Licensure VS Certification
When it comes to deciding where to get certified the number one question should be:
Is the educator a licensed massage therapist or esthetician?
The biggest misconception is certification equals licensure. Just because an individual is certified does NOT mean that the person is licensed. The difference between beauty professional licensure and certification is vast.
Licensure
- Legal designation of professional status granted by state authorities
- State authority defines task, function, educational requirements and scope of the practice
- A set of standards and practices must be completed
- Proficiency must be demonstrated by passing one or several tests set forth by state authority
- Depending on the state, the number of hours need to complete education ranges from 500 to 2400 hours
Obtaining a license in order to practice a profession is mandatory, and state laws may provide for criminal or administrative penalties for unlicensed practice. Penalties for violating licensure laws vary from state to state. Periodic licensure renewal is also mandatory and usually premised upon substantiating required continuing education or professional development.
Certification
- Typically a voluntary process
- Certification is provided by private organizations or companies
- There is no oversight as to the viability and efficacy of the certification process
- Time necessary to complete certification course varies, certification can be completed in as little as 8 hours
Practitioners seek certification usually as a form of self-promotion and in an attempt to distinguish one practitioner from another. There is no requirement to be certified and no governmental penalties for failure to achieve or loss of certification recognition. Certification does not provide a legal mechanism to practice an otherwise governmentally regulated profession, but does provide certificate holders to accurately promote the fact that they are certified by the private entity.
So, before you decide where to go for your body ice therapy and wood therapy classes, be sure to ask that important questions. You wouldn’t trust any other unlicensed professional to perform procedures on you, so don’t trust someone without a beauty license to touch your face and/or body.
OUR CERTIFICATION DOES NOT LICENSE INDIVIDUALS. PLEASE REFER TO YOUR LOCAL & STATE LICENSING OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS. It is your responsibility to ensure you follow the rules of your state and that you follow your scope of practice.
Is the educator a licensed massage therapist or esthetician?
The biggest misconception is certification equals licensure. Just because an individual is certified does NOT mean that the person is licensed. The difference between beauty professional licensure and certification is vast.
Licensure
- Legal designation of professional status granted by state authorities
- State authority defines task, function, educational requirements and scope of the practice
- A set of standards and practices must be completed
- Proficiency must be demonstrated by passing one or several tests set forth by state authority
- Depending on the state, the number of hours need to complete education ranges from 500 to 2400 hours
Obtaining a license in order to practice a profession is mandatory, and state laws may provide for criminal or administrative penalties for unlicensed practice. Penalties for violating licensure laws vary from state to state. Periodic licensure renewal is also mandatory and usually premised upon substantiating required continuing education or professional development.
Certification
- Typically a voluntary process
- Certification is provided by private organizations or companies
- There is no oversight as to the viability and efficacy of the certification process
- Time necessary to complete certification course varies, certification can be completed in as little as 8 hours
Practitioners seek certification usually as a form of self-promotion and in an attempt to distinguish one practitioner from another. There is no requirement to be certified and no governmental penalties for failure to achieve or loss of certification recognition. Certification does not provide a legal mechanism to practice an otherwise governmentally regulated profession, but does provide certificate holders to accurately promote the fact that they are certified by the private entity.
So, before you decide where to go for your body ice therapy and wood therapy classes, be sure to ask that important questions. You wouldn’t trust any other unlicensed professional to perform procedures on you, so don’t trust someone without a beauty license to touch your face and/or body.
OUR CERTIFICATION DOES NOT LICENSE INDIVIDUALS. PLEASE REFER TO YOUR LOCAL & STATE LICENSING OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS. It is your responsibility to ensure you follow the rules of your state and that you follow your scope of practice.