Non-surgical aesthetics is the fastest growing sector of the beauty industry. …
New training, new courses, your career has never looked better.
Aesthetics, it has quickly become the buzz word in the beauty sector. While surgical procedures are in decline non-surgical procedures are growing year on year. It is estimated by 2020 that the facial aesthetics industry will be worth some €4.4 billion worldwide. Markets and Markets is a leading provider of industry analysis; they forecast facial aesthetics is set to grow at 9.2% each year all the way through to 2020. Clients are opting for minimally invasive and non-invasive treatment; in part that is also due to the PIP breast implant scandal. With the media highlighting what can and does go wrong with surgical procedures combined with an ageing population and advancements in technology has intensified consumers want for alternatives to surgery.
Another outcome of the PIP scandal was the industry coming under scrutiny. While this situation related to the UK, we are not insulated by any means. With the majority of the sectors awarding bodies in the UK means Ireland is directly impacted. Worldwide it has been known for some time that the beauty sector needed to evolve into a more evidence-based treatment pathway with higher standard formal qualifications. Incidentally, if we wanted to see where the industry is heading, maybe Australia could provide that window. Dermal Clinician is a four-year postgraduate degree concentrating on Dermal Science combined with the practice of Dermal Therapies; it is fast becoming the qualification to have in the Australian beauty sector.
Back to our side of the world and we have the new Level 4 to Level 7 qualification structure. ITEC and CIBTAC have both moved to redevelop their courses to meet guidelines outlined by Health Education England (HEE). There is also the just launched, Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP,) in partnership with the Cosmetic Standards Practice Authority (CPSA). It is all a very positive progress towards better outcomes for the general public while implementing standards for evidence-based practice and training. The JCCP is a voluntary regulatory body and register where the general public can search for compliant training providers and practitioners. While it is currently only in the UK, there is talk of it being expanded to include Ireland and beyond. Regardless, it will not be long until more registers come into play.
So as a therapist what does this mean to you? In a nutshell, more skills and more competitive insurance. As many know firsthand, gaining treatment indemnity insurance is often very expensive with few insurance options. While short courses or brand training has a place, it is no substitute for a regulated formal qualification. A new Level 4 to Level 7 skin rejuvenation course about to be launched, allows therapists to progress to 2mm dermal needling, medium skin peels and mesotherapy. Plus learners can gain insurance with leading providers.
You might be saying, well, I have been offering treatments for some time, why would I want to retrain? On face value a valid and reasonable question. However, let’s look at market realities. As changes within the industry filter down, providers will start promoting they have level 4,5,6 and 7, therapists. Insurance companies will provide more competitive plans for compliant operators. More registers will come about where the general public can search for accredited practitioners. The general public will become more aware and actively seek out compliant individuals and clinics. No matter where you sit within the industry, therapist, clinic owner or education provider the industry is evolving, it is inevitable that these changes will impact your career or business at some stage.
As I like to say, the industry is at a curvature, ‘clients want to know more, therapists want to learn more and clinics want to offer more’. It is a case of being ahead of the curve or being left behind.
