Lets talk dollars, value of a certificate from an accredited school, and apprenticeships a little more then.
The issue with being self-taught electrolysis ( and I DO have experience with this) is the lack of recognition for your talents. Yes, it is possible to teach yourself electrolysis. It’s not recommended though. Without the structure of an organized course, it is very difficult to not miss some things that may serve you well. In addition, that certificate gives you some level of consumer confidence which helps you obtain and retain customers for your practise ( along with your reputation). Further however, you will find that companies that supply your needs ( machines, electrolysis probes , and most importantly, insurance companies which protect you and your business) will often refuse to sell their goods or services to you. This is a problem!
When I started my own journey into learning electrolysis I did work around these issues by doing things like only working on myself, and buying from places like Texas Electrolysis Supply ( who never once checked for a certificate from an accredited school to sell me supplies) .
Eventually I was approached however by other transpeople , in similar financial staits to myself, looking for help. I started to gain a "clientele " of sorts of people getting treatment from me.I never chargedd very much and what I did rarely met my costs to provide this. I was still learning though, and yes, I was making some serious mistakes. I am thankful for the electrologists here at hairtell who helped guide me away from most serious errors however and actually I benefitted inmy career greatly from the experience. There was something I was missing however, the certificate that proved I knew what I was doing and could prove it to suppliers, and to customers.
Eventually I was approached by a electrolysis business owner here in my city, and asked to go to work for her. I initially refused. I did not have a certificate proving myself as an electrologist and I felt that working in a professional setting like a clinic, should require this. I initially refused ( for over a year!) and then, some time later went back to that person with a proposition. I knew I could not afford an electrolysis course, the cheapest I had seen was a quickie chairside instruction for a couple thousand bucks! I was essentially unemployed, and supporting special needs kids and this was way out of reach. That electrologist paid for my certification at an accredited school ( Swansons Canadian Institute of electrolysis ) and I paid the amount she paid for it( $3000) by working it off on customers at her clinic. That employer ended up being unethical, and I did eventually leave and start my own electrolysis practice, but after I had completed my certification.Thisw was about 10 years ago, and when I consider inflation, it’s pretty close to the cost of $5000 AUS that you were quoted. I could have waited? I did have some money come to me through inheritance about 8 or 9 months later that would easily have paid for this course, but this is how I got my start.
The bottom line is this, If you want to be taken seriously, you need a certificate. Dectro courses are somewhere around $10000 if I recall correctly, and will only teach you on their own equipment! Silouette Tone does also offer electrolysis courses ( no idea on cost) and I would assume Swansons, has increased their prices since then. All of these options would require you to fly and put yourself up in a foreign country, perhaps for months, while you undergo training . It WILL be an expensive process, but a certificate is pretty much a requirement to perform electrolysis professionally…
One option I thought of for you? You COULD contact Skip Mahler, the owner of Instantron and see if perhaps he might be willing to assist with your learning. Skip is a Certified Electrolysis Trainer, and he makes some of the finest ( and most reasonably priced) electrolysis machines on the face of this earth. You’d have to talk to him to see how practical it is, but it may be possible skip would assist you in learning electrolysis. An instantron Spectrum Elite Epilator costs in the region of $3049 USD, compared to a Dectro Apilus Xcell which will set you back about $10000. And there may be something Skip can do to help facilitate your learning remotely. The other option would be to contact Swansons, who at least USED TO offer a distance learning program., though I dont know if they still do with the new owners of the school.
I’m going to say, that I have earned back my modest investment in my training though pure grunt labour, at least 100 times since then. Electrolysis prices are on the increase ( I just raised my pricing 20% from $100/hour to $120/hour recently, and my clients DID NOT BLINK.They are all still booking… You will earn this money back in the long run, especially if you strive for excellence ( I’m considered the best int he business in my city) … Most of us, at least here, have been booked so fully we havent been able to get a lunch in months! Most are turning clients away because we cannot treat them all. This year, more then ever before, the demand is there for good qualified electrologists.
Schooling is not ESSENTIAL in an unlicensed country, but more and more countries are instituting licensing to deal with health concerns during the pandemic. Things like Infection control are very difficult to learn on your own. The certificate opens the doors to many suppliers who will not sell to you otherwise. While it’s POSSIBLE to work around those issues, courses are that expensive and really, are pretty necessary to practice professionally.
Seana
and am now on the search for a thorough course with someone who knows their stuff!!! Can anyone help?
