students with an idyllic study environment amidst beautiful mountain vistas and Southern California beauty, and tuition rates at this school are substantially less than average, making this program an outstanding value for anyone interested in pursuing an esthetics career.
Procedures
Prior to this law change, it was unclear whether PRP and microneedling treatments fell within the purview of estheticians; now though, these advanced treatments have been clearly defined as part of their practice and master estheticians can perform laser procedures to treat wrinkles or other skin conditions.
AmSpa is an outspoken supporter of laws that enhance industry safety and clarify regulatory requirements, with non-invasive medical aesthetic professionals needing to understand and abide by all of the various health care regulations put into effect for public protection.
Unfortunately, as originally drafted, the new law has created ambiguities which may negatively affect other licensed health care professionals who operate within their regular scopes of practice in relation to dermatology and medical aesthetics. These include doctors, nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs) and registered nurses (RNs). AmSpa believes the original intent of the advanced esthetician law was to establish a new licensing category for “advanced esthetic procedures”, without restricting existing health care professionals’ scopes of practice. We strongly urge the Board to clarify any misunderstanding or confusion on this section; until such time, it would be prudent not to provide invasive medical treatments to patients.
Licensing
Beauty industry careers are a popular career choice among individuals who enjoy working with their hands and being creative. Aesthetics training programs allow students to complete degrees within four months, making the field an affordable one with multiple potential career options. Furthermore, some colleges provide online esthetician courses and training that offer flexible educational opportunities for busy schedules.
Before becoming a licensed esthetician, they must pass the state board exam. Students enrolled full-time can take this examination after completing 600 hours of classes at an approved cosmetology school; many such institutions provide various business courses designed to prepare future estheticians to run their own salons or spas should they choose this path.
Once an esthetician obtains a license, they must pass both written and practical examinations to become fully licensed. Once licensed, annual renewal fees for licensure must also be met – currently $75 annually for renewal. It’s essential for estheticians to fulfill all licensure requirements or risk losing their license or facing disciplinary actions by the State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology.
Estheticians looking to stay abreast of all licensure requirements can join the California Aesthetic Alliance, an organization which works towards elevating beauty industry image and professionalism. Members receive updates regarding current events or rulings by the State Board as well as advice from fellow beauty professionals on licensing matters.
The State Board of Cosmetology oversees hairstyling and other beauty services, and currently requires cosmetology, barbering and certificate programs to have 1,600 hours of instruction, while an esthetician license program must include 600. However, under this legislation this requirement would be reduced to 1,000 and an esthetician’s license program created.
The bill also revises the number of classroom hours required for courses in hairstyling and nail technician programs, and sets curriculum and hour requirements. Furthermore, this legislation permits members of the State Board to visit establishments any time during business hours to conduct official board business – though prior written authorization from either their executive officer or themselves must be obtained to enter and inspect such establishments.
Ethics
Many esthetic treatments are medical in nature, yet don’t fall within the scope of practice of nurses or other regulated health professionals. In these instances, an RN or NP may need to form an independent entity permitted by state laws such as a limited liability corporation or partnership in order to legally perform these treatments. They should consult with a knowledgeable attorney as to which business structure would best fit their treatment practices and how best to set it up.
This research utilized manifest content analysis (Elo and Kyngas, 2008) to examine 17 interviews conducted. Words and meaning units were classified and organized into prospective groups based on similarities and differences before being combined to form an analytical framework to describe participants’ ethical views on aesthetic treatment.
Many interviewees saw marketing as unethical when it was deceptive or exploited people’s insecurities about their bodies (Cantor, 2005). Others suggested medical estheticians should employ honest marketing techniques in order to educate and enlighten clients while honoring any requests by clients not to appear in images that could be used for advertising purposes.
