It’s a fair question, and one worth answering honestly rather than vaguely: how much skincare training do you actually need before you can move on to advanced treatments? The answer isn’t the same for every course. Some advanced skincare training genuinely welcomes complete beginners, while others have a real, stated prerequisite you need to meet first. Here are four real steps in that pathway, based on the actual entry requirements published across the skincare courses at The Academy by Sharon Leavy.
1. Start With a Recognised Level 2 Foundation
The VTCT Skills Level 2 Award in Skincare (€950) is genuinely the starting point for most students. The course page confirms there are “no formal prerequisite qualifications that you must have prior to undertaking this qualification,” which makes it the natural first stop in skincare training for a true beginner. Over four days, one online and two in-academy plus an exam day, it covers facial skincare, facial massage, client care, and health and safety. This is foundational skincare training in the fullest sense, and it’s what later, more advanced qualifications are often built on top of.
2. Build Core Facial Skills Further
Once the Level 2 foundation is in place, the ITEC Skincare & Eye Treatments Certificate (€1,200) is a logical next step for anyone deepening their skincare training before moving toward genuinely advanced work. It broadens the practical skill set around facial and eye area treatments, building the kind of confident, hands-on competence that advanced courses later assume you already have.
3. Add a Specialist Add-On Only Once You Qualify
The Dermaplaning Course (€299) is a clear example of a real prerequisite in action. The course page states plainly that students must hold either an AIT-accredited facial qualification or a nationally recognised level 2 beauty qualification before enrolling. This isn’t a soft suggestion, it’s a stated requirement, and it confirms that at least some specialist skincare training genuinely does gate access behind foundational qualifications already earned elsewhere in your training.
4. Progress to True Advanced Treatments
This is where the honest answer to “how much skincare training do you need” becomes clearest. The ITEC Level 3 Diploma in Facial Electrical Treatments requires Level 2 in Beauty Specialist or an equivalent qualification before you can enrol, covering micro-current, faradic, high frequency, galvanic, vacuum suction, and heat treatments. Separately, the Level 4 Advanced Skin Treatments course, which covers electrolysis for skin blemishes such as telangiectasia and skin tags, states no experience is required to begin, though treating hair from moles specifically requires a prior electrolysis qualification.
In other words, “advanced” doesn’t always mean the same level of prerequisite, and checking each specific course’s stated entry requirement, rather than assuming, is the only reliable way to plan your skincare training properly.
Put together, these four steps show that skincare training in Ireland isn’t a single course, it’s a pathway, and the amount of training you need before advanced treatments depends entirely on which advanced course you’re aiming for.
Real Student Success: Sorcha Ridge’s Experience
Sorcha Ridge completed her CIDESCO Beauty Therapy Diploma at The Academy, training that includes the same foundational skincare and facial skills this pathway builds on. In her own words:
“I would 100% recommend this course to anyone looking to pursue a career in the beauty industry. The level of training is second to none. Our tutors have so much experience and knowledge in the industry. By the end of those 9 months you will be ready to walk into any salon and you will also have the confidence to do so.”
Her experience is a good reminder that thorough foundational skincare training is exactly what makes progressing to advanced treatments later feel achievable rather than overwhelming.
Why Choose The Academy by Sharon Leavy?
The Academy is based on Harbour Street in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, and its skincare training range is described honestly in this post, according to what each specific course page actually confirms about entry requirements, rather than assuming every advanced course works the same way.
Qualification levels can be confusing to compare across awarding bodies, and the Quality and Qualifications Ireland National Framework of Qualifications is a genuinely useful, official reference for understanding what a Level 2, Level 3, or Level 4 qualification actually represents before you commit to the next stage of your skincare training.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need previous experience to start skincare training?
Not necessarily. The VTCT Skills Level 2 Award in Skincare, the natural entry point for most students, states clearly that there are no formal prerequisite qualifications required. It’s a genuine beginner-friendly starting point, and the foundational skincare training it provides is what later, more advanced courses are often built on top of.
Which skincare course has a real prerequisite before you can enrol?
The Dermaplaning Course is the clearest example. Its own course page confirms that students must hold either an AIT-accredited facial qualification or a nationally recognised level 2 beauty qualification before enrolling. The ITEC Level 3 Diploma in Facial Electrical Treatments similarly requires Level 2 in Beauty Specialist or an equivalent qualification.
Is Level 4 Advanced Skin Treatments only for experienced therapists?
Not entirely. The course page confirms no experience is required to begin, since it covers treatments for conditions such as telangiectasia and skin tags using electrolysis. However, treating hair growth from moles specifically requires a prior electrolysis qualification, so some parts of the course do carry a real prerequisite while others don’t.
How long does it take to complete a full skincare training pathway?
It depends entirely on which courses you combine. The VTCT Level 2 Award in Skincare runs across four days, while other courses in the pathway vary in length and structure. Rather than a single fixed timeline, skincare training is best planned course by course, checking each one’s stated duration and entry requirement before enrolling.
So, How Much Skincare Training Do You Really Need?
There’s no single answer that fits every advanced course, and that’s the honest takeaway. Some advanced skincare training, like the Level 4 Advanced Skin Treatments course, welcomes complete beginners for most of its content. Others, like the Dermaplaning Course and the ITEC Level 3 Diploma in Facial Electrical Treatments, have a real, stated Level 2 prerequisite you need to meet first. The only reliable way to plan your own skincare training is to check each specific course’s entry requirement rather than assume.
If you’d like to see how these skills come together in practice, Facial Therapist Skills: Professional Skills for Long-Term Career Success is a good next read. Or get in touch with The Academy by Sharon Leavy directly and the team will help you map out the right skincare training pathway for where you want to end up.
