How do I get an Esthetics License?

If you love working to improve a person's appearance, an esthetics career may be the right one for you. Estheticians work with skin, hair and makeup to improve a person's overall appearance for personal or health reasons. To become an esthetician, you must obtain training as well as an esthetics license.

Estheticians work in a variety of places, including spas and salons. Other licensed estheticians may work with doctor's offices or hospitals. Still others might work with celebrities or theater actors.

Training involves learning about the skin and various problems with the skin. It also involves learning about makeup, skincare products and routines, and how to remedy problems with the skin. Some esthetician programs teach the basics of makeup application and hair care or styling, though these areas are usually covered in training for cosmetologists.

Esthetician schools have a variety of curricula. A person looking to become a medical esthetician needs to know different things than a person wishing to work at a salon, though the educational foundation is the same. Esthetician training can take anywhere from 12 weeks to two years.

A good esthetician school should prepare you for the exam required to earn a license. Some esthetician training programs are offered along with cosmetology classes. There are programs meant to prepare people to get an esthetics license and become a licensed cosmetologist as well. There are full time, part time, local and online programs.

Getting an esthetics license not only involves school, but a compulsory exam. Not every location requires an exam to become a licensed esthetician, but many do. Exams may involve showing practical knowledge, theoretical knowledge or both. Often there is a fee for an exam, and this varies by location.

Getting an esthetics license means you are free to practice your art within your region. If you move, you may have to apply for a different license for your new area of residence. This varies by country, and sometimes even regions within a country. Wages for licensed estheticians are variable, depending largely upon geographic location, place of employment and prior experience in the field.