Guide to How to Become a Botox® Injector
Ready to make a career change?
Love helping people look and feel their best?
Consider becoming a Botox® injector. If you’re already a registered nurse, physician’s assistant, nurse practitioner, or other licensed medical professional authorized to administer Botox injections in your part of the United States, the process of becoming Botox certified is straightforward.
If you’re not yet an aesthetic nurse or physician’s assistant, plan on spending an additional two to four years in training. That could be time well spent — the average NP and PA earns a six-figure salary.
Here’s how to become a Botox injector and find work doing what you love.
Who Can Administer Botox?
Regulations governing Botox treatments vary by state. Most jurisdictions allow registered nurses, NPs, PAs, medical doctors, dentists, and plastic surgeons to administer Botox.
Often, registered nurses and PAs perform Botox injections under the supervision of medical doctors or surgeons. Depending on the practice setting, these nurses may be aesthetic nurses or plastic surgical nurses. Each follows distinct training tracks to prepare for work in their chosen specialty.
Botox injection regulations apply to both types of commercially available Botox:
- Botox Cosmetic, the formulation approved by the FDA to treat glabellar lines, nasolabial folds, and other cosmetic procedures of the head, face, and neck.
- Botox Therapeutic, the formulation approved to treat nervous and musculoskeletal issues, such as blepharospasm and urinary incontinence.
How to Become a Botox Injector
So, you’ve decided to become Botox certified. Here’s what you need to do to complete your training and begin looking for work as an injector.
Get Your Nursing Degree
If you haven’t already, your first step is to get a degree in nursing.
The quickest way to become a registered nurse is through a two-year associate’s degree in nursing (ASN) program. However, many employers prefer to hire nurses with bachelor’s or master’s degrees in nursing.
Pass the NCLEX-RN Exam
Next, study for and pass the NCLEX-RN exam to officially earn your RN license in the state where you plan to practice.
Be sure to fill any state-required prerequisites. Check with your state medical licensing board for details.
Enroll in a Botox Course
Look for an accredited Botox course taught by board-certified medical professionals — preferably medical doctors or plastic surgeons — with years of experience in the field.
It never hurts to seek out free Botox certification courses. But make sure they offer both in-depth classroom instruction on Botox treatments and hands-on training in the art and science of botulinum toxin injection.
If you’d like to learn complementary skills at the same time, look for advanced Botox and dermal filler training courses that offer combined training in two of the most popular types of cosmetic treatments around.
Earn Your Botox Certification
After successfully completing the course and meeting your state’s training hour requirements, you’ll have your Botox certification in hand. You’re now ready to find work as a Botox injector.
Find Work As a Botox Injector
Botox injectors generally work under the supervision of medical doctors or plastic surgeons in medical aesthetic practices or medical spas.
Check job postings for aesthetic nurses or certified Botox injectors, or look for apprenticeship opportunities in medical aesthetic settings. If you don’t yet have your aesthetic nurse or plastic surgical nurse certification, working under a board-certified provider is a great way to get your foot in the door.
