What is a Medical Aesthetician?

Non-invasive cosmetic treatments are gaining in popularity rapidly. This is one of the many reasons the demand and job market for licensed medical aestheticians is expected to grow exponentially over the next decade. Throughout this post, we are going to cover in detail just exactly what is a medical aesthetician, why they do, and how to become a license medical aesthetician. Let’s get started!

What is a Medical Aesthetician?

A licensed medical aesthetician is a professional who has specialized in skin care, especially non-invasive cosmetic treatments. Aestheticians are often confused with cosmetologists, but these are two different fields. A cosmetologist typically focuses on the application of cosmetics, and rarely works in a medical setting. Aestheticians are also qualified to apply cosmetics and provide beauty treatments, but their expertise includes a much broader range of skin care. Aestheticians provide a variety of services, procedures, products, and consultations to help improve and maintain the appearance and health of the client’s or patient’s skin.

Medical aestheticians are trained and licensed skin care specialists who work together with other medical professionals in medical settings doing laser and light-based procedures. Medical estheticians help patients with skin conditions, skin traumas and aging skin to heal and rejuvenate the appearance of the skin. Medical estheticians can administer chemical peels, microdermabrasion, laser therapy, and potent acids.

What Does a Medical Aesthetician Do?

Medical estheticians bring their skills and expertise around skincare to a medical setting.  Their main job requirement is to help patients learn how to take care of the skin as they undergo medical treatment for a variety of diseases and conditions that can have an effect on the appearance of skin. They can also help patients rejuvenate their skin for more cosmetic purposes, rather than strictly working with patients who need treatment for diseases or various skin conditions.

Depending on medical aesthetician training, aestheticians provide a wide variety of services and procedures. Here’s a few examples of what an aesthetician might do in a particular week:

• Meet with clients/patients by appointment and provide consultation on skin care
• Examine a client/patient’s skin and recommend a skin care regimen and products
  • Provide pre and post operative skin care
  • Help manage the effects of diseases or skin conditions such as rashes or other outbreaks
• Help patients minimize the appearance of various skin imperfections (i.e. acne or surgical scars)
• Help reduce the impacts of aging on the skin and provide a skin rejuvenation skin care programs

Typical services offered and performed by a medical aesthetician can include, but are not limited to, chemical peels, hair removal, laser treatment, and more. Not all aestheticians are trained in the same procedures. To learn more about advanced laser training for aestheticians, click the link.

How to Become a Licensed Medical Aesthetician?

Medical Aestheticians require advanced and intense training and education in order to provide the skin care treatments many patients require. For Medical aestheticians can earn an aesthetician degree at a dedicated aesthetician school, two year colleges, or cosmetology schools. Professional skin care providers can also enhance the services they offer by enrolling in additional aesthetician training classes. Each student must complete a required number of hours in order to be eligible for state licensure, in addition to completing a required number of treatments to demonstrate competency and experience.

Students who want more training can complete specialized medical aesthetician courses after completing their initial aesthetician program. These courses range in length from a few days to a few weeks and can cover skills that require hands-on training such as laser programs, advanced skin care training programs, or advanced Master Programs for aestheticians.

Where can Medical Aestheticians Work?

A medical aesthetician may be employed by a hospital, medical practice, or any healthcare facility. Additionally, aestheticians may also work in salons or medical spas. The designation of medical aesthetician simply means that that aesthetician is licensed and has demonstrated competency to work with doctors (such as dermatologists) and within the confines of a medical facility. Plastic surgeons and dermatologists commonly employ medical aestheticians to perform procedures including medical chemical peels, exfoliation, and photofacials under their supervision.

In hospitals and clinics, medical aestheticians support patients having operations and medical treatments that involve the skin. They instruct injured patients on how to reduce the appearance of facial swelling, skin discoloration, fine lines, wrinkles, acne, acne scarring, and much more. They show trauma patients how to clean and care for sensitive healing skin. Medical aestheticians also provide emotional relief to their patients and boost the confidence of patients who are undergoing long-term treatment care.

Some aestheticians may also be self-employed and choose to contract their services out to medical facilities. This allows them to build their own client base and maintain their own office space, however this is less common.

Med-Surg Academy: Medical Aesthetician Training Courses

At Med-Surg Academy in Paradise Valley, Arizona, we are committed to providing our students with top level instruction to help them become the best medical aestheticians possible. Our medical aesthetician programs are state certified and help our students earn more money and provide future job opportunities. Click here to contact us to learn more about our upcoming medical aesthetician training schedule or view all of our medical aesthetician training programs.