A Career in Beauty Therapy - CIDESCO Certificate Importance!

Also known as Aesthetician, a Beauty Therapist is qualified to carry out a wide range of treatments to the face and body. A beauty therapist is in fact a beautician, body therapist and electrolysist all in one. The therapist is involved with her clients' needs in a caring profession. Treatments are designed to improve skin care and condition, and the work includes a range of electrotherapy treatments for face and body, all designed to help improve facial and body conditions. All forms of aesthetic treatments promote a feeling of well-being consequently, the aesthetician must be caring, tactful, intelligent and have a well-groomed appearance, especially their hands, which need to be sensitive and supple. Aestheticians are fully trained to know when to refer their clients to a doctor.

The growing interest in feeling fit and looking good has created a growth in opportunities for aestheticians. Since the vast proportions of qualified therapists are women, there is a rapid turnover in job opportunities, and it is possible to reach supervisory or management level within two or three years of qualifying. Mobility is an important factor in obtaining employment, largely because the geographical location of salons or health resorts is often crucial to its success.

Most people train by taking full-time courses at a college or in a private firm with a good reputation for passes. Entrants can be anything from 17-year-old and upwards. Private schools tend to have a wider age range of students, but beauty therapy is a career where maturity can be an advantage. Courses at private schools tend to be shorter and more intensive, giving the student the opportunity to be trained in smaller class numbers, and enabling the student to gain a very high standard of expertise and professionalism.

There is no single examining body, so it is important that students ensure that their course leads to examinations approved by one of the following organisations:

•    CIDESCO (Comite International d'Esthetiqueset de Cosmetologie).This is a world-wide organization, and the qualification is accepted in 35 countries world-wide. All schools work to the same syllabus worldwide.
•    CIBTAC (Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology), which is the examining body of the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC). All schools work to the same syllabus.
•    International Therapy Examination Council ITEC
•    International Health & Beauty Council (IHBC)
•    Vocational Training Charitable Trust (VTCT)
•    Edexcel BTEC and Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
•    City & Guilds (C&G)

The benefit of choosing training such as CIDESCO ensures that the very highest standard in Aesthetics has been attained.

CIDESCO Class Training
You will learn about advanced skin-care, Make-up, full-body massage, manicure and pedicure techniques used in 33 countries. After graduation, you can be eligible for employment at some of the most renowned salons and spas throughout the world including the United States and Europe. The 10-month CIDESCO curriculum includes courses in the areas of:
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Aromatherapy
• Cosmetic Chemistry
• Dermatology
• Electrical Therapy
• Face and Body Massage

Why CIDESCO?

It isn't easy for a beauty school to get approval to teach CIDESCO classes. Only the best can be teachers for the international certification course, and only the finest facilities may host students. This high standard ensures that the CIDESCO certification remains the highest qualifying exam in the beauty industry.

The CIDESCO diploma is the highest qualification in the skin-care industry, known by employers around the world. Wherever you go and whatever position you pursue, your CIDESCO education will be an invaluable resource.

When selecting private training, it is very important that potential students are aware of the qualifications available. They should ensure that the teaching standards are excellent, check that facilities are good and that there is an adequate amount of equipment for student use. A history of pass rates is usually available.
The course work for Aestheticians is normally made up of 30% theory and 70% practical, and should include sessions on the public as clients.
The world of beauty therapy provides an exciting choice of opportunities. A career in the beauty therapy world will allow you to work in a range of different fields including:

•    Management of your own beauty salon
• Training to become a beauty instructor yourself
•    Working on cruise liners and airlines internationally
•    Working at a health farm or spa
•    Working at sports clubs and leisure centers
•    Working in Film and Television as a make-up artist
•    Working the glamorous world of fashion shows