european estheticians vs. american estheticians

i have been practicing esthetics for the past three years and i have just recently run into a situation where the salon i booth rent space in was purchased by a european trained esthetician. she has made several comments about how superior her education is to mine and it i have taken this personally (i know i shouldn't but i did). not to mention she is not willing to share this vast wealth of information she has.

i met the hour requirement for my state, passed my baords the first time, and carried a 95% gpa throughout my esthetic program in cosmetology school. what more am i to do? i have trained with aveda, repechage, biocella, and now i am learning academie. i go and have facials in different "european" spas and from what i noticed their technique is not different than mine. they have more expensive equipment, but that is about it. so what is all of the fuss? can someone please help me out, will i have to go to europe get some training and pickup an accent to be considered an esthetician among fellow estheticians?

well it sounds like she is just being rude, the nerve of her to insult your education. if i were you i would keep doing what you have been doing. keep your head up.

tell her you did not ask her opinion so therefore she should keep her opinions to herself!

Then why is she "slumming" in Michigan instead of working her magic back in Europe?

She obviously felt very insecure standing next to you...and probably for good reason! I was trained in both French and American skincare, and I can tell you that they are not better than we are; just different. Little Miss Insecure should mind her manners, smile, and keep her mouth shut. She's very lucky she can be working in the USA, unlike in Europe where 1/3 of what she makes goes to the government and she never sees it again. Regardless of this, unfortunately she now owns the salon where you currently work. If she doesn't shape up, you might have to take your considerable talents elsewhere. That would be a shame. Try to smile and get along, but if she continues to undercut you, find a better situation. Hope I helped!

i found a site that has extended training online in the international upgrade.
Here it is...good luck with that.
And don't worry bout what she thinks. Blah @ her lol
www.estheticsupersite.com/

From what I've heard, the training in Europe is much longer (5 years in some former Eastern European countries) and more intense. Here in the States we have one of the shortest training programs (600 hours!) in the world. But that doesn't mean you can't get advanced training or study on your own (like you have done). From what you said, it seems like you are way above the curve as it is so don't worry about what she says.

I've been an esthetician for 17 years and worked in many Salons. I will say the estheticians as well as hairstylists are very competitive. Be secure with yourself and be helpful to other estheticians, learn what you can from others and throw out what you don't like. techniques come with time. What sets an esthetician apart is her giving nature and a willingness to learn from others. She is not your only option, avoid negative people. You are a professional Esthetician best wishes on your career!!!!

I think this all will depend on how honest you are with yourself as to what is really bothering you. No one is better, so her implying that is just crass.
I have been blown away by some of the knowledge I have gained from eruopean LMTs and aestheticians. I ask a lot of questions by nature, so I may have disarmed them from the start (?) but there is a bit more understanding of oils, ingrediants and the physiology of it passed down from generation to generation. I dont imply that they know more, but I know that growing up they had less, so they used what they had. If your colleague was Diva like, then chalk it up to her insecurity about you.

have you considered consultant work. if interested contact me at denisebr1@at.net

This is an interesting subject.Europeans have been doing skin care a lot longer as The US has really only embraced skin care in the last 15 years or so. If you really want the credentials I would suggest to practice for 2 years ,attend skin care conventions,take advanced classes and get certified in any modalities you are interested in.Contact Cidesco and take the exam, this is the international standard of exellence for estheticians.
I believe you have to be a liscensed esthetician for 2 years before you can sit for the exam.
Do not let a snobby foreigner come to your country and make you feel inferior.
I have found that there are some basic differences but the info and training available to us allow anyone with the drive and determination to become a master esthetician.
I have been in the field for 15 years and have 26 advanced certifications.I am a spa manager and can write my own ticket.
Hang in there and follow your own heart,good luck!!!

I just wanted to invite all of you to an esthetician forum that is filled with tons of information from estheticians all of over the country. Everything from products, protocols, marketing, sales, and just great advice from people who have been in this business and know the ins and outs. go to spabizboard.com
Hope to see you there.
Irene (aka Spa Junkie)

Tell her to spell I CUP! Don't stress out, and watch Eddie Murphy Raw and picture her when he talks about dating a girl from Africa, it will make you laugh! Keep a sense of Humour through it all. Times are tough.

I don't know about estheticians in the rest of Europe, but I can tell you about the requirements here in Greece. First of all you need to score very highly on the national exams on subjects like biology and chemistry to get into the university. Then it's 7 semesters of classes (7 hours a day), many of which are dermatology, cosmetic chemisrty,anatomy, physiology, bioelectronics blah blah blah.After that theres a 6 month internship then you can get your lisence. there are of course simpler degrees but those are for assistants. Well i did all that and have been working for 8 years and my opinion is this. The knowledge you gain from work experience is far more beneficial than what you get from text books. Chances are the new owner probably knows more because she's older, so maybe you could tactfully remind her of that to get her of your back. But if it will make you feel more confident, then read up some more on the human body and how it works, especially the skin. Talk to dermatologists or get on cosmetic sites. Do your own research. Also, don't be afraid to use the termanology you know. Sometimes, using simple words makes us look simple.Finally, i know for a fact that americans are more friendly than snottty europeans so your at an advantage with the customers. Good luck....hope I helped

We need more nice and positive Greek women working in the Spa Industry instead of snobby people.

I would like to know where you go to get advanced certifications in FL. I have been licensed in FL for 2 years now and have not used my training. I would like to work part time under another esty before venturing out on my own. Please advise.

tiffany in Livonia, Michigan said: i have been practicing esthetics for the past three years and i have just recently run into a situation where the salon i booth rent space in was purchased by a european trained esthetician. she has made several comments about how superior her education is to mine and it i have taken this personally (i know i shouldn't but i did). not to mention she is not willing to share this vast wealth of information she has.

i met the hour requirement for my state, passed my baords the first time, and carried a 95% gpa throughout my esthetic program in cosmetology school. what more am i to do? i have trained with aveda, repechage, biocella, and now i am learning academie. i go and have facials in different "european" spas and from what i noticed their technique is not different than mine. they have more expensive equipment, but that is about it. so what is all of the fuss? can someone please help me out, will i have to go to europe get some training and pickup an accent to be considered an esthetician among fellow estheticians?

Hello,
I have been a practicing esthetican for over twenty years in California. I am a multi published skin care writer, registered aromatherapist, owner of Concepts skin care clinic in SF and a CIDESCO Diplomat and CIDESCO educator in SF.
Europeans have a more stringent training process than we do here in the US. Many Eurpean estheticians are CIDESCO certified. CIDESCO is considered the highest level of esthetics that one can attain today and it is recognized in many countries.
They focus profoundly on dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, basic physics and physiology and anatomy. In most countries it can take several years to become a CIDESCO Diplomat.
I am sure that you had a good education at your state board school. However if you find it necessary to elevate your level of education so that you are on par with most european estheticians, you may want to study and challenge the CIDESCO test.

Diana in Ocala in Ocala, Florida said: I would like to know where you go to get advanced certifications in FL. I have been licensed in FL for 2 years now and have not used my training. I would like to work part time under another esty before venturing out on my own. Please advise.

Have you been out of the field for the whole 2 years? I would advise taking some classes in areas you are interested in and focus on one thing at a time. Camoes hires new people, we are full right now . I am considering offering advanced classes in a lot of different modalities in skincare as people have been approching me for quite a while now. I am in Crystal River, you can call me at the Ranch in Ocala, 352 861 8180 Good luck.

Hello, I was curious if there is anyone out there doing esthetics in a booth rent situation. If so how is it? I am currently in a salon spa environment as an employee recieving about 50% commission which is normal in my area. My problem is after 2 1/2 years of working there I really don't like the owner. Since I am an employee I have no access to client information and very little say so in anything. I really want to have control over all aspects of my career and I don't agree with how some things are done. I don't mind the hard work being "self employed" but my only fear is that I won't make as much money and I can't really afford to take a long term pay cut. I was just curious is anyone is out there doing this. This is pretty common for hairstylists but I feel that it would be much more difficult as an aesthetician because out equipment is more expensive. I also understand success is also determined by many factors like location, price, and advertising. However I would love to hear from anyone that has any experience or advice.

Does the owner refer to you as an independent contractor or an employee?

Jeff

I am classified and reffered to as an employee.

If you can find a good booth rental situation out there, I think it is the best possible situation. Equipment is reasonable now if you buy stuff on line or at shows. Also you will need a good web site. Sometimes this takes a while to plan and set it up.You will love being able to do things your way and be able to write your own schedule.Is it worth the risk? Are you a person who has initiative and lots of energy and positivity, well go for it when you feel the time is right!! Good luck.

Don't question your ability. Take it to another level. I personally recomend training with companies such as yonka and decelor. The training is intense and a bit overwhelming but you will look at skin care in a diffrent light.

Woww.. U kno wat dont even mind her. U can prove urself to be the best esthetician out there u just cant be weak.. Being european has nothing to do with being a better esthetician than u or me. I went on an interview and the owner of the spa/salon told me that the best esthetician there was a korean girl and i thought to myself" okay, well im gonna have to work extra hard and try to make myself better than her" dont ever doubt urself. Just take more classes and go to seminars soo u cud learn diff ways to expand ur clientle and makeur self happy as well.

Georgia in Athens, Greece said: I don't know about estheticians in the rest of Europe, but I can tell you about the requirements here in Greece. First of all you need to score very highly on the national exams on subjects like biology and chemistry to get into the university. Then it's 7 semesters of classes (7 hours a day), many of which are dermatology, cosmetic chemisrty,anatomy, physiology, bioelectronics blah blah blah.After that theres a 6 month internship then you can get your lisence. there are of course simpler degrees but those are for assistants. Well i did all that and have been working for 8 years and my opinion is this. The knowledge you gain from work experience is far more beneficial than what you get from text books. Chances are the new owner probably knows more because she's older, so maybe you could tactfully remind her of that to get her of your back. But if it will make you feel more confident, then read up some more on the human body and how it works, especially the skin. Talk to dermatologists or get on cosmetic sites. Do your own research. Also, don't be afraid to use the termanology you know. Sometimes, using simple words makes us look simple.Finally, i know for a fact that americans are more friendly than snottty europeans so your at an advantage with the customers. Good luck....hope I helped

What I coinsedence that I found you on this website. I was actually looking for information for my daughter. I was born in Athens and we are thinking of moving back to Greece in 3 years. My daughter who is 16 is interested being an aesthetician. From what your wrote you went to the unversity; I though it would be a private school. Can you email me some information about the university you went to in Greece. I am going back to Greece in the summer to see different schools.I see you live in missouri as well. We live in Lebanon Missouri. I would enjoy talking to you. What part of Greece are you from and what brought you back?

Dear Magdaliny,
Yia soy!! Really what a coincidence!! Well there's been a misunderstanding, I live in Greece, not in the US. In Hania, Crete. Ok this is the info I can give you for your daughter. The university like I said is 7 semesters and its a government school which means you don't pay tuition but its hard to get in (it would probably be even harder for your daughter cause I'm sure she'll have difficulty with the language). There are other types of schools but only from the university can she get a license to open her own business. Otherwise she'll always work as a helper and there are soooo many of them. Even if she got her degree in the states she would need to take an equivalence exam here called the dikatsa and if she passes gets transfered to the university where (Now I don't know all the details about this) they acknowledge some of the credits she's gotten but still has to take like 3 more semesters. Things are easier if she wants to be a helper, ther are 2 types of schools, iek,for high school graduates and epas, if she hasn't completed high school. and those are both public and private. Be very careful with the private ones because in order to convince you to enroll, they lie and make promises that she'll be able to open her own salon.

here is the sitefor the ministry of education where you could maybe get some more info:
www.ypepth.gr
and if you want to contact me for any further info, my personal e-mail adress is
ornerakig@yahoo.gr

Hope I didn't dissapoint you

kali tihi!!

Georgia

Felicia in Homosassa, Florida said: If you can find a good booth rental situation out there, I think it is the best possible situation. Equipment is reasonable now if you buy stuff on line or at shows. Also you will need a good web site. Sometimes this takes a while to plan and set it up.You will love being able to do things your way and be able to write your own schedule.Is it worth the risk? Are you a person who has initiative and lots of energy and positivity, well go for it when you feel the time is right!! Good luck.

Do you need insurance for a booth rental or to work from home?

Georgia in Athens, Greece said: Dear Magdaliny,
Yia soy!! Really what a coincidence!! Well there's been a misunderstanding, I live in Greece, not in the US. In Hania, Crete. Ok this is the info I can give you for your daughter. The university like I said is 7 semesters and its a government school which means you don't pay tuition but its hard to get in (it would probably be even harder for your daughter cause I'm sure she'll have difficulty with the language). There are other types of schools but only from the university can she get a license to open her own business. Otherwise she'll always work as a helper and there are soooo many of them. Even if she got her degree in the states she would need to take an equivalence exam here called the dikatsa and if she passes gets transfered to the university where (Now I don't know all the details about this) they acknowledge some of the credits she's gotten but still has to take like 3 more semesters. Things are easier if she wants to be a helper, ther are 2 types of schools, iek,for high school graduates and epas, if she hasn't completed high school. and those are both public and private. Be very careful with the private ones because in order to convince you to enroll, they lie and make promises that she'll be able to open her own salon.

here is the sitefor the ministry of education where you could maybe get some more info:
www.ypepth.gr
and if you want to contact me for any further info, my personal e-mail adress is
ornerakig@yahoo.gr

Hope I didn't dissapoint you

kali tihi!!

Georgia

Hi there,
I am planning a trip to Athen in July and I was wondering if you know any training class (one day class) for facial massage or related subject that I can attend. I will be there only for 3 nights. Any informatoin would be appreciated. my email address is mandykomeili@mac.com thanks

michele phelan in san francisco, California said: Hello,
I have been a practicing esthetican for over twenty years in California. I am a multi published skin care writer, registered aromatherapist, owner of Concepts skin care clinic in SF and a CIDESCO Diplomat and CIDESCO educator in SF.
Europeans have a more stringent training process than we do here in the US. Many Eurpean estheticians are CIDESCO certified. CIDESCO is considered the highest level of esthetics that one can attain today and it is recognized in many countries.
They focus profoundly on dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, basic physics and physiology and anatomy. In most countries it can take several years to become a CIDESCO Diplomat.
I am sure that you had a good education at your state board school. However if you find it necessary to elevate your level of education so that you are on par with most european estheticians, you may want to study and challenge the CIDESCO test.

I don't know if you will check this, but if you do; I would love to hear from you. Your specs of your career sounds like you are one motivated person. Your level of expertise is where I would like to see my career go. I just do not know where to begin. Can you or anyone else give me some advice? How did you become a multi published skin care writer? What steps did you take to open your own place? How long had you been an esthetician before you opened your own place? I know I just asked you a million questions, but your advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

Hello Misti,
Please feel free to email conceptsmmp@yahoo.com

hi i would like to know if i have to take the 600 h to be able to get esthetics licence. in california.i have a licence from finland i went to school in europe for two years. tell me what i have to do next.thank you kaija le blanc

kaija le blanc in Vanda, Finland said: hi i would like to know if i have to take the 600 h to be able to get esthetics licence. in california.i have a licence from finland i went to school in europe for two years. tell me what i have to do next.thank you kaija le blanc

Although only the state of Calif can tell you, my feeling is you will have take the 600 hours and then pass the state board exam.

Jeff

I am a licensed esthetician in New Jersey. upon graduation in 1998, I was told that the laws in New Jersey do not allow me to open my own business in skin care. My question is the law still in effect or, under New Jersy law, can I open my own business in skin care if that is my choice later on.