In order to become a beauty therapist, you may need to enroll in a vocational school or an aesthetician program, which is a beautician program that covers a wide variety of topics. This profession offers numerous types of positions, and due to the diversity of this career, you should determine which field suits you before choosing a course of education. Many locations may require that you are licensed, and you will need to research the jurisdiction that you intend to work in to determine the type of education and certification that is needed. Once you have decided that you would like to become a beauty therapist, you may want to consider the variety of places that you can work in, including beauty salons, cruise ships, day spas, mobile salons, home, and hotels.
Aesthetician training programs may differ greatly depending on the school and the type of program that you have enrolled in. A basic program is usually needed to become a beauty therapist, but most schools offer advanced coursework that could provide you with additional certification. Basic coursework usually includes facial and body waxing, back, body, and neck massage, paraffin treatments, eyebrow contouring, ear candling, acne treatments, and chemical peeling. An advanced program can be taken after the successful completion of basic coursework and may include topics such as lymphatic draining massage, ultrasound facial treatment, microdermabrasion, laser treatment, and cosmetic chemistry. Most of these programs usually take at least 500 hours to complete, but course scheduling is generally flexible and designed to work with most schedules.
These programs are relatively inexpensive, and most schools offer financial planning to assist students with payments. Vocational cosmetology programs are similar but may offer additional coursework in hair, makeup, and aromatherapy. In order to choose the program that is right for you and to become a beauty therapist, you should make sure that you have set a career goal because different positions will set different certification requirements. Most of these programs incorporate hands-on training throughout the program, which is usually viewed by most companies as adequate experience for employment.
In addition to an education, you will need to have excellent communication skills because the job is primarily based on client relations. Communication skills, a caring personality, organization, and patience are also important traits if you plan to become a beauty therapist. Many beauty therapists may also work with patients who have been disfigured by illness or accidents, so you will need to have a compassionate personality.