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Could our beauty therapist courses help boost your career?

Beauty Therapist Courses at Cosmetic CoursesAs a beauty therapist, you’ve worked hard to gain your qualifications and build up your client base, and are proud of what you’ve achieved so far.

But you know that the beauty industry is competitive and changing all the time.

And as your loyal clients learn more about the different treatments available, there’s a good chance they’ll eventually want to try something new.

Would you like to be able to offer them more?  

At Cosmetic Courses, our training isn’t just for medical professionals. We also offer courses suitable for qualified beauty therapists who are looking to add more high-end treatments to their repertoire.

These beauty therapist courses are fully accredited, can be completed in one day and take place at fully equipped aesthetic clinics around the UK.

Our expert team of trainers take you through the techniques at a pace you feel comfortable with, combining theory with lots of hands-on practice to leave you feeling confident to perform the treatments by the end of the course.

You’ll be given lots of support along the way and encouraged to ask questions throughout. And you’ll leave looking forward to providing a more comprehensive service to your existing clients, and attracting new business from a whole new client base.

What can you learn as a beauty therapist?

The beauty therapist courses we offer at Cosmetic Courses are Chemical Skin Peel training  and Genuine Dermaroller training.

Why train in Chemical Skin Peels?

Chemical Skin Peel training sessionChemical Skin Peels are a popular treatment for anti-ageing, treating specific skin complaints, and improving the general condition of the skin.

The treatment will help treat fine lines, improve skin clarity and reduce visible pores, treat superficial scarring including acne scars, and help improve the appearance of acne, melasma and rosacea.

This broad scope, plus the fact that treatment is very affordable, means it appeals to people of all ages. So there’s great potential for attracting new clients, and introducing the treatment to your existing clients – creating a healthy new revenue stream.

 Why learn Genuine Dermaroller?

Genuine Dermaroller training sessionTraining in Genuine Dermaroller will allow you to treat stretch marks, chicken pox, acne and other depressed scars, as well as improving sun damage, fine lines, uneven skin tone and the general texture and tone of the skin.

The micro-needling treatment is great for anti-ageing and rejuvenation, but particularly popular for treating sun-damaged skin in the décolletage area.

It’s a unique treatment with an excellent safety profile, as it uses no product on the skin. This makes it a very cost-effective treatment to offer your clients, with a very healthy return. Treatments are typically charged at around £225, and a course of at least 3 is usually recommended for best results.

Our next available beauty therapist courses

We’re always adding new dates for beauty therapist courses throughout the year, but these are our next available dates:

  • Chemical Peel training – Buckinghamshire – BOOK NOW
  • Dermaroller training – Buckinghamshire – BOOK NOW

Both of these upcoming courses will be held at our Paddocks Clinic training centre in Princes Risborough, Bucks.

Want to find out more about making the journey from beauty therapist to aesthetician? Contact the team for more information or to book a course by calling 01844 318317 or emailing [email protected]. Alternatively, you can book now by clicking here.

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Could 8 Point Lift training take your practice to the next level?

As a professional in the aesthetic industry, you want to stay ahead of the game. Many industries move quickly as new technology, theories and practices emerge – but aesthetics is up there with the most dynamic. 

If you’re currently offering Botox and dermal filler treatments to your patients but would like to move your practice on, you’ll want to have your next move in mind.

Start by taking a look at our chart to determine your position in your medical aesthetics journey. How far along are you? If you’re on Step 9, you’re perfectly placed to add some more advanced treatments to your repertoire.

And perhaps the most advanced of all non-surgical treatments is the 8 Point Lift (also known as the ‘non-surgical facelift’ or ‘liquid lift’).

Why train in the 8 Point Lift?

Botox and dermal filler treatments have long been the gold standard when it comes to non-surgical facial rejuvenation, and with good reason. Both treatments, in skilled hands, can offer exceptional anti-ageing results on isolated areas.

But for patients looking for whole-face rejuvenation, a more advanced approach is needed. Traditionally, the go-to option has been facelift surgery. But with the advent of the 8 Point Lift, it’s now possible to produce dramatic anti-ageing results for your patients non-surgically.

Cosmetic Courses were the UK’s first independent training provider to offer advanced training in Allergan’s 8 Point Lift. We believe it is the natural next step for practitioners who have mastered basic Botox and fillers – the perfect opportunity to take your training, and your practice, to the next level.

The treatment uses Allergan’s 2nd generation VYCROSS™ range of advanced dermal fillers, and takes a more holistic approach. Instead of targeting one or two localised areas, as with traditional methods, the 8 Point Lift involves injecting filler into multiple key points on each side of the face.

This is an important difference. Taking a more comprehensive approach means we are treating not just the symptoms of volume loss (thin lips, nasolabial folds, etc), but actively addressing the root cause – a loss of volume throughout the mid-lower face.

The treatment will give your patients a natural but noticeable lift that can last for up to 18 months. Great for them, and great for building your reputation as a skilled, forward-thinking practitioner.

Find out more about 8 Point Lift Training

If you’d like to find out more about our 8 Point Lift training, how it could benefit your patients and help your practice grow, click here to see our 8 Point Lift course programme.

For more information on any of our training courses, please don’t hesitate to contact the team on 01844 318317 or email [email protected].

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Refer a friend – receive a discount on our aesthetic courses

If you’ve trained with Cosmetic Courses and are considering pursuing further training – did you know you can get a discount by referring a friend?

Read on to find out more about our referral scheme…

Discount aesthetic courses

We’re very proud to say that most medical professionals who train with us at Cosmetic Courses choose to return for further training.

To date, we’ve trained over 3,000 doctors, dentists and nurses from around the globe. Of those, 72% have decided to come back and supplement their learning with additional aesthetic courses.

Because we know that training can be a costly business (especially if you want to learn a wide range of treatments), and also to thank our delegates for their loyalty, we run our own referral scheme.

Aesthetic courses at Cosmetic Courses

If you’d like to receive a discount on a further training course, just refer a suitably qualified friend or colleague to Cosmetic Courses and you’ll both receive a discount on your courses.

The perfect opportunity to build on your skills and help kick-start a friend’s aesthetic career.

How does the discount work?

It’s very simple. Everybody who completes a course with us will receive a refer a friend voucher to take away. When one of your friends books and pays for a course with us, they’ll receive a 10% discount.

In addition, when you book your next course with us you will also receive 10% off your course.

Conditions of use

Needless to say, any friend you refer must be a qualified dentist, doctor, nurse, surgeon or other medical professional. If you’re at all unsure whether they may qualify, contact us and we’ll be happy to advise.

The voucher is redeemable against any of our programme of aesthetic courses, so whether you’ve trained in basic Botox and fillers and would like to progress onto our advanced course, or would like to boost your practice with some new rejuvenating treatments, the voucher is your friend.

** Please note – the voucher can only be used once and must be brought along to your course when you attend. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Cosmetic Courses may cancel or vary the scheme at any time.**

Cosmetic Courses, established in 2002, is the UK’s most established aesthetic training provider. To find out more about our refer a friend scheme, or any of our aesthetic courses, call the team on 01844 318317 or email [email protected].

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An Aesthetics Training success story: Dr Sophie Shotter

If you’re a medical professional thinking about a change of career, it can be encouraging to hear from people who have been in your shoes.

Dr Sophie Shotter took a comprehensive range of aesthetics training courses with us.

She now runs her own cosmetic clinic, Illuminate Skin Clinics in Kent, and recently joined our team of trainers at Cosmetic Courses.

Here she talks about her career, her training and her new life in aesthetics.

My background

I’m a medically qualified doctor with a background in anaesthetics in the NHS. When I first thought about aesthetics training, I spoke to a friend who was already qualified, and he recommended Cosmetic Courses.

Why Cosmetic Courses?

It’s the only course run by a Plastic Surgeon, and has a brilliant reputation. In an industry where training is notoriously variable, that assured me I’d be in the best place.

Which courses did you take?

I started off with Foundation Botox and Fillers, and walked away feeling confident about Botox, but wanting to learn a little more about fillers. I booked some more one-to-one training to learn more advanced procedures – lip fillers, cheek fillers, and advanced Botox.

I then trained up in microsclerotherapy, Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy, Dermaroller, and microdermabrasion and peels as well.

I think I’ve probably done just about every course they offer!

What did you think of your training?

I’ve trained with most members of the team and found everyone so friendly, helpful and supportive. The quality of the training was second to none. The personalised advice I got and also bits and bobs about business advice were really helpful.

Would you recommend Cosmetic Courses to others?

I’ve already done so to several colleagues and friends. I wouldn’t send them anywhere else. The quality of training I’ve received I don’t think is matched elsewhere in the industry.

What advice would you give to others thinking about aesthetics training?

When it comes to choosing your provider, look at who has designed the training programme. How well established are they? Who are their trainers, and what’s their reputation?

What are the main benefits you’ve found from moving into aesthetics?

For me, the benefits have been enormous. My work-life balance is much healthier. I work the hours I choose to work, I have time for family and friends, and if I have to make an appointment to see my GP, I don’t struggle to do that any more. I’m a much happier person as a result.

The earning potential within aesthetics is massive – much better than within the NHS for me. Although I’m still in the early stages of my business development, that is really, really exciting.

I love my job – I don’t dread Monday mornings any more, and that’s an amazing feeling!

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Cosmetic Courses offers a wide range of courses for medical professionals looking to enter the aesthetic industry. For information on any of our aesthetics training courses, please don’t hesitate to contact the team on 01844 318317 or email [email protected].

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New Year, new career?

With a spanking brand New Year upon us it is, for many, a time to reflect on their life and if they need to make any changes to it. This often comes in the form of New Year’s resolutions, for example taking up regular exercise, quitting smoking or taking up meditation. Others use it to examine their lives more closely overall and to set about making major changes if need be.

This includes looking at their level of satisfaction within both their personal and their professional lives, and also the balance of the two. One result of such reflection may be a career change for the new year. Many people simply trudge through jobs to pay the mortgage and bills while not necessarily enjoying what they do. But does this have to be the case? It’s more than possible to re-train and undertake a new career, whatever your age.

If this sounds like you and you too are considering a fresh new start you need to be a bit organised about it first. Initially, draw up a list of areas that you are interested in, where your natural abilities lie and any transferable skills you have built up from your existing career that you will be able to bring to a new one. After this list, create a more specific list of possible routes you feel naturally drawn towards, then list your skill set and any area of expertise. Then draw up a list of potential careers that match those answers to some degree.

Next you need to plan how you might put this in to practice. A career change takes a lot of commitment and hard work, and in order for it to be successful it does need proper planning and re-training where required. You will have to decide if your current situation allows you the freedom of time and finances in order to fund training in a particular area.

Many nurses come to us to re-train as skin care specialists within the beauty sector. This is a great example of using a current skill set in a new way. Expertise includes the care of patients and also the use of medical equipment and substances. Re-training is not too time-consuming or expensive and so it is still possible to achieve while working as a nurse.

If you are considering a change of direction this year, we can help. We have recently added several new courses to our programme, and our team would be more than happy to discuss your options with you. For advice on how Cosmetic Courses could help you plan your new career, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01844 3901110 or email [email protected].

Happy New Year!

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Preparing for the Keogh Review’s outcomes

If you currently offer injectable treatments and other non-invasive cosmetic procedures, either privately or through a clinic, it’s likely you will be impacted at some stage by the Keogh Review – whose research into possible regulations for the aesthetic medical industry may help form government legislature.

Calls have been made from medical professionals and bodies for some time over the need for more regulation within the industry. This includes focusing on who is qualified to perform non-invasive procedures. Currently any clinic can offer injectable treatments; this may change following the release of the review’s findings, which is expected to happen this month.

Many practitioners already undergo training to qualify them to administer treatment, however for any who haven’t it is wise to undertake training as soon as possible, to ensure you will be able to continue to practice.

It’s possible that the review will suggest that only medical professionals (which will include doctors, dentists and nurses) will be able to offer these procedures, however ensuring you are qualified to carry them out may count if you are outside of these professions.

If you are a doctor, nurse or dentist and do currently carry out non-invasive procedures it is important to keep up to date with training as it’s likely that this will be required.

Although the review will make recommendations to government there will be no obligation to make them mandatory. If the proposals are passed through law, this will likely take several months.

Cosmetic Courses offer Botox and other aesthetic training courses from centres in Buckinghamshire and Manchester. For information on any of our courses, call us on 01844 390110 or email [email protected].

 

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Benefits of working for yourself in the aesthetics industry

There are many personal and career orientated benefits to working for yourself within the aesthetics industry. Many delegates express that they feel working for themselves has many benefits and can work hand in hand with the aesthetic industry or even around their current medical career.

One main benefit of being self-employed in the aesthetics industry is that your working hours are more suitable as you can set them yourself while adapting them to fit your lifestyle. It gives you the flexibility to work when it is appropriate for you.

An additional benefit of working for yourself is that you can offer a higher level of care that matches what you feel you should offer to your clients. This allows you time to connect with your clients and a greater focus on meeting their needs. You can also have more involvement with the treatments chosen and control over the amount of time spent writing up notes and administering the procedure.

Time is always critical for our delegates, not only for the time with clients but also for the time spent away from work in their personal lives. Being self-employed in this industry allows the individual to have more control over their personal time and other commitments. Many of our delegates have mentioned that these combined factors have given them a better lifestyle.

Although there are many benefits to working for yourself within the aesthetic industry there are also a few drawbacks. If you are self-employed, there is no guaranteed income per month as it depends on how much work you have. You will also not be entitled to sick or holiday pay, which does need to be taken into consideration.

However some feel that this can be outweighed by benefits of working for yourself in the aesthetic industry. Not only will you have more control over working hours and the conditions you work under but you can also decide how much money you want to make.

If you have great skills, excellent patient care and are driven to succeed then a self-employed career in aesthetics could give you the quality of life you are looking for.

If you are interested in a career in the aesthetics industry, find out more about our aesthetic training courses by contacting us on 0845 230 4110 or emailing [email protected].

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Ceart in Administration: Medical Aesthetic Insurance Options

Ceart in Administration? Please Advise

As you may be aware by now, the specialist healthcare insurance broker Ceart Risk Services has gone into administration.

If you do have a policy with Ceart, it is best to try to contact them to find out your options as, technically, you should be OK if already covered.

Hamilton Fraser Insurance help worried Medical Aesthetic delegates

According to reports, however, they are not responding to many enquiries via telephone or email. For many confused and anxious medical aesthetic delegates, alternative cosmetic insurers Hamilton Fraser Cosmetic Insurance have stepped in to offer advice and support; even for those who are not currently insured with them.

Hamilton Fraser ran a live Questions and Answers session on their Facebook page this Tuesday 7th February to deal with the unusually high level of enquiries and concerns. Many of the answers can now be seen posted on their page.

Cosmetic Insurance at Cosmetic Courses

At Cosmetic Courses medical aesthetic training, we have always chosen Hamilton Fraser as our principal insurance company, displaying the logo on our homepage and recommending them to our delegates when they ask us who to turn to for their own business insurance.

We are very proud to be one of only 4 recognised Hamilton Fraser Partner Courses (you can identify these by the gold ‘training course partner’ badges as featured on our site which differs from the standard Hamilton Fraser recognised training course icons).

What does this mean?

  • Well, the biggest bonus for you is that all our delegates receive 10% discount during their 1st year of insurance with Hamilton Fraser…something that only these special Training Course Partners can offer!
  • You can also find us right at the top of the recommended course listings on the Hamilton Fraser website (for London, Buckinghamshire and Northampton)
  • And read regular articles about us in the Cosmetic Insurance News Letter
  • Like all Hamilton Fraser recognised training courses, Cosmetic Courses’ membership means that our delegates receive Risk Management support and information leaflets, presentations and advice.

It is this kind of unconditional support which we know medical aesthetic delegates are really valuing at the moment, with uncertainty over Ceart and increased scrutiny of the industry in general. It’s good to know that there is an insurance company we can rely on, who recognizes Cosmetic Courses’ high standards too!

For any further questions about your cosmetic insurance or medical aesthetic training in general, please do not hesitate to call us on 0845 230 4110.

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Cosmetic Courses & Competency Certification

As the medical aesthetic industry comes under scrutiny, Cosmetic Courses supports calls for higher competency levels.

Botox and Dermal Filler Providers Under Fire

Not only the Surgical sector of the cosmetic treatment industry has come under scrutiny recently following the PIP breast implants fiasco. The Non-Surgical cosmetic injectables market is now also being heavily criticized for lack of regulation and the ease with which products / procedures can launch or professionals can become qualified.

The UK has been described as “an open goal when it comes to cosmetic injections”, with companies starting up and disappearing at the first sign of trouble and a “terrible…lack of training” (Dr. Mike Comins, president of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors).

Dr. Comins has particularly stressed the importance of competence and for “only medical doctors, their assistants or supervised nurses [to] be allowed to carry out injections of Botox and fillers”.

Cosmetic Courses support Competency & Training for Medical Professionals

These are views which leading UK medical aesthetic training provider, Cosmetic Courses, has long upheld. Even before the PIP scandal hit the media, we were championing rigorous standards within cosmetic injectables training and had a strict policy of only accepting currently qualified medical professionals onto our courses.

Test the Water: then Commit to Competency

We understand that branching into a career in medical aesthetics can be a big commitment, so we do believe that delegates should be given opportunity for ‘taster’ training sessions where they do not have to invest so much money or long-term career aspirations up-front: some people do literally start aesthetic injecting and decide then and there it’s not for them.

Bespoke 1-1 for Competency Certification
But, if a delegate does then decide that they want to pursue a career in cosmetic injectables, we strongly encourage all training with Cosmetic Courses to continue to Bespoke 1-1 level which is the stage where you can be certified in competency. This is in line with the recommendation by the BACD and Mike Comins.

Training DOESN’T end with Competency
Furthermore, Cosmetic Courses always say that your training is a journey. Even having received Competency Certification, many delegates do decide to continue to Advanced Level and we positively encourage this. As Dr. Comins continues: BACD members ‘also have to attend a certain number of conferences and training sessions to maintain their membership’. Our own Cosmetic Courses trainers frequently do this, attending regular events, training sessions and conferences to keep up-to-date with all the latest products and techniques.

Keeping up-to-date is vital in this fast paced industry. This is why Cosmetic Courses believe that Competency Certification and Refresher Training go hand-in-hand. Although many delegates may have already been competency certified, this may have been years ago any they might not have done anything with it ever since. In that time, techniques and products will have moved on. The best practitioners keep up to date with regular training and activity: and Cosmetic Courses encourage all our delegates to be the best.

Our Commitment to You
As Cosmetic Courses’ manager recognized, we do not only expect our delegates to be the best they can be but we also expect the same from ourselves. As part of this ‘we are offering more courses and expanding our packages on an ongoing basis to ensure not just that you keep up but that we keep up’.

Cosmetic Courses also offer a support program so that all delegates are never essentially ‘alone’ after graduating from Cosmetic Courses. Despite being certified competent, if you ever need support or advice after having trained with Cosmetic Courses there is ongoing mentor support via telephone or email.

In all these ways we hope to be able to help do our part to regulate the standards within the industry.

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5 Tips for Medical Aesthetic Business Marketing

So I’ve done my Botox Training…now what?

Gaining thorough, high-quality training in medical aesthetic treatments like Botox, Dermal Fillers, Dermaroller Therapy and Skin Peels is only the beginning. Once you have these skills and are confident that your techniques are sufficiently advanced to be competent providing treatments to the public, what now?

Time to start Marketing your Business

Whether you already have an established practice and are adding medical aesthetic treatments to your repertoire, or are starting your business from scratch, your skills and expertise will never translate into profit without a fantastic reputation – or brilliant marketing! Both of these factors are interlinked: as your client base grows, they will start to spread the word amongst themselves and so your reputation will grow, too. But first you need to attract the initial streams of patients.

Marketing can be a daunting prospect if you don’t know where to begin. There are many business sharks out there, eager to profiteer from the common knowledge that medical aestheticians are not necessarily marketing and technology savvy.

Marketing and Technology savvy?

Yes. These days, the two are well and truly interlinked.

Whilst some forms of offline marketing – adverts and features in local magazines and newspapers, fliers or posters – may serve you well, the wider market is lurking online. You have the potential to reach much greater numbers, further afield and at a lower cost. If you get it right.

Where to start?

There are a few bog-standard basics that Cosmetic Courses recommend for delegates looking to market their medical aesthetic business:
1. Create a brand, not just a business
Spend time choosing a catchy name and slogan, design an eyecatching logo and be consistent with colour-schemes from stationary to sites. The objective is to establish branding instantly recognisable and so compelling that prospective patients choose you over your competition.
2. Get socialising:
Social media is a very powerful tool for networking, creating your brand image and engaging prospective patients. First you need to identify where the majority of your patients ‘hang out’ – is it Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube or Google+? Very few small business owners have time to juggle all these accounts so maybe just focus on one or two for best results. Each has strengths and weaknesses unique to the medical aesthetic industry – look out for more on this in a future Cosmetic Courses blog!
3. Don’t just say it, Blog it!
A blog is a great way to create a more personal voice for your company, let patients know what is happening, what offers you are doing and what you are thinking.
4. SEOk
SEO (or search engine optimisation) is vital to making sure your website works to pull in patients. Combined with social media and creating lots of new content through your blog and on your website pages themselves, SEO involves researching keywords to see which are most popular with your patients when they search online. You then need to make sure all your pages frequently mention these words: in a natural-sounding way! There’s quite a knack to this and there are many hints’n’tips tutorials online…or you can get Cosmetic Courses to give you some training!
5. Make Links
Inbound link-building can boost the visibility of your site on search engines and help you network with other sites. There are lots of ways of getting links to your site…but you need to be aiming for high quality, relevant links, not tons of cheap ones from sales sites that are nothing to do with yours!

These 5 business marketing pointers are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to using digital for your medical aesthetic business. There are also many factors specific to the cosmetic industry which need to be borne in mind.

If you would like some training in business marketial traning for your medical aesthetic business, why not consider a business marketing training course with Cosmetic Courses? With expert guest speakers, hints and tips a-plenty and lots of ongoing support after the initial training, it could be just what you need to get your business off the ground! Contact us on 0845 230 4110 or [email protected] for more details about upcoming dates and availability.

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