Should I do a nursing degree after my NVQ3 to get into aesthetics?

[pomegrat]

I'm in desperate need of advice!!

My dream is to work in aesthetics (ipl, skin peels, botox, etc etc) and i have 5 weeks left till i complete by beauty nvq3 (I did a 5 month intensive course in london). After doing allot of research online, there seems to be much more job opportunities for aesthetic nurses than aesthetic therapists (and better pay!) does anyone know if it would be worth doing a nursing degree in order to get to the top of this field? I would be doing the degree purely to work in the aesthetics sector, but also I think it would be good to have as a career if aesthetics didnt work out. What does everyone think about this, and does anyone know if getting a job in this sector of beauty is difficult? all the medispas/ salons ive looked at that specialise in aesthetics require a few years experience, but i dont know how they expect me to gain that if every job requires it before starting!

Thank you so much in advance!!:green:

 

[Pinkbunny28]

I actually have a friend on my level 3 who decided to do this. As she has only done year 1 I can't say how good it is.

If you are capable then why not! Dont forget it's a 3 year course and you need to be prepared for it to take you a long time to get to your dream.

Good luck! Sorry I wasn't very helpful!

 

[jillyflower]

As Pinkbunny says the nursing degree is 3 years and as a nurse myself I know the training is not for the faint hearted, you should be aware that it will consist of lots of bed baths and bum wiping etc so be certain it's what you want. Sorry to sound a bit negative but it's a big commitment to go into without knowing the full extent of the nursing degree, on the plus side if you can manage it, it will allow you to realise your dream.

 

[smooth]

Nursing is very much vocational, unless you actually want to be a nurse it may be hard to complete as to then go on to do aesthetics you would then need to work as a nurse for 3 years then do a 6 month degree course to become a prescriber before you can administer botox.

The regulations are changing so if you administer botox as a nurse without the qualification you face being struck off the register. Others are enforcing these new regulations now as one of the first pharmacies are not dispensing botox from remote prescriptions which is what non prescribing nurses and beauty therapists need to use to obtain the product. The industry is now recognising the need for safe practice.

If you feel you can do a nursing course then work for 3 years in the NHS or private sector (not doing aesthetics) then go for it, nursing is wonderful! x

 

[pomegrat]

thank you for your replies, all very helpful!

My sister-in-law is a nurse, and she has told me that the training is hard and not glamorous at all! I think i just need to weigh up if its worth doing and will lead to more opportunites for me.

Smooth, i dont intend to work for myself but to work for an aesthetic clinic, so i wouldnt be administering the botox myself, but working in a clinic as an aesthetic nurse. would this mean i would still have to train for 3 years after the degree? and if so, why does this need to be done? (I am fairly unsure of how the nursing career works and so I obviously need to more research before i take this step!)

does anyone also know if there are aesthetic courses i can go on?


Thank you so much!

 

[smooth]

thank you for your replies, all very helpful!

My sister-in-law is a nurse, and she has told me that the training is hard and not glamorous at all! I think i just need to weigh up if its worth doing and will lead to more opportunites for me.

Smooth, i dont intend to work for myself but to work for an aesthetic clinic, so i wouldnt be administering the botox myself, but working in a clinic as an aesthetic nurse. would this mean i would still have to train for 3 years after the degree? and if so, why does this need to be done? (I am fairly unsure of how the nursing career works and so I obviously need to more research before i take this step!)

does anyone also know if there are aesthetic courses i can go on?


Thank you so much!

I don't think any medical course could be seen as glamorous, it is hard work, combining NHS and Uni work too but it is worthwhile. To be able to administer botox you need to work one to one with a prescriber or be a prescriber yourself, they are the new regulations. If there is a prescriber in the clinic with you then they would be more inclined to do the treatment themselves. You could get a job and just administer things like dermal fillers or do peels etc but not botox or any other POM. To be a prescriber though you do need to work for 3 years and then do a 6 month degree course there is no other way around that so it is actually quicker to study medicine or dentistry as that is 5 years.

 

[Lynne Baker]

I can't imagine training to be a nurse unless you really, really want to do it.
I trained when Florence was a girl and it was bloody hard work even then! I went into theatres straight away after qualifying; far fewer bed baths and it was better for both the patient and me if they were unconscious by the time they got to me!

I've just promised my husband that I won't undertake the prescribing course for at least a year, as I've just finished a CIBTAC course, which was sheer, unutterable hell. And that was for only 4 months!

 

[smooth]

I can't imagine training to be a nurse unless you really, really want to do it.
I trained when Florence was a girl and it was bloody hard work even then! I went into theatres straight away after qualifying; far fewer bed baths and it was better for both the patient and me if they were unconscious by the time they got to me!

I've just promised my husband that I won't undertake the prescribing course for at least a year, as I've just finished a CIBTAC course, which was sheer, unutterable hell. And that was for only 4 months!

Hi Lynne

What is the CIBTAC course? Do you really need to do the prescribing course, it is hard work and you basically have no life for 6 months. Again, worthwhile though. x

 

[BotoxBoy]

Hi all,

Interesting thread. As for doing a nursing degree just to get into medical aesthetics, it depends on where you stand on nursing.

It's a pretty complicated and extremely demanding way to get into it to just be able to administer Botox! And as people have said, the new regulations mean that it will be inevitable that aesthetic nurses will require the prescribing qualification which can be expensive to obtain if you do not get the support in your qualified nurse job in the NHS which is VERY unlikely unless you are quite senior and it is essential to that role.

I think that a lot of souls searching is needed to decide to do a nursing degree as it is in no way a 'job' it is a vocation. You have to want to help people, which can of course mean aesthetics, but just to jump through the hurdles of the degree is crazy.

It's very unlike any other degree, you do 50% practical I.e full time hours in the hospital including nights, weekends and bank holidays. You also do 50% theory, writing assignments etc.

I don't want to out you off this wonderful career and I still work full time in the NHS as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner Trainee, but I feel if the sole drive is purely aesthetics/Botox this might not be enough to carry you through.

I think it would work if you aimed to maybe even work part time when qualified in a specialist field to get some good experience, this could even be in the private sector such as cosmetic surgery wards etc. Then you would need at least three years post qualified experience to even be able to apply for the prescribing course as you need a wide range of experience of diseases, medicines management and pharmacology etc and you could get that through working in the private sector. You could then compliment this with doing beauty as well, like fillers, peels and non medical treatments and build it up as your career develops.

The choice is up to you in the end and maybe list all the pro's and cons.

I want to get into botox and medical cosmetics for over four years before I finally bit the bullet and started in January this years, but I knew I would probably need to be able to prescribe to be as successful as possible on my own so I did this first in my full time job 2 years before I started botox etc.

Hope this helps.....

Ps @ Lynne- the px course isn't that horrendous once you get going and I'd be happy to share my portfolio etc with you if you want to consider it in the near future! X

 

[Lynne Baker]

I've just successfully completed the CIBTAC electrical and blend epilation course. I got a shed load of APL because I'm a nurse, but even so it was awful!
I want to do the prescribing course so I can do botox etc, and do deeper peels and longer microneedling, but I really can't even face studying the back of a fag packet, let alone anything more taxing.
Thanks Adam, I might take you up on the portfolio offerl; it's very kind of you!

 

[smooth]

Hi all,



I think it would work if you aimed to maybe even work part time when qualified in a specialist field to get some good experience, this could even be in the private sector such as cosmetic surgery wards etc. Then you would need at least three years post qualified experience to even be able to apply for the prescribing course as you need a wide range of experience of diseases, medicines management and pharmacology etc and you could get that through working in the private sector. You could then compliment this with doing beauty as well, like fillers, peels and non medical treatments and build it up as your career develops.

Exactly what I said lol.

I've just successfully completed the CIBTAC electrical and blend epilation course. I got a shed load of APL because I'm a nurse, but even so it was awful!
I want to do the prescribing course so I can do botox etc, and do deeper peels and longer microneedling, but I really can't even face studying the back of a fag packet, let alone anything more taxing.
Thanks Adam, I might take you up on the portfolio offerl; it's very kind of you!

Good job they APL'd your qualification Lynne. Unless you study at the same university as Adam I would not look at anyone else's portfolio. A friend of mine let me see her uni work and it was so different from my course. The content is the same but they all have different learning outcomes that you end up getting bogged down on what others have done rather than concentrate on your own. I sent a friend my revision notes and she went white in the face as it covered concordance, data protection act, law etc whereas she only had to cover strict pharmacology (even though you could argue that concordance is an important aspect).

The V300 course is a lot of work especially if you work full time and have a family. It's hard when you start the pharmacology even if you've done it before but when it clicks it's a breeze. However, we had two pharamacists on our course and we all thought they'd pass top of the class, they did pass but not with the score that we all thought they'd get. There were exam questions that they didn't know but that may be because they thought they knew pharmacology and may not have revised it. They had that particular module on APL but still had to do the exam.

Anyway Lynne, if you do choose to do your V300 course you will fly through it, you have great knowledge, an obviously good study technique with time management. Just start saving the pennies as it's around £1200!! I'm sure your hubby will be absolutely fine with you doing it x

 

[mrmeanor]

Hi,

I am planning on starting a career in medical aesthetics: mainly botox, dermal fillers, chemical peels etc.
I have no experience in beauty therapy and I'm neither a doctor, dentist or nurse.
What is the quickest way to become legally qualified in this area of field?
I am prepared to study for however long it takes me but i don't want to start a course that will take 4 years when it can be achieved in 2.
Any suggestions i will greatly appreciate..

Thanks

Andy

 

[Chrysalis]

I trained to be a nurse many moons ago like Lynne when it wasn't the place it is now. I got to the top of my game in nursing in the NHS and home office and seriously would not recommend people do it now and am relieved my daughter chose accountancy.

I then for 10 years looked at ways to get away from the NHS even doing dog grooming at one point which I loved.

I fell into medical aesthetics by accident really and have been doing this self employed for over 8 years now and trained in advanced and masterclass techniques.

I can see this industry becoming very competitive as so many people want to be in this area now mainly from nurses trying to get out of the NHS.

I do enjoy aesthetics more than the NHS and the rewards financial and results are better. Seriously I get more thanks for improving a wrinkle than saving a life and one of my reporter clients interviewed me for tyne tees tv on why nurses are leaving the NHS. It aired a week past monday, they couldn't get a nurse employed to speak as bullying and witch hunting are quite prevelant in NHS.

I would like to see a branch for medical aesthetics as there is for midwifery but I doubt I'll see that in my lifetime im 50.
Go in with an open mind keep your eye on your goal, work hard, be safe and ethical and you will get there.
Everyone's journey in nursing is different im sad I left but there was nothing else I could do i was in high clinical positions and senior management it's no different.
Good luck whatever you choose to do take our comments as a little insight but don't let anyone put you off.
Keep us informed what you do would be lovely for someone to make a go of it

 

[Chrysalis]

Hi,

I am planning on starting a career in medical aesthetics: mainly botox, dermal fillers, chemical peels etc.
I have no experience in beauty therapy and I'm neither a doctor, dentist or nurse.
What is the quickest way to become legally qualified in this area of field?
I am prepared to study for however long it takes me but i don't want to start a course that will take 4 years when it can be achieved in 2.
Any suggestions i will greatly appreciate..

Thanks

Andy

Hi andy there is no quick way three years minimum to be a nurse, three years post reg experience, 6-12 months prescribing qualification, then each individual botox course usually self funded. Hope that helps good luck

 

[xxAmyxx]

I trained to be a nurse many moons ago like Lynne when it wasn't the place it is now. I got to the top of my game in nursing in the NHS and home office and seriously would not recommend people do it now and am relieved my daughter chose accountancy.



I then for 10 years looked at ways to get away from the NHS even doing dog grooming at one point which I loved.



I fell into medical aesthetics by accident really and have been doing this self employed for over 8 years now and trained in advanced and masterclass techniques.



I can see this industry becoming very competitive as so many people want to be in this area now mainly from nurses trying to get out of the NHS.



I do enjoy aesthetics more than the NHS and the rewards financial and results are better. Seriously I get more thanks for improving a wrinkle than saving a life and one of my reporter clients interviewed me for tyne tees tv on why nurses are leaving the NHS. It aired a week past monday, they couldn't get a nurse employed to speak as bullying and witch hunting are quite prevelant in NHS.



I would like to see a branch for medical aesthetics as there is for midwifery but I doubt I'll see that in my lifetime im 50.

Go in with an open mind keep your eye on your goal, work hard, be safe and ethical and you will get there.

Everyone's journey in nursing is different im sad I left but there was nothing else I could do i was in high clinical positions and senior management it's no different.

Good luck whatever you choose to do take our comments as a little insight but don't let anyone put you off.

Keep us informed what you do would be lovely for someone to make a go of it

Why don't you recommend people do nursing?

 

[Chrysalis]

It's hard both physically, mentally, emotionally. Very high stress levels, huge blame culture, etc etc just pick up any newspaper and read of nurses committing suicide after having enforced overtime and 12 hour shifts with no breaks.

 

[irinazest]

It looks like there is no cutting corners to become an aesthetician. Wold be interesing to know what topic starter decided to do and what path to take.

 

[laurakate]

There's a lot of non botox stuff you can do. I know someone who worked for a company called destination skin where they do lots of advanced stuff with skin (apologies for the vagueness it's outside of my field!). She got in with an nvq3 and was there for a few years so that might be worth looking into. The pay was better than that of a senior beauty therapist in a salon or spa.

My friend is training to be a nurse and it sounds hard as nails what with the messy jobs and paperwork and long hours. It takes a lot of passion for wanting to be a nurse that gets her through. Conpared to beauty I couldn't do it but that's me.

 

[laurakate]

Also vtct offer advanced level four qualifications in advanced epilation and lazer type stuff. I'm sure this could open doors for more specialist employment if the nursing route feels too disproportionate to what your interests actually are (you may be passionate about nursing but yeah, there are other options as in, does it have to be botox?)

I want to know how the OP got on

 

[waxed]

I'm hoping to do my level 4 beauty next year, and want to get into facial aesthetics... can any one tell me after this what my options would be with regards to facial treatments ... Would I be able to offer deeper peels and derma rolling ... I'm currently studying level 3 and electrolysis so I can then go on to offer facial acupuncture once iv completed level 3 and then facial acupuncture course . It's all starting to confuse me. Many thanks