Estheticians, also called skin care therapists, work at salons, day spas, and medi-spas. Estheticians are trained in the skin treatment. They perform various procedures including facials, chemical peel, body treatments and hair removal.
All estheticians must be licensed in the state that they are practicing in. They complete around 600 hours of school training (depending on the state) and pass both a written and a practical, or hands-on, exam.
A good esthetician also completes many many more hours of post-graduate education and strives to stay abreast of the latest developments in skin care.
Estheticians are not medical doctors so they can’t diagnose skin conditions, prescribe medications, or suggest treatment for any skin condition outside of cosmetic products. They can, however, perform treatment complementary to a doctor’s treatment. Some estheticians may work closely with dermatologists either in-office or through a referral system.
What an Esthetician Cannot Do for Your Skin:
- Prescribe any acne medications, including common topical acne treatments such as Retin-A or Differin.
- Diagnose any skin condition. If a client comes in with an undiagnosed condition, the esthetician is required to refer the client to a doctor. So don’t go to your esthetician expecting her to identify your medical condition. That said, an esthetician can offer skin care treatment for any known skin condition, such as eczema or acne.
- Perform any medical procedure or any treatment that falls outside of the realm of cosmetic. This includes beauty treatments like Botox and Restylane, Laser Treatment, and high percentage chemical peels (although regulations vary state by state.)
- Treat any form of severely inflamed acne, including cystic and nodulocystic acne, unless under a doctor’s recommendation and/or supervision.
See an esthetician if:
- Your acne is generally mild-medium.
- You need help choosing skin care products that won’t clog pores or aggravate acne.
- You have non-inflammatory breakouts and blackheads. (Estheticians can help to extract, or cleanse out, these blemishes.)
- You have mild inflammatory acne that is responding well to over-the-counter treatments, such as benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.
- Your doctor has recommended regular facials to help keep pores clear.