Beauty Therapy NVQ's revised content???

[sharonjar]

As a new lecturer in the beauty department, I am finding that students are asking if it is really neccessary to study the electrical units and many are put off by this area as they feel it is not what the industry currently demands, many feel that the qualifications should be updated to follow key trends within the industry and that the current content is out dated. What do you guys think? Is there still demand for electrical treatments? How many of you offer electrical based treatments? What would you replace the electrical units with? Would love to hear what you think :lol:

 

[gemsie1983]

To be honest this is has what has put me off doing level 3. I would rather use the money I would spend on level 3 to do extra courses such as tanning and lashes with private companies.

I would be interested to see what others think...

 

[Bonkers]

I was studying nvq beauty therapy level 3 but didnt feel the need for the electrical side - that was for me personally, i loved all the other bits, so i have changed my course now to level 3 massage and also having to study all the other things seperatly such as indian head massage, aromatherpy, hot stones etc, i didnt continue with the course as i thought it would include microdermabrasion but it didnt.

I would love to study an updated nvq level 3 course that was more up to date with current trends and what customers are asking for.

 

[Beautification]

this is why i havn't done my level 3, although wish i had as i want to teach..
I think maybe level 3 should comprise of other treatments such as nail extensions, lash extensions, tanning etc..

as most colleges dont do nail extensions in the level 2 course i know the college i went to rotated every few years u either did lash perming or nail extensions in level 2.


Personally, as you only study each area for a certain amount of time in level 2 i don't think extensions would be appropriate.

 

[persianista]

Caci facials are the most popular treatment in my salon. I would expect therapists to have at least a grounding in electrical facial work.

 

[heatherp]

I can understand alot of people not wanting to do electricals in level 3, I was one of those people. I didnt think I'd enjoy doing it, the equipment at our college was quite dated insofar as to do a "mature" facial you had to use 3 different machines whereby upto date salons have one machine that does all, and as I was intending to open a home based salon, I didnt think I would be able to afford the equipment to carry out the treatments as they can run into thousands of pounds.
Having said that, once into the course, I really started to enjoy it, I also think that it made my unpinning knowledge alot stronger. I was lucky enough to find a lovely lady who was selling her microcurrent, galvanic and high frequency, and microdermabrasion machine and got myself quite a bargin.
My microdermabrasion treatments are really popular and I am also starting to see a fair bit of interest in the other electrical facials I offer.
Its good to do massage but alot of clients, particulary where hot stone massage is concerned seem to only like these in the cold months whereby facials are an all year thing.
I think it would be good to offer MDA in level 3 and I thought some colleges were doing this.
I also agree with Persianista that Level 3 is looked for alot when salons are taking on staff.

 

[kimi1101]

Level 3 hair has loads of different modules and you can pick what you wanna do...out of about 30 modules 2 are mandatory and then u can pick 7 more...well at least thats how it was when i was at college. I felt level 3 was a modern version of level 2, more freedom to step outside the basics. Sounds like beauty should be similar?x
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[Martin Duffy]

What I think is a bigger waste of time is learning to mix up fullers earth & other powders with flower waters & witch hazel - has anyone ever been in a professional salon where this is done since the 1980's?! It's a complete nonsense, as is the rather old fashioned manicure & pedicure routine taught.

As for the electricals, I offer CACI, high frequency, facial galvanic, electrolysis (blend) & ultrasound, all of which are very popular. I did the HND in Beauty Therapy & qualified in 96/97, and thus did vacuum suction, G5 & so forth. To be honest I doubt I would ever offer those but I did find they gave me a good grounding in electrical theory.

 

[Bonkers]

if the electricals was updated i do want to finish the level 3 i just didnt see any point in what we were being taught - suction, G5 etc also the class was far too big with 4 of us to a machine!!! I would love to be able to have more freedom in choosing my units hence my decision to do the units i wanted all seperatly, i will still go on to study MDA at some point too.

 

[persianista]

We send our therapists for specialist training on the machines that we use, it's the basic grounding that we expect the colleges to do.
There is no way that colleges could cover all the machines available to therapists today, but they should have an idea what they are for, and the types of currents used in salons.
I agree with Martin that no salon with a shred of self respect concocts their masks out of kaolin and witch hazel these days! (I remember doing that at college in the 80's!)
As hair colleges no longer teach finger wavels and pin curls, I had kind of assumed that beauty training had also kept up to date.

 

[kimi1101]

Not to nit pick but i did my basic hair training 5 years ago and was assessed on fingerwaves and pincurls! Horizontal rolls had just been phased out though...lol
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[Beautific]

From what we have been told recently NVQ will no longer be taught after this year it will be a City & Guilds diploma with pass, merit or distinction and they are changing the treatments taught to update them at our college so hopefully it will be the same for everybody :hug:

 

[bombini]

What I think is a bigger waste of time is learning to mix up fullers earth & other powders with flower waters & witch hazel - has anyone ever been in a professional salon where this is done since the 1980's?! It's a complete nonsense, as is the rather old fashioned manicure & pedicure routine taught.

As for the electricals, I offer CACI, high frequency, facial galvanic, electrolysis (blend) & ultrasound, all of which are very popular. I did the HND in Beauty Therapy & qualified in 96/97, and thus did vacuum suction, G5 & so forth. To be honest I doubt I would ever offer those but I did find they gave me a good grounding in electrical theory.

OMG Those were the days ! I remember when we were told to bring our own fruit and veg in to make homemade masks !! :lol:

I do think that electrical units are necessary although somewhat dated. I don't think I have ever come across a salon since leaving college that offers vacuum suction, G5 or body galvanic & faradic. They have all been replaced by much more effective treatments.

I think the whole nvq just needs pulling into the 20th century My lecturers were very, very good at the treatments but they qualified a long time ago and after leaving salon employment and working in colleges for so long they just got stuck in the same old routines.

Most high street salons & spas offer caci or the equivalant so they will be looking for a therapist with level 3 in my experience.

 

[Bonkers]

This is exactly why i changed my course I really wanted the level 3 and if the electrical part was more up to date then i would have loved to have continued but what we were covering was G5, Suction, faradic etc I have not come across a salon that offers these treatments so felt although yes level 3 would be beneficial, I was also wasting my time learning about things that were not current.

 

[Roxie]

I have just recently left college because i could no longer stand to do electrical facial etc and am now looking to do seperate courses in tanning and massage ect.

i think it should be updated

 

[***juice***]

That's the main reason I didn't want to do Level 3 was the electricals - just not interested in it at all! And I'd much rather do the nails than the beauty anyway, but funds permitting and all that

 

[brandy1]

I am just completing my NVQ3 and am working as a therapist at home. I couldn't get my head around the electrical treatments at all to start with but now really enjoy them. Tutors have told us that the NVQ3 is going revamped and electrolysis will no longer be mandatory but microdermabrasion will be. They will also be making other changes to the curriculum so we have been told.

I have done a little bit of home and have found two other therapists in my immediate area both offering galvanic, high frequency and G5 treatments. I wonder if this is a geographic thing in that in some areas are more popular than others. Or is it the marketing?

 

[Leah P]

There are lots of different level 3 routes that you can take. For example, the traditional route, there is also a massage route and nail route. So dont let electrical treatments put you all off. Spray tanning is also in the new standards from september, as well as microdermabrasion. So the treatments are definitely getting more interesting!! xx

 

[Spa Therapist]

My Level 3 included:

Aromatherapy Head & Body Massage (pre-blended oils)
Swedish Head & Body Massage
Indian Head Massage
Body Exfoliation & Wraps
Sauna, Steam, Jacuzzi (supervising clients, maintaining equipment etc)
Pool & Plant (chemical dosing, water testing etc)
Dry Floatation

and all the usual business studies / retail etc.

I've never been asked if I'm qualified in facial electrics but I have always worked in spas and it's different to a high street salon x

 

[Ruby]

As a new lecturer in the beauty department, I am finding that students are asking if it is really neccessary to study the electrical units and many are put off by this area as they feel it is not what the industry currently demands, many feel that the qualifications should be updated to follow key trends within the industry and that the current content is out dated. What do you guys think? Is there still demand for electrical treatments? How many of you offer electrical based treatments? What would you replace the electrical units with? Would love to hear what you think :lol:

Personally I would not be interested in employing a therapist that had not taken their Face and Body electrical module but thats because my salon is so busy with electrical treatments .Another beauty therapist may think differently I am also one that constantly goes on different courses refresher and new I am at the moment on a 4 day course with Caci because I do not think that you can ever know enough .but thats me as I said everyone is different .

Ruby x

Ruby