Popular Careers in Beauty: From Cosmetologist to Cosmetic Nurse
Ready to make that career change you’ve been thinking about forever? Eager to help people look and feel their best, no matter what?
If you’ve answered “yes” to both questions, a career in beauty could be right for you. But deciding to go into this exciting field is just the first step. The next part is more difficult: deciding which beauty career path is the best fit for your personality, skills, and experience.
Your answer today might not be your answer tomorrow. So let’s take a look at three very different but complementary careers in beauty and learn what’s involved in each.
Popular Careers in Beauty — From Cosmetologist to Aesthetic Medicine
The three careers we’ll be looking at here are cosmetology, cosmetic nursing, and aesthetic medicine. They’re not the only three career options available in the beauty field, but they’re among the most popular.
Cosmetologist
Cosmetologists work in a variety of settings, including medical spas, day spas, hair and nail salons, tattoo parlors, and more. They perform a diverse array of cosmetic services too, including (but certainly not limited to) the following:
- Hairstyling
- Specialty makeup
- Laser hair removal
- Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy
- Noninvasive cosmetic procedures like chemical peels and microdermabrasion
When working with lasers, pulsed light, and special chemicals or equipment, cosmetologists generally work under the supervision of a cosmetic nurse or aesthetic physician. That means working as a cosmetologist is an excellent way to gain experience in the broader field of aesthetic medicine.
Cosmetic Nurse
Cosmetic (or aesthetic) nurses work under the supervision of a board-certified aesthetic physician, in many cases a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. They typically are registered nurses (RNs) with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree or even Nurse Practitioner (NP) degree.
Cosmetic nurses perform more specialized services than cosmetologists, including medical services closely supervised by a physician. These include:
- Neuromodulator injections (Botox® and alternatives)
- Dermal filler injections
- Advanced skin care and resurfacing (chemical peels, microdermabrasion)
- Minimally invasive weight loss procedures, such as Coolsculpting
If you’re not yet a nurse, know that becoming an aesthetic nurse takes some time. You’ll need to enroll in a qualifying nursing program, take and pass the NCLEX-RN exam, and then work toward the Certified Aesthetic Nurse Specialist (CANS) offered by the Plastic Surgical Nursing Certification Board (PSNCB). This last step can take an additional couple of years, but it’ll expand your career opportunities and increase your salary range.
As a cosmetic nurse, you’ll also need to participate in aesthetic training workshops (such as Botox training and certification) to fulfill your job duties and complete your continuing education requirements.
Aesthetic Physician Specialties
It’s not for everyone, but becoming an aesthetic physician is the best choice if you want the widest possible range of career opportunities. And, of course, higher pay.
Aesthetic physicians are often dermatologists or plastic surgeons. They supervise medical spas, cosmetic surgery practices, and other settings where cosmetic medical services are performed. They may offer facial plastic surgery and other cosmetic surgical procedures or stick with minimally invasive treatments such as Botox, dermal fillers, hormone and other anti-aging therapies, and medical weight loss programs.
