Becoming aesthetic is about more than just looking good. It’s about being comfortable in your own skin and making sure that everyone else feels comfortable around you.
To become aesthetic, you’ll have to start by developing a healthy relationship with your body. You might not like what you see in the mirror, but it’s important to remember that the body isn’t there for YOU to like or dislike—it’s there for YOU to take care of.
Next, you’ll want to start paying attention to how people interact with you. Are they afraid of getting close? Do they avoid eye contact? If so, that means they’re uncomfortable around you and your body odor!
If this is the case, then it’s time for some serious self-reflection: what are your habits? What do other people tell you about yourself? What do YOU think about yourself when no one else is around?
These are difficult questions that require an honest look at who we really are—and that can be tough work! But once we’ve faced those truths head-on (and maybe even learned a few new things), we can start taking steps towards becoming more aesthetic by making small changes every day—like showering every day.
How To Become Aesthetic
Aesthetic or cosmetic nurses help physicians provide treatments for those who would like to improve their appearance in some way. Working in this profession allows you to help your patients feel more confident and boost their self-image. If you’re interested in pursuing a career as an aesthetic nurse, there are some important steps you can take to achieve this goal. In this article, we explore how to become an aesthetic nurse, explore different nurse specialisations and give you a glimpse of how much you can make in this role.
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How to become an aesthetic nurse
If you’re wondering how to become an aesthetic nurse, it’s important to know that it can take some time and require that you complete specialised courses and get a nursing degree. Follow these steps if you want to become an aesthetic nurse:
1. Complete a nursing degree
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in the medical or aesthetic field, you may want to think about completing a nursing degree first. Employers in the public and private sectors typically require that candidates for aesthetic nurses have an official nursing degree. To decide which university to apply to, consider reviewing popular nursing courses around the country. Be sure to visit the NHS Course Finder website to find a programme suitable for your needs and expectations.
Typical nursing courses last for three years. During this time at the university, you can expect theoretical learnings in lectures or seminars and practical training, which involves working directly with patients at hospitals or clinics.
Related: How To Become a Nurse
2. Work on your essential skills
It’s important for an aesthetic nurse to have a specific set of skills. If you want to increase your chances of succeeding in this profession, consider working on them from day one. This typically includes communication and interpersonal skills. You may also improve your attention to detail, sensitivity to patients’ needs and organisational skills. Additional skills that may help you move to when working as an aesthetic nurse also include precision and creativity. If your dream is to open a private clinic one day, be sure to work on your business attitude and sales skills.
3. Choose a nursing specialisation
Most universities offer their students the option to specialise in one of four nursing specialisations:
- adult nursing
- children’s nursing
- mental health nursing
- learning disability nursing
If working as an aesthetic nurse is your goal, adult nursing is the closest area to that. It prepares you for working with adult patients who are typically interested in getting fillers or other aesthetic procedures. It’s also common for employers to prefer candidates who’ve chosen this area of nursing during university.
Related: Pediatric Nurse Job Profile Complete Guide
4. Get NMC registration
Having the required qualifications to work as a certified nurse, you then need to get NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) registration. This is an organisation that controls and sets standards for working in health and nursing. Once you complete your nursing degree, your university may automatically let you know that you’re eligible for registering with the NMC. After this, you can fill out the necessary form to complete the process and pay a registration fee.
5. Get general nursing experience
Once you complete a three-year nursing course and register with the NMC, the next step in becoming a qualified nurse is to get general experience in the profession. It’s important to have general nursing experience before moving to aesthetic nursing-full time because it helps you feel more comfortable performing different procedures and working with patients. It’s also a great way to learn how to work with other medical professionals and improve your communication skills.
If this seems like the right thing for you, consider getting at least two or three years of general nursing experience. For example, you may consider working at a hospital or a medical centre. Be sure to choose a place to look after patients and have direct contact with various medical cases to prepare for what’s next to come in your career.
6. Move to an entry-level position in aesthetics or become an independent professional
After a few years of working in general nursing, you may want to decide to make your dream come true and permanently move to aesthetic nursing. At this point, you can look for an entry-level aesthetic nurse job. Employers looking for candidates for similar roles typically offer in-office training that prepares you to perform different procedures such as wrinkle treatments.
You can also choose the option to work independently. Becoming an independent aesthetic nurse allows you to work for yourself as a self-employed nurse or injector. To get the required training that allows you to work independently, you may want to complete some additional courses, such as the V300 Non-Medical Prescribing course.
7. Renew your NMC registration every year
After completing your courses and successfully finding a job in aesthetics or becoming self-employed, you may finally start working full time as an aesthetic nurse. Be sure to constantly work on your skills and staying on top of industry trends. It’s also important that you remember to renew your NMC registration annually. This also includes paying an annual fee, which you can do on the NMC website.
8. Aim for more
Becoming an aesthetic nurse is a big step in your career, which you can celebrate. Once you get used to working in the role, consider asking yourself what else you could do to improve your qualifications and become a more experienced professional. Aiming for more is a great way to advance your career and ensure your income growth over time.
For example, you may want to create a plan for yourself, which would include an ambitious long-term goal, such as opening a private clinic. You can visualise how the ideal path to achieving this goal might look like and use your organisational and time-management skills to break it down into smaller tasks.
What is an aesthetic nurse?
An aesthetic nurse is a registered nurse who specialises in performing aesthetic treatments. This may include hair removal or chemical peels. It’s also common for aesthetic nurses to complete a V300 course and become registered prescribers who work with injectables. Most nurses with this specialisation work for private employers, such as private hospitals or clinics, but it’s also possible for them to work in public facilities.
Related: How To Write a Nurse CV (Plus Template and Example)
Types of aesthetic specialisations for a nurse
Working in an aesthetic profession is a fantastic growth opportunity for people interested in the medical field. After becoming a nurse, you may want to choose a specialisation or move to a different role within the industry. Here are a few options you can choose from:
Prescriber
Prescriber is a term that you can use to describe a nurse who is certified to perform injectable procedures. Working in this specialisation requires expert knowledge about different types of fillers and toxins, including Botox. As a certified prescriber, you can offer your clients lip fillers or more invasive procedures, along with other non-invasive procedures, such as laser skin removal.
Cosmetic surgery nurse
If you’re interested in more invasive medical and aesthetic procedures, you may consider becoming a cosmetic surgery nurse. It’s typical for cosmetic surgery nurses to find employment in private hospitals, providing patients with pre and post-operative care. This specialisation often allows you to assist surgeons during cosmetic procedures, including breast reductions or augmentations, nose jobs or weight-loss surgery.
Related: How To Become a Scrub Nurse
Electrologist
This specialisation may be ideal for you if you’re interested in hair removal procedures. Electrologists specialise in removing unwanted hair by performing electrolysis. It’s a permanent hair removal method that uses electrical impulses to destroy hair follicles, which means that you may often need a specialised course or certification to do it. As an electrologist, you can typically work at a beauty clinic.
Non-clinical roles
After you graduate with a nursing degree but are unsure if working as a nurse is the right thing to do, you can consider choosing a non-clinical role in a hospital or medical centre. This may include working in management, sales or business operations. Most employers in the medical field value candidates for non-clinical roles who have some medical experience because they typically require less specialised in-office training.
Aesthetic nurse salary
The average national salary of a nurse is £31,050 per year. This means that nurses with specialisation may make more, depending on localisation or type of clinic. If you’re ambitious to get certified, either after completing a university course or when your employer offers you training, you may have the option to improve your aesthetic nurse qualifications and become an aesthetic therapist. The average base salary of an aesthetician is £28,383 per year. You can typically expect to make more if you work at a private clinic that offers more luxurious and expensive treatments.
Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at the time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate’s experience, academic background and location. Please note that none of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.
