Guide: How to Become an Aesthetic/Cosmetic Injector
So you want to become an aesthetic/cosmetic injector?
Since I was young, I had always dreamed of going into medicine. I also had a strong passion for art and beauty. I thought there would be no better career path than combining the two. Voila, the idea of aesthetic medicine popped into my head! So I started on my journey to deliver the perfect pout to my patients.
Before I began diving into the how-to's of becoming an aesthetic nurse, I thought that cosmetic procedures (and even non-surgical procedures) were only delivered by plastic surgeons. I was wrong!
In recent years, minimal requirements were needed to perform a lip augmentation. However, it is becoming more of a norm in the United States to see medical spas requiring their injectors to be licensed medical professionals/healthcare professionals. This is also due to the evolution of the medical aesthetics industry and laws, which are now forcing injectors to obtain a medical license (in most states).
Let's cut to the chase! How do you administer botulinum toxin, perform chemical peels, and inject the glorious hyaluronic acid found in most dermal fillers? Take it from me, an aesthetic nurse practitioner, there are many paths to take to get to the end goal of becoming an aesthetic/cosmetic injector. So I created a step-by-step guide to becoming a certified injector, just for you bestie!
Step 1:
The easiest route to take in becoming an injector is to become a nurse. The first step is to obtain a high school diploma. You will then need to enroll in a college that offers a nursing program. There are associate-level nurses and bachelor-level nurses, both allow you to obtain a registered nurse degree. I recommend that you enroll in a bachelor's degree program as this makes you more competitive for a high demand nursing career.
Step 2:
It takes approximately 4 years to become a nurse. Most nursing degrees require 2 years of prerequisites before applying to a 2-3 year nursing program. Nursing programs are comprised of classroom education and clinical rotations. The completion of a nursing program provides you with the necessary skills to practice safe medicine. After the successful matriculation and completion of a nursing program, you will need to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam.
Step 3:
Next step, I recommend that you get some hands-on practice with caring for a patient. I do not recommend that you jump straight into aesthetic nursing. It's important to know how to react in urgent/emergent situations. After all, aesthetic procedures and cosmetic procedures are medical procedures and have great risks associated with them. I believe the skill of reacting in a calm state during a high-stress event is learned best on the floor (med-surg/intensive care unit/emergency department/operating room). If you are very eager to get into the aesthetic industry right out of nursing school, I would suggest becoming a plastic surgery nurse. This gives you a taste of what it's like working with patients and provides a space for you to learn from an expert in the field (the surgeon).
Step 4:
There is no "minimum years of experience" requirement needed to begin taking training courses to further explore medical aesthetics. I recommend you do this as soon as possible and at your own pace. These courses can get rather expensive. I would begin to search for a reputable botox training course and/or dermal filler training course. Most of the courses provide hands-on training. They encourage you to bring your model and practice with the oversight of a qualified medical practitioner. The training program may consist of botox treatments and dermal filler procedures. Neurotoxin/Botox treatments target fine lines and familiarize you with the anatomy of facial muscles. A dermal filler course further educates you on performing a good patient assessment, exploring injection techniques, and balancing the patient's facial features. Dermal fillers can be placed on many areas of the face, but most commonly in the lips, chin, jawline, nasolabial folds, tear troughs, cheeks, and nose. Some training courses may even offer additional CME credits. CME credits are required to keep your nursing license active (win, win!)
The other option is to look for an online course. This can be helpful, but taken by itself does not provide the proper training to begin performing cosmetic injectables. I strongly recommend you get the hands-on training! I would utilize this to supplement your learning.
Step 5:
Put yourself out there! It may be easiest to get your foot in the door by popping into private offices and providing them with your resume. Let them know that you are an RN and you are eager to become an anesthetic nurse. It looks really good if you showed the initiative to, not only come into their office to express your enthusiasm but also if you have already completed medical aesthetics education. You can provide them with your botox certification course/dermal filler certification course completion proof- I promise this will impress them! You not only are talking the talk, but you're walking the walk!
Step 6:
If you are looking to provide more advanced cosmetic treatments, like hair grafting and ablative laser therapies, you may consider becoming a physician assistant or a nurse practitioner. This was the path that I took and to become an aesthetic nurse practitioner.
Keep pursuing it. It will happen. If it doesn't happen on the first go- it will come to fruition with persistence. I believe in you! Go out there and become the beauty therapist I know you can be <3!
My favorite books for starting in cosmetic injecting:
