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Work Environments CHAPTER SEVEN 10 Things You Should Know About Working in a Medi-Spa By Janet McCormick The clearest definition is “an esthetician who works under the license protection and authority of a physician.” That definition does not include the phrase “who has passed a state-required examination,” however. No state in the United States has set standards for the education and skill requirements for working as an esthetician in a medical environment, and no exam or licensure exists. For that reason, the profession of medical esthetician or paramedical esthetician does not officially exist. But estheticians, despite receiving no official recognition for their skills, are working in medical settings. In the past, many estheticians who worked in physicians’ offices learned what they needed to know on the job, from the physician. Today, more and more estheticians want to work in medical settings, but fewer can find a position as easily. With the new complications thrust on medical offices, such as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements, and the increasingly complex treatments, the providers of medical esthetics services require complex training and education that physicians and medi-spas do not have time to offer. So how can a licensed esthetician prepare to perform medical-level services? Who will the medical offices and medi-spas readily hire? The following is a top 10 list of things practitioners should know if they want to work as medical estheticians. E stheticians are moving into the medical field at a rapid pace. But, just what is medical esthetician? 1. KNOW THE BASICS Estheticians wanting to work in a medical setting should be skilled and comfortable in the basics. They should have learned esthetics-level skin care, such as basic facials and skin care, and be able to perform all the basic services confidently. Medi-spas and medical offices prefer not to train an esthetician in these basics; it takes too much time, and most have no one on staff who does training. Estheticians should take extensive classes to become informed and confident prior to seeking a position in a medical environment. 2. GO BEYOND THE BASICS Estheticians looking for work in a medical setting should also know about analysis, physiology, and anatomy. If you have this knowledge, you will represent the professionalism of the medical setting. Analysis can be learned through advanced classes and experience, but classes on physiology and anatomy are not as easily available to most estheticians, however, they can be learned quickly and easily. Consider taking pre-nursing biology and physiology courses at a local junior college; purchasing and studying pre-nursing biology and physiology books; taking a medical esthetics course that covers these advanced topics; or purchasing books about working in the medical setting as an esthetician. www.ascpskincare.com successful business handbook 147