The aesthetics curriculum contains many courses, some of which may not seem as practical considering that you will only be dealing with skin care and treatment – at least primarily. Courses such as skin care techniques, cosmetics composition and chemistry, personal grooming and hygiene, sanitation, bacteriology, and make-up seem very relevant and are usually taught in a certificate program.
But if you enrol in an advanced program, such as an associate’s degree program, you will take other classes, such as anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, skin massage and analysis, disease and body systems, and kinesiology, among others. But how exactly does memorizing the bones, muscles, veins, and arteries in anatomy class make you a better esthetician?
Importance of human anatomy education in aesthetics
When performing some delicate procedures, such as Botox, facial surgeries, fillers, radio frequencies, microcurrent, ultrasound, and high frequencies, it is crucial that you have a thorough understanding of the facial and neck anatomy.
Here are some interesting things to note about the anatomy of the face and neck:
- Humans are born with 300 bones, but some of them fuse together, so you only have 206 when you reach adulthood. Two-thirds of bone matter constitutes minerals, while the rest is an organic material, which accounts for 14 to 20 percent of your body weight.
- There are 14 facial bones and eight cranial bones, with the former creating the structural foundation for your face, from where facial muscles originate to move the jaw and control facial expressions.
- Facial muscles are subcutaneous (right beneath the skin) and striated and are also known as mimetic muscles. They originate in bone and insert on the skin, where they voluntarily control facial expressions.
- The face has 16 muscles, all of which serve different functions.
Estheticians are expected to have a good understanding of the facial muscles for two key reasons:
- The first is to ensure that facial massage movements are properly directed (from origin to insertion). This requires you to have knowledge of the origin of each of the 16 muscles to ensure proper technique for increasing circulation and relieving tension.
- The second is to properly administer the range of technologically advanced aesthetic treatments that have a direct impact on muscle strength and tone.
With the range of treatments that affect the skin, muscle, and stimulation continuing to increase every day, it is critical that estheticians have a sound understanding of the systems that these treatment modalities impact. This will ensure that they perform well and candidly discuss the benefits and effects of different treatments with clients.
