03/27/2026
An Open Letter to Future Aestheticians
If you’re considering a career in aesthetics, I want to give you something real, not just the glossy version you see on social media, but the truth that actually prepares you to succeed. 💜
School is your foundation. It teaches you safety, sanitation, and the basic skill sets required to legally perform services. That’s it. It is not the finish line! it’s your entry point. The real learning begins after you become licensed, when you step into the treatment room and start refining your craft on actual clients.
And let’s talk about those first few years, because no one says it loud enough: THEY ARE HARD.
The first three years, especially, can feel brutal. Building a clientele doesn’t just happen because you’re talented. You’ll need to learn marketing, understand your numbers, figure out how to source quality supplies, calculate your cost per service, and develop strong client relationships. You’re not just an aesthetician, you’re a business.
While you’re in school, it might feel like time is dragging. Early mornings, long days, the same routines, it can feel endless. BUT, I promise you, it passes faster than you expect. Those 750 hours (roughly six month) are gone in the blink of an eye!
Show up. Be present. Pay attention. Attendance and effort matter more than you realize in the moment!
Here’s something else to understand: this industry has a constant wave of new graduates, but very few long-term professionals. Less than 10% of licensees are still working beyond ten years. Think about that. While it may seem like the market is saturated, it’s actually lacking seasoned, dedicated professionals who continue learning, sharpening their skills, and striving to give clients exceptional care.
That’s where you come in, IF you choose to take it seriously.
Your instructors can guide you, support you, and teach you, but they cannot learn for you. They cannot practice for you. They cannot build your career for you.
This path is earned, step by step, decision by decision. The effort you put in directly reflects the success you create.
And one more thing…stop trying to be everything for everyone! That’s the fastest way to burn out and blend in. Be authentic. Let your personality come through in your work and your client interactions! The right clients, the ones who value you, trust you, and stay loyal, will find you. Focus on quality over quantity. Always.
This career can be incredibly rewarding, financially, creatively, and personally but only if you treat it like something worth building!
So while you’re in school, make the most of it. Be curious. Be disciplined. Be the student who takes it seriously, even when it feels repetitive or hard.
Because six months from now, you won’t just be finishing a program, you’ll be stepping into an industry that will give back exactly what you put into it.
Make it count!
-Nickie-