Advanced Practice Estheticians take skincare beyond the basics, working with techniques such as microneedling, dermaplaning, chemical peels, LED light therapy, advanced extractions, and other advanced treatments. At MedSpa Institute of America, our 500-hour Advanced Practice Esthetics program gives you the chance to build those skills through hands-on training with professional products, equipment, skin analysis, client consultation, and advanced treatment protocols. If skincare is the part of esthetics you want to keep exploring, Advanced Practice Esthetics can be an exciting next step in your education.

What does an Advanced Practice Esthetician do?

An Advanced Practice Esthetician works with more specialized skincare techniques and technologies than you typically encounter in foundational esthetics. Your day may include analyzing a client’s skin, selecting an appropriate treatment approach, performing advanced skincare services, working with professional equipment, explaining aftercare, and helping clients understand how to care for their skin between appointments.

Clients often turn to advanced skincare services for concerns such as:

• Uneven skin texture
• Acne and the appearance of acne scarring
• Hyperpigmentation
• Sun-related skin concerns
• Fine lines and other visible signs of aging
• Enlarged-looking pores
• Dull-looking skin

One of the most important parts of advanced esthetics is learning how to look at the whole picture. You are not simply learning how to perform a treatment. You are learning how to evaluate the skin, ask the right questions, recognize contraindications, choose a treatment protocol, and guide the client through aftercare.

What is the difference between an esthetician and an Advanced Practice Esthetician?

An esthetician learns the foundations of professional skincare, including facials, waxing, skin analysis, makeup, sanitation, and client consultation. Advanced Practice Esthetics builds on that foundation with additional education in more specialized skincare techniques, professional equipment, and advanced treatment protocols.

In Minnesota, Advanced Practice Esthetics is also a licensed area of practice with additional education and licensing requirements. If you already enjoy the science and hands-on side of skincare, advanced education gives you a chance to go deeper into both.

What treatments can an Advanced Practice Esthetician learn?

This is where Advanced Practice Esthetics starts to get especially interesting. In our 500-hour program, students work with a range of advanced skincare techniques, professional products, and equipment used in clinical skincare settings.

You’ll also spend time on the skills that connect all of those treatments: consultation, skin analysis, sanitation, client communication, treatment planning, and working with professional skincare products and equipment.

We also train with professional brands and technologies used in advanced skincare settings. Our current partnerships include Glytone and Allergan, giving students exposure to professional-grade products, tools, and education as part of the learning experience.

If you’re interested in expanding your technical skills even further, ask our admissions team about separate phlebotomy training opportunities and how they may connect with PRP-related education.

What does hands-on Advanced Practice Esthetics training look like?

You can learn a lot about skincare in a textbook, but advanced techniques really start to make sense when you get to practice them. That is why hands-on learning is such a big part of our Advanced Practice Esthetics program.

The first four weeks of our current program schedule include hybrid theory, with three days of theory completed at home and two days of in-person education. After that initial phase, students move into a combination of classroom and clinic-floor learning.

During clinic training, you can practice the full service experience, from consultation and skin analysis to treatment setup, sanitation, equipment handling, treatment protocols, and client communication. Instead of learning each skill in isolation, you begin seeing how they work together during an actual appointment.

Our MedSpa Services also give guests access to a range of skincare and aesthetic services. All services provided by students under the supervision of licensed professionals.

We keep class sizes small so you have more opportunities to ask questions, work directly with instructors, and get feedback while you practice. When you’re learning advanced equipment and detailed treatment protocols, that instructor interaction matters.

How long does Advanced Practice Esthetics school take?

Our Advanced Practice Esthetics program includes 500 hours of theory and practical training and can be completed in as little as about 15 weeks on the published full-time schedule.

• Program length: 500 hours
• Full-time schedule: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Weekly commitment: approximately 33.75 hours
• Estimated completion: can be completed in as little as about 15 weeks

Your timeline can vary based on attendance, scheduling, and program requirements. If you’re wondering how the program could fit around work, family, or other commitments, take a look at our current enrollment information and talk with our admissions team about your options.

How do you become an Advanced Practice Esthetician in Minnesota?

In Minnesota, becoming an Advanced Practice Esthetician means building on your foundational esthetics or cosmetology education and completing the additional education and licensing steps required for advanced practice.

1. Build your foundation in esthetics or cosmetology. Advanced Practice Esthetics builds on the skincare knowledge, sanitation practices, and client-care skills you develop during foundational education.
2. Confirm your eligibility. Review our current admission requirements before enrolling so you know which education, licensing, and documentation requirements apply to you.
3. Complete your Advanced Practice Esthetics education. Our program includes 500 hours of theory and practical training focused on advanced skincare techniques and technologies.
4. Complete the Minnesota licensing process. After completing the required education, follow the current Minnesota Board of Cosmetology requirements for Advanced Practice Esthetics licensure, including sitting for the required state exam.

Licensing requirements can change, so check the current Minnesota Board of Cosmetology requirements as you move through the process. Our admissions team can also help you understand how our program fits into your education path.

Where can Advanced Practice Estheticians work?

Advanced skincare skills can be used in a variety of professional settings, which is part of what makes this area of esthetics so interesting. Depending on your interests, license, and the services offered by the business, you may find opportunities in:

• Medical spas
• Advanced skincare clinics
• Dermatology offices
• Plastic surgery practices
• Wellness clinics
• Spas and salons that offer advanced skincare services

You may discover that you love hands-on advanced treatments, or you may be drawn to consultation, skin analysis, treatment planning, or client education. The exact services you can offer will depend on your license and current scope-of-practice rules.

Why choose MedSpa Institute of America for Advanced Practice Esthetics?

If you’re continuing your education in advanced skincare, we think you should have the chance to do more than memorize treatment steps. You should understand what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and how the pieces come together during a real client experience.

That is what we focus on in our Advanced Practice Esthetics program:

• Hands-on clinic experience: put classroom concepts into practice through supervised client services.
• Small class sizes: get more opportunities to ask questions, work with instructors, and receive individualized feedback.
• Professional products and equipment: gain exposure to tools, technologies, and professional-grade skincare products used in advanced settings.
• Industry partnerships: our partnerships with Glytone and Allergan bring additional professional products, tools, and education into the student experience.
• Client-focused training: build your skills in consultation, skin analysis, treatment planning, sanitation, and communication along with the treatments themselves.
• A Bloomington, Minnesota campus: learn in an environment centered on skincare, aesthetics, and hands-on education.

Advanced esthetics brings together science, technique, technology, and client care. For students who are always asking what else they can learn about skin, that combination can make advanced education especially rewarding.

Explore our Advanced Practice Esthetics program to see more of what you’ll learn, or contact MedSpa Institute of America to schedule a tour or request program information. Our admissions team can help you understand eligibility, scheduling, current costs, and what to expect from the program.

Frequently asked questions

Do you have to be an esthetician before becoming an Advanced Practice Esthetician?

Yes. To enroll in our Advanced Practice Esthetics program, you need to hold an esthetics or cosmetology license. The program is designed to build on the foundation you already have, so you can continue developing your skills in advanced skincare techniques, treatment protocols, and professional equipment.

Is Advanced Practice Esthetics a license in Minnesota?

Yes. Advanced Practice Esthetics is a licensed area of practice in Minnesota with additional education and licensing requirements beyond foundational esthetics.

Can Advanced Practice Estheticians work in medical spas?

Yes, medical spas are one setting where Advanced Practice Estheticians may work. Other possibilities include advanced skincare clinics, dermatology offices, plastic surgery practices, wellness clinics, and spas that offer advanced skincare services. The services you can perform depend on your license and current scope-of-practice rules.

What equipment do Advanced Practice Estheticians learn to use?

Our program includes education with technologies such as LED light therapy, galvanic, high-frequency and ultrasonic equipment, microneedling devices, and other professional tools included in the current curriculum.

Is Advanced Practice Esthetics worth it if I already have an esthetics license?

If you want to continue learning advanced skincare techniques, professional equipment, and more detailed treatment protocols, Advanced Practice Esthetics can be a natural next step in your education. Whether it fits your goals depends on the type of skincare work and services you want to explore.