Aesthetician FAQs

The answer in most cases is no!

With very few exceptions (California, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio and Florida), most states do not require any professional medical training or even an aesthetician’s license to perform cosmetic laser procedures.

Although laser certification is a natural and profitable complement to an aesthetician’s training repertoire, anyone can become a certified laser technician–soccer moms, secretaries, sales professionals, teachers and more. National Laser Institute’s students come from all walks of life, with many different levels of experience. The one thing they all have in common is a passion for the business of making people look younger and more beautiful!

Aestheticians typically perform treatments like sugar scrubs, chemical peels, cleansing facials, and waxing whereas laser technicians can give treatments ranging from laser hair removal, laser wrinkle reduction, laser tattoo removal, laser cellulite reduction, photofacials, and much more.

The most economical choice is to do your laser training first. Many people like the idea of being able to provide facials, peels, microdermabrasion, and laser services for their clients. However, aesthetician training generally requires 600 hours of class time (about four months full-time, or eight months part-time) while laser training takes only 2 weeks.

Once you receive your laser certification, you will be fully prepared to enter the medical aesthetics workplace. This will allow you to earn income (even if only part-time) while you attend aesthetician school. We are happy to assist you in any way possible with locating an aesthetician school that is right for you.

If you chose to pursue your aesthetician’s license before laser certification, you would not be able to work part-time doing aesthetics or laser while in aesthetics school. For these reasons, most individuals choose to take laser courses first. In some instances, students have found they enjoy doing laser so much that they opt not to pursue an aesthetics’s license. The choice is all yours.

This is truly a function of the employers desire but, generally speaking, medical spas, and doctors’ offices are looking first and foremost for upbeat employees with excellent people skills and of course impeccable laser training. As we all know, a winning personality often sells us much faster than our skill sets. Employers want laser technicians who make their clients feel pampered and special—clients who will be excited about returning for future treatments.

While a few physicians may hire only nurses to perform laser treatments because they want the same person providing cosmetic injections, many practices are so busy they hire a nurse to do injectables, a laser technician to perform laser treatments, and an aesthetician to do just facials. Most clients are also looking for a qualified technician with an engaging personality. If that sounds like you, then you are ready to start your career in this booming industry!

By becoming trained as a laser technician, you’ll certainly add more options to your job experience and be able to perform a wider variety of treatments for your clients. Knowledge is power, and the more you have, the more experience you’ll gain. The more experience you have, the better you’ll be able to treat people.

Truthfully, beauty will never be out of style. There will always be people who want to look younger and more glamorous. With the popularity of laser treatments increasing each year, laser training can only help, not hinder, your career as a whole.

That all depends on what you plan on doing after your training. In the past, we’ve had students go on to work for dermatology offices, physician’s offices, work on a contract basis, and even start their own laser business.