What does it mean to be an “Advanced Practice Esthetician?”
The Skin Artisan’s staff of talented providers is expanding! We are excited to be able to grow our team with some of the most skilled and experienced aesthetic professionals in the entire state. Advanced Practice Esthetician, Tracey Rudolph-Lakin is no exception! She brings decades of experience and a wealth of knowledge with her to Skin Artisans. Get to know Tracey and the importance of Minnesota’s new “Advanced Practice Esthetician (APE)” licensing.
Tracey was a model in her late teens and early twenties. While working and traveling through Europe, she noticed a significant cultural difference in how Europeans and Americans cared for their skin. The women abroad seemed to be obsessed with not only the appearance of their skin but also their skin’s overall health. As soon as a young European girl turned 12 years old, she would begin seeing her mother’s esthetician to start her on good skincare habits for life. This cultural divide had an impact on Tracey. Upon returning to the States, she decided to pursue a career in skincare. Tracey’s goal was to elevate the industry standards and to help women and men achieve their healthiest skin possible and gain confidence in their appearance.
An East Coast native, Tracey attended the Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics in Woburn, Massachusetts in 1996 to obtain her license in esthetics. Afterward, she spent several years working in a spa environment, honing her technical and customer service skills until she started working within medical practices alongside physicians. Here, Tracey began designing collaborative treatment plans for medical patients. She had the great fortune of being part of the medical esthetics industry’s rising tide as it began to blossom. Tracey has now worked in the skincare industry for over two decades!
After relocating to Midwest, Tracey began working with several well-respected dermatology and plastic surgery clinics as a lead esthetician and laser technician. Due to her passion for education and training, she was quickly recruited by several companies to train other estheticians, nurses, and even physicians on their technologies, devices, and product lines. Tracey is currently a regional trainer for SkinPen® Microneedling and the VI Peel.
With her extensive experience in the skincare industry, Tracey firmly believes in treatment plans unique to each patient. She does not think that skincare is a “one-size-fits-all” industry where the latest celebrity trend is appropriate for everyone. In turn, she invests much of her time getting to know her patients and their skin to help them achieve the highest possible state of skin health and appearance. Tracey is steadfast in her belief of only recommending treatments and products that she truly believes in and that her patients will benefit from with measurable results!
What is an Advanced Practice Esthetician?
If you are someone who believes that the credentials behind a provider’s name matter when it comes to delivering effective and safe treatments – it’s vital that you understand why Skin Artisans only hires Advanced Practice Estheticians like Tracey and Tina!
In 2018, the Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners (MBCE) defined new rules and requirements for estheticians providing more advanced services and working within a medical environment. This new Advanced Practice Esthetician (APE) license focuses on ensuring that estheticians have the proper training and knowledge base to safely provide specific treatments. The APE license requires additional hours of training by the state than a basic Esthetician license.
Although a licensed cosmetologist can perform some skincare treatments in Minnesota, their training is predominately focused on hair cutting, coloring, and styling. The training of someone who pursues a license in esthetics is focused on skin anatomy, skin diseases and disorders, how to treat various skin conditions, and how to perform safe and effective skin treatments. In Minnesota, this is currently a 600-hour program that concludes with a written and practical exam.
To qualify for an Advanced Practice Esthetician (APE) License, a person must first have their license in Esthetics or Cosmetology. They can then pursue the additional hours of training for the AP credentials and take a written and practical exam. Unlike Licensed Estheticians, Advanced Practice Estheticians can perform dermaplaning, microdermabrasion, skin needling, and other advanced skincare treatments.
Skin Artisans believes that credentials count! Each of our aesthetic providers is licensed in their respective fields and has years of experience behind their names. Our goal is to provide you with the best care possible at the hands of the most highly skilled team in the Metro!
Schedule a complimentary consultation with Tracey or any other Skin Artisans provider by calling (952)767-3163 or by CLICKING HERE!
