When is a level 4 course, not a level 4 course? …
Answer: When it is a one day course.
We have noticed that some training organisations in the medical aesthetics space are advertising a micro-needling level 4 course that is only a one day course; this is unfortunately utterly deceptive for the delegate.
Level 4 Micro-Needling is a new standard in the aesthetic beauty space; it is a regulated qualification. Currently, the only awarding bodies that provide the underwriting are ITEC, CIBTAC and IQ. The level 4 standard in the aesthetic beauty sector was initiated to give a far higher level of education, leading to increased safety for the general public.
One day training is a scourge on the industry
One day training courses are a scourge on the beauty and medical aesthetics industry. The more we try and elevate the sector and bring in reputable training leading to a safer industry, the more it would seem newly established training companies try and cash in on the lack of education around courses in the industry.
As a simple guide, any level 4 micro-needling course is approximately 200 guided learning hours, substantially longer than one day.
There is a host of level 4 courses designed to increase knowledge resulting in safer treatments. These include chemical skin peels, micro-needling, radiofrequency, laser & intense pulsed light, ultherapy, and blemish removal. These qualifications can also lead on to level 5, 6 and 7 modality-specific courses.
Quality education takes time
At A.T.A.I, we offer a broad range of courses suited to HCPs and therapists. Our Skin Complete course combines micro-needling, skin peels, topical skin therapy and dermal fillers. For dentists and doctors, we also include a Botox training option. Our Skin Rejuvenation course is targeted at therapists. It includes micro-needling, chemical skin peels, cosmeceutical topical skin therapy plus laser & IPL. Granted, training with A.T.A.I does take several months, we do try and make this easier with theory delivered through online learning combined with flexible, practical training.
A matter of insurance
A few years ago, all you needed to gain insurance for IPL was brand training, after a great deal of lobbying and too many burns in the industry this changed. Insurance companies now require a level 4 qualification underwritten by an awarding organisation. Level 4 laser & light was the beginning of this change that is filtering through all aesthetic therapies. Insurance companies are already starting to require reputable qualifications for aesthetic based treatments. You might still gain insurance with a one-day training certificate, for now, but your insurance company options will be limited, and the premium will be, well, at a premium. If you are not wasting your money on a one day course today, you will be tomorrow. We have a constant stream of delegates upgrading their qualifications to the level 4 standard due to the insurance sector with laser & light. We are also starting to see this with micro-needling and chemical skin peels; after all, it is why the level 4 qualification framework was developed in the first place.
Career pathway
Another problem with one-day training is the lack of any career pathway. If you wanted to proceed to level 5 qualifications, your one-day training certificate would not suffice to take a level 5 course. You would still need to take the level 4 course; you just wasted your money on that phoney level 4 course. The fees associated with one-day training might seem desirable, ultimately though, what looks like a cheap option today will lead to more costs tomorrow.
We started A.T.A.I to provide robust training for the aesthetic medicine and aesthetic beauty sectors; we hope you will join us in achieving that goal.
