Beauty Therapy Courses
An Academy Which Helped Perfect Beauty Therapy Courses
One can but wonder where the standards of beauty therapy and courses on offer in this industry would be in South Africa today, if our prestigious academy had not been established in this country some 50 years ago, way back in 1965. This is especially so because we’ve been one of the bodies which have been so very instrumental in setting the benchmark for the provision of top-quality, specialised training of the highest order.
Career minded beauty specialists and therapists of the present and future recognise that the quality of their training, the recognition and accreditation accorded their qualifications, and the content of their curricula are vital in opening up occupational doors once they’ve completed their studies and qualified as body therapists or beauticians.
Value of Recognition and Accreditation
In order for a beauty qualification to be recognised in this country, the course must be registered with Services Seta, the national body which registers and governs education and training. If the curricula do not comply, they’re virtually not worth the paper on which they’re printed on and are not recognised within the industry.
City & Guilds (London) is the largest and most respected international awarding body, whilst CIDESCO International is responsible for setting and maintaining criteria pertaining to industry knowledge and techniques throughout the world. In turn, membership of ITEC allows beauty therapists to work internationally, anywhere in the world in which they choose to pursue their careers.
Once learners at our college have completed their programmes, they write the academy’s examinations, in alignment with the SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority) requirements. At this time, we also actively encourage them to apply for membership of the afore-mentioned international bodies, for which additional exams must be written and passed.
Thereafter, the intriguing, challenging and varied world of beauty therapy lies before them, ready to be explored as, when and where they choose.
Massage Techniques
During the course of our three one-year diplomas in beauty therapy studies, numerous specialised massage techniques are taught, each proven by modern science to be beneficial to the body, its function, wellbeing and appearance.
However, few realise how old the art of massage really is. As far as is known, today’s holistic massage techniques have their roots in antiquity, possibly in ancient India, some 3 000 years BC (or even before this), when it was considered to be a revered method of healing by the touch of hands.
Ancient Chinese texts and Egyptian hieroglyphs also record patients being rubbed and worked on by possible therapists. The latter civilisation is thought to have invented the therapeutic art of reflexology. Japan recognised and took to the benefits of Chinese massage therapy, while a little later, ancient Greek athletes used massage to keep their bodies in top condition.
Greek women were delighted with the fragrant oils used by masseurs, and therefore also adopted massage as a beauty treatment. Wealthy ancient Romans employed personal practitioners to perform massage therapy in the comfort of their own homes; the general public could be treated at the numerous public baths.
Today, our advanced scientific knowledge, professional courses, sophisticated products and techniques serve to enhance and strive to perfect beauty therapy and massage techniques, which are far more specialised and advanced than those of centuries ago. Nevertheless, the value and benefits to the beauty and allied industries remain undiminished and enduring.
Tags: Beauty Therapy Courses