Maybe you still remember that first facial mask and exfoliation you had once you were officially a teenager. You felt more relaxed than you ever felt before, and your skin looked better in the next week than it ever has again. And you thought, "Wow, wonder what it would be like to make people feel like that all day long?"

You probably didn't think, "Wow, it must be a good feeling knowing you went to school for two years, paid thousands of dollars to learn about exfoliation practices, and will still only average $28,640 a year (source) for the foreseeable future."

That's because you're not selfish, you're here to help people look and feel their best. The money's not terrible if you love what you do, it's totally worth it.

 

Looking for stars? You're in the wrong place. (Source)

Estheticians are skin care specialists. They probably considered becoming cosmetologists (that's a specialist in beauty and makeup, not in the cosmos), but they decided that it was more fun to get up close and personal with their clients' faces rather than using all those brushes and sponges.

Estheticians deal with actual skin, not the colorful eye shadows and lipsticks that can be put on skin. No concealer here—they see faces for what they really are. Which brings us to an important point: if you're shy about touching other people, or are easily grossed out by bodily functions, don't do this job. Don't be fooled. They're called "extractions," but really it means "popping pimples."

An esthetician is a step down from being a dermatologist. Both of them deal with skin, but dermatologists are actual, licensed doctors who have gone through medical school. Estheticians don't need a zillion years of schoolin', only a couple thousand dollars and a couple months at their local community college. 

They take classes in subjects that sound like late-night paid programming commercials: hair growth cycles, exfoliation methods, applying facial masks, safe extraction practices, lymphatic drainage, waxing, aromatherapy, and more. After that, there are written and practical exams—just because they aren't doctors doesn't mean that estheticians don't have standards.

 

Do you want the white cream, or...some mud? (Source)

However, the real test of whether you could hack it as an esthetician has nothing to do with how much you know about skin, or how good your skin is. It has everything to do with retail. Many estheticians working in spas and salons make commission between five and twenty percent—so sell, baby, sell (source).  

A good esthetician can chat up anybody and ask them potentially awkward questions without making it awkward. Most folks aren't eager to reveal how many pimples or rashes they get on a daily basis, but if you've got the people skills, you'll be able to wrangle that info out of them—and then prescribe something that could help. 

You're not just selling stuff to get your commission, after all. You got into this biz because you wanted to help people look and feel their best. That's why, out of all the people working at your spa, you're the one with the funniest jokes, the steadiest hands, the best vision, and the smartest product recommendations (source). 

This is one job where what you get is equal to what you give, so give it your best. One day, you might find yourself promoted to spa manager or even a spa owner. In some states (Vermont and Virginia are two) you could become a licensed "Master Esthetician" by logging 1200 hours and advanced classes (source). Wouldn't that look nice on your desk's name plate? "Shmoop S. Shmooperstein, Master Esthetician." Or whatever your name is.

If you want to go really hardcore, you could become a medical esthetician, which is sort of a sideways step from your typical esthetician. Instead of working in a spa, you'll be working in a healthcare clinic, under a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon (source). 

Medical estheticians help people who have undergone serious trauma look more like themselves by teaching them how to redraw the eyebrows that they lost during chemo or how to use makeup to cover scars from that car accident. The pay is marginally better, and you'll get more warm fuzzies; however, you'll also see some pretty harsh stuff, so it's a bit more stressful as well (source). 

Whatever you choose, though, one thing's for sure: your skin is going to look amazing.

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