Facial & skincare course

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kirsty_w

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Hi All,

I've been wanting to go back to college for quite some years to do a Beauty qualification but after much deliberation, I'm thinking of only doing the courses in the things that interest me. My passion is skincare after struggling myself for the past 10 years and trying all sorts of different treatments.

I've found some local training centres that offer the type of course I'm looking for (I'm specifically looking for ones that incorporate extractions) but am wondering whether or not I need to have a certain accreditation to be able to carry them out professionally (charge for the service). All of the ones I've found seem to offer their own certificate/ diploma.

Thank you,
K
 
In the UK, you need a minimum level 2 qualification in the areas you're interested in - then you can do private courses with attendance certificates as CPD. Without the level 2 you will not have the knowledge to offer professionals treatments and you can find yourself with invalid insurance. Level 2 courses in manis/pedis, waxing, eye treatments and facials can be done at local college evening classes. You'll need to practise lots in your own time. Follow-up private courses help provide the support and mentoring that a good salon will offer a new to the industry employee, or the tutor support that a full time beauty course should provide. Product Houses also offer courses, but should ask to see your level 2 certificates.

At present, product houses don't ask for a level 3 qualification in electrical treatments before training you in how to use their machines, but new legislation being introduced makes it clear that this practise is no longer considered acceptable. Without the qualification you are very much at the mercy of sales people and can't use your own judgement to decide whether a machine is right for you and fairly priced for the results promised.

You need a level 3 qualification in massage first in order to do any massage course which doesn't provide a level 3 qualification.

It's a bit of a minefield at present as there isn't much regulation in the UK industry, but government and the professional bodies which represent the industry are moving towards greater protection for customers and fewer opportunities for black economy working - which means being professionally qualified, insured and (in some areas) licensed by the local council.

I went through similar thought processes myself - and I'm so glad I did accredited training, it's much more thorough than I expected and I got a lot out of it.
 
Thank you. The ones I've found are stating that they are accredited and I can obtain public liability insurance upon completion. These should be ok? I don't want to have to go through an NVQ learning nails, makeup and waxing etc that really is not an interest of mine.
 
As TheDuchess says, I really would recommend you do at least a level 2 Beauty Therapy course first, even though this will cover the other areas you say you're not so interested in. It will cover the basic anatomy and physiology that other more advanced skincare courses you might choose to do afterwards would expect and they are industry recognised. I am looking at doing more advanced skincare courses myself and all the ones I'm interested in want a minimum of level 3. Really do your research on courses as unfortunately some "accredited" courses aren't worth the paper they're written on.
 
I'm not sure if I explained properly. If the courses are accredited on the national qualification framework as a level 2/3 or whatever, then they're fine.

If they don't offer this qualification, then (I speak as a former commercial insurance broker now working as a business risk consultant as well as a salon owner) if you don't already have an equivalent level 2 qualification covering anatomy, health and safety, professional standards etc, you are not insured, no matter what your insurance certificate says. How can you be? You don't have the appropriate training to offer professional services unsupervised.

These courses are refreshers for people returning to the industry, for people retraining from a relevant field (nurses for instance) or who are qualified in equivalent areas (a massage therapist learning facials, for instance). These courses would also work if you are providing services under supervision, I've used them to train receptionists in manicure treatments - but there must be a qualified therapist on the premises whilst they are providing treatments.

Look at it this way. You are a customer and you book a treatment with someone offering a professional service and something goes wrong and you are upset. You complain to the local council. Trading standards have a duty to follow up so they pop down and ask to see the therapist's qualifications. They discover that the therapist has received a few days training on an certified course instead of going to college for a couple of years...they take advice from their legal dept who decide that the business poses risks to customers because they don't know enough to keep customers safe. They prosecute.

This exact situation happened to a well established business down the road from me. The salon owner got a fine and his business splashed over the papers. The point that there's no minimum training standard required or license required to set up in business didn't help them. The staff had all qualified via short courses, so they'd had some training, but that didn't help them. They still got prosecuted and found guilty.

Insurance doesn't pay for fines, nor loss of reputation. I have no idea whether they paid the costs of legal defence, but it won't have helped much.

When things go wrong you will need to be able to prove that you have done everything reasonably expected to work safely. Not bothering to go to college because you thought that a short course would "do" isn't reasonable, unless you have other relevant training.
 
Private colleges offer short, specialised CIBTAC courses to a level 2 standard which will enable you to specialise in aesthetic treatments only without electrical treatments. You don't have to study waxing and nail treatments if you don't want to, but I recommend that you do because...

You will need to learn the anatomy of the body especially histology, structures of skin and hair, lymphatic system, muscles of the face and you really need to learn a bit of biochemistry and nutrition as well. These subjects are usually taught alongside a practical subject, so a lot of skin anatomy is taught alongside waxing and nails. Facial muscles might get tacked onto eye treatments and so on. Bio Chem and cosmetic science gets tucked into make-up. This is why a full beauty course is important even if you don't want to offer treatments - and a good therapist will offer a lovely hand or foot massage while a face mask is on which is taught in manicures and pedicures...I just gave a 70 year old her first ever facial today, and she asked me to shape her eyebrows and make up her eyes at the end...so training won't be a total waste.
 
Thank you for explaining that. Gosh, it's a bit of a minefield!

So if I've not covered the theoretical topics in the NVQ Level 2, my insurance would be invalid? It's so misleading as the courses I'm looking at are accredited with the professional bodies and state that you can obtain insurance but this has now worried me.

I'm not planning on doing this as a career as I already have one I enjoy and don't intend giving up. This is more of a hobby for me and maybe to carry out on friends and family for a small fee but it sounds more trouble than it might be worth!
 
Private colleges offer short, specialised CIBTAC courses to a level 2 standard which will enable you to specialise in aesthetic treatments only without electrical treatments. You don't have to study waxing and nail treatments if you don't want to, but I recommend that you do because...

You will need to learn the anatomy of the body especially histology, structures of skin and hair, lymphatic system, muscles of the face and you really need to learn a bit of biochemistry and nutrition as well. These subjects are usually taught alongside a practical subject, so a lot of skin anatomy is taught alongside waxing and nails. Facial muscles might get tacked onto eye treatments and so on. Bio Chem and cosmetic science gets tucked into make-up. This is why a full beauty course is important even if you don't want to offer treatments - and a good therapist will offer a lovely hand or foot massage while a face mask is on which is taught in manicures and pedicures...I just gave a 70 year old her first ever facial today, and she asked me to shape her eyebrows and make up her eyes at the end...so training won't be a total waste.
You explain it much more eloquently than I could! X
 
I teach an accredited course in peels and needling. This gives students confidence that they’ll be able to get insurance. The level and quality of training is accredited. However, I only offer it to level 2 or above. If someone wants to come and they aren’t level 2, I suggest they contact their insurance company to get confirmation that they can get insurance. They can’t!!!

You may be able to do a level 2 facials course but as already said, I wouldn’t rate it as a qualification.
Good luck

Vic x
 
Short courses are great fun and it's nice to be able to offer treats to friends and family. You may feel there is no need to bother with insurance for this sort of thing. The problems start when friends refer their friends who don't realise you're just "playing" therapist. Or when you feel you deserve more than a token payment.

If you work from home you will need to notify the Council and check there are no local regulations you need to comply with and check your home insurance isn't invalidated. If you are mobile, you'll need to notify your car insurer. You'll also need to pay self employed National Insurance contributions and declare your earnings to Inland Revenue - you need only provide very simple accounts if your earnings are under 5 figures.

There are a lots of benefits to having a sideline business but you need to decide whether it is a business or a hobby subsidised by a little on the side trading? Inland Revenue won't let you claim tax relief on a hobby and you'll still have to declare your earnings and pay NI. You may be able to swap skills, quite a few therapists do massage swops for example.

Loads of us have started in the industry by dipping a toe in the water first, but it's difficult to understand the risks you take if you haven't had the appropriate training. I wish you all the very best of luck, whatever you decide.
 
I recently attended the HD brows course and although I'm a fully nvq qualified therapist there were alot of girls who weren't beauty trained at all, they came from offices etc. If the above information is correct how can they get away with doing 2 days training in waxing, treading, tinting etc without the level 2 anatomy education and allow you to set up business with insurance on clients? Surely they wouldn't have a business if every student left and wasn't insured because they didn't have level 2 anatomy? I'm not say I g what you have said isn't correct it's just so confusing to students who maybe can't commit to college part/full time but would like to learn a new skill through a short course? X
 
Hello, not sure if this thread is still active but I’m completing my NVQ3 electrical facial course which covers A&P for the body as well.
I only do facials nothing else, I just want to make sure I’m legal.
I spoke to lots of colleges and insurance companies and they said I would be licensed.

I hope that’s correct as I want to be completely above aboard.
 
Hello, not sure if this thread is still active but I’m completing my NVQ3 electrical facial course which covers A&P for the body as well.
I only do facials nothing else, I just want to make sure I’m legal.
I spoke to lots of colleges and insurance companies and they said I would be licensed.

I hope that’s correct as I want to be completely above aboard.
What other qualifications have you got @Donnacatz?
If your insurance company says you're insured, I would take it that you're good to go. Try and get anything in writing as most insurance companies will avoid a pay out if possible but if they say you're insured then that should be enough.

Vic x
 
What other qualifications have you got @Donnacatz?
If your insurance company says you're insured, I would take it that you're good to go. Try and get anything in writing as most insurance companies will avoid a pay out if possible but if they say you're insured then that should be enough.

Vic x
Hi Vic,

I have a NVQ2 in facials which I was told was enough.
I’ll try to get it in writing from them, fingers crossed.

Thanks so much for replying.
 
Hi Vic,

I have a NVQ2 in facials which I was told was enough.
I’ll try to get it in writing from them, fingers crossed.

Thanks so much for replying.
That's fine. I'm similar. Level 2 and some elements of level 3 plus electrical facials. That's plenty x
 
Brilliant, that’s put my mind at rest, I didn’t want to do manicures, waxing etc.
I will probably do a massage course in the next few years but not yet.

Have a great day
 
Hi Donnacatz, I'm just confirming that your NVQ 2 and NVQ3 qualification will cover you for facials. The advantage of a national qualification framework qualification is that it covers the National Occupational standards agreed for that topic.

If you were studying a beauty diploma including several modules of study, the theory element would be delivered in digestible chunks alongside practical work and you would build up your knowledge in layers which makes it easier to remember. But don't worry, however the NVQ course provider decides to deliver the training, they have to cover all the elements relevant for providing facials.

Just bear in mind that operating a business is not the same thing as providing a service. Being qualified to provide facials is not the same thing as being appropriately trained to set up a business providing facials.

A beauty therapist qualification introduces a lot of other concepts - my apprentice has had to learn about the Health and Safety at work act and discuss safe working practises, learn about data protection - all sorts of stuff . Just be aware that there are other things to think about besides providing treatments.
 
Hi Donnacatz, I'm just confirming that your NVQ 2 and NVQ3 qualification will cover you for facials. The advantage of a national qualification framework qualification is that it covers the National Occupational standards agreed for that topic.

If you were studying a beauty diploma including several modules of study, the theory element would be delivered in digestible chunks alongside practical work and you would build up your knowledge in layers which makes it easier to remember. But don't worry, however the NVQ course provider decides to deliver the training, they have to cover all the elements relevant for providing facials.

Just bear in mind that operating a business is not the same thing as providing a service. Being qualified to provide facials is not the same thing as being appropriately trained to set up a business providing facials.

A beauty therapist qualification introduces a lot of other concepts - my apprentice has had to learn about the Health and Safety at work act and discuss safe working practises, learn about data protection - all sorts of stuff . Just be aware that there are other things to think about besides providing treatments.

Thanks so much for your reply, my exams for NVQ 2 including data protection, health & hygiene etc, I’ve also done first aid training- hopefully I’ve got most aspects covered.
 
I first started off doing a Diploma in Nails from home. I did have to a lot of practical and some a+p coursework which had to be sent off to be marked. It was no day course. I completed it within a year and passed with a Credit. I then got my insurance through Professionals Beauty Direct. I set up a home based business after and had paying customers.
I then went to do a home studied Beauty Therapy Level 3 course. Not sure how recognised this is as there was no practical but a lot of assignments which had to be produced using the Harvard Method. This was a Years course. It was not easy but it taught me a lot about the theory side of things, setting up a business, Health and safety, rules and regulations, A+P, effects of the skin etc. I would say it was useful but not sure how recognised it will be to spas/salons. I would really just add it on to other courses I will be going on to study. If I knew better I would not of done this course from home as I now need to study other courses to get the hands-on experience, but I was home on maternity and was feeling idol.

I am now working in a nail salon on a hourly wage which is great.
Im also going off to college to go back to do a VQR (NVQ) in Beauty Level 2 and also a NVQ Level 3 in Nails.
This will be plenty for me if I want to go and get a job in a spa or salon. I will later on then do a Level in beauty again through the proper route when the time is right.

So I would say some courses from home can be recognised depending on how much home study is involved and the awarding body, but then it also depends on if the employer will accept a home based course. If you can find one that does then this will help if you want to get that hands-on salon experience. The courses do need to be accredited to get the correct insurance cover. There are many insurers out there that will insure people who have done a day course which I find strange, so I would say just be careful. You will learn along the way just dont waste money on courses if they are not fully accredited or recognised.

I know someone that was working in a nail bar that did not even have a qualification, she did not even know what cross contamination meant. This baffled me, it is very scary that there are some people out there offering services when not properly qualified or just decide to do a days course, as this is not enough to cover the health and safety and A+P which are vital in this industry.
 
Legally (and shockingly) you are not required to hold any qualifications. Best practice, is of course, a different thing. You need to make sure the course you take is recognised by the insurance company you want to go with and the suppliers you want to use. You then need to make sure that your course offers everything you need to cover - some of the professional associations should be able to give you some guidance on what should be covered and you can also use the HABIA national occupational standards as a guide.
 

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