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The Aesthetic Core Curriculum
Introductory to advanced knowledge for every domain of aesthetic practice — skin, botulinum toxin, dermal fillers, ageing science, facial contouring and governance. Graded Bronze, Gold and Platinum so you can audit your own baseline honestly rather than against the syllabus of the last course you attended.
Three tiers, one exit standard
The tiers describe demonstrated competence, not attendance. Nothing is credited that is not demonstrated: your professional background sets the likely starting point, the assessment sets the pathway. All 15 domains of the curriculum are represented below.
BronzeBeginner
Knows the material. Treats simple cases under supervision.
GoldIntermediate
Plans and treats independently. Recognises and manages complications.
PlatinumAdvanced
Treats complex and revision cases. Teaches, audits and supervises others.
Skin
Barrier, cellular biology and the treatable pathologies that present as cosmetic concerns.
Skin structure & barrier function
Domain 1 — Anatomy
- Bronze
- Names the layers; explains the acid mantle at pH 4.5–5.5 and barrier integrity.
- Gold
- Links barrier compromise to treatment selection, downtime and product sequencing.
- Platinum
- Rebuilds barrier-compromised patients before any device or peel exposure.
Three-Cell model
Domain 2 — Ageing
- Bronze
- Describes fibroblast, melanocyte and keratinocyte roles.
- Gold
- Selects modality by target cell rather than by product marketing.
- Platinum
- Combines modalities across all three cells with a defensible interval plan.
Pigmentation
Domains 2 & 4
- Bronze
- Melanin cycle — signal, synthesis, shipping, shedding. Recognises PIH risk.
- Gold
- Differentiates melasma, PIH and lentigines; true versus indirect tyrosinase inhibitors.
- Platinum
- Manages refractory melasma and post-device pigment complications in Fitzpatrick IV–VI.
Acne, rosacea & inflammation
Domain 4 — Assessment
- Bronze
- Uses comedones to differentiate acne from rosacea. Knows the three-step inflammation protocol.
- Gold
- Treats mild-to-moderate disease and identifies when systemic therapy is required.
- Platinum
- Manages inflammatory relapse, isotretinoin-adjacent cases and device timing around active disease.
Skin-quality interventions
Domain 12 — Procedural competence
- Bronze
- Topicals, SPF, retinoids; principles of microneedling with CE-certified devices.
- Gold
- Chemical peels, biostimulators, skin boosters — selected by indication, not by menu.
- Platinum
- Energy-based devices and combination protocols with documented interval outcomes.
Contact dermatitis & reactions
Domain 10 — Complications
- Bronze
- Distinguishes irritant from allergic contact dermatitis.
- Gold
- Manages each appropriately and documents the causative agent.
- Platinum
- Investigates and refers persistent or atypical reactions; patch-test pathways.
Botulinum toxin
Pharmacology, muscle-by-muscle assessment, and the decision not to inject.
Pharmacology & product science
Domain 3 — Pharmacology
- Bronze
- Mechanism, serotypes, onset and duration; storage, reconstitution and provenance.
- Gold
- Unit conversion between products; dilution for diffusion control; counterfeit recognition.
- Platinum
- Manages secondary non-response, antibody considerations and high-unit therapeutic dosing.
Muscle assessment
Domain 4 — Assessment
- Bronze
- Assesses muscles at rest and in animation before selecting any dose.
- Gold
- Reads compensatory recruitment and asymmetry; adjusts pattern accordingly.
- Platinum
- Plans across antagonistic groups and corrects established imbalance.
Depth, angle & vector
Domains 1 & 12
- Bronze
- States depth for each site with the entry angle and vector — never depth alone.
- Gold
- Adapts angle to muscle bulk and overlying tissue, e.g. corrugator 90° versus 45°.
- Platinum
- Teaches depth-and-angle reasoning and audits injection maps against outcomes.
Upper face
Domain 12
- Bronze
- Glabella, frontalis, lateral orbicularis at standard dosing under supervision.
- Gold
- Independent treatment with brow-position planning and eyelid-ptosis avoidance.
- Platinum
- Revision of ptosis, heavy brow and over-treated frontalis; microdosing strategies.
Lower face & therapeutic use
Domain 12
- Bronze
- Understands indications for masseter, DAO, mentalis and hyperhidrosis.
- Gold
- Treats masseter hypertrophy and bruxism; recognises risorius diffusion risk.
- Platinum
- Therapeutic protocols including PREEMPT migraine and oro-facial pain pathways.
Complications & the refusal
Domains 5 & 10
- Bronze
- Recognises ptosis, diplopia, dysphagia and iatrogenic botulism red flags.
- Gold
- Manages complications and declines treatment where indicated, with documentation.
- Platinum
- Leads incident review, reporting and practice-level protocol change.
Dermal fillers
Layered anatomy, product rheology, and vascular safety as the organising discipline.
Three-Layer model
Domain 1 — Anatomy
- Bronze
- Names the layers and the plane each product is designed for.
- Gold
- Selects plane by indication; understands that cannula use does not determine plane.
- Platinum
- Plans multi-plane correction and revises misplaced product.
Vascular anatomy & danger zones
Domain 1
- Bronze
- Maps facial, angular, supratrochlear and infraorbital territories.
- Gold
- Applies aspiration, slow low-pressure delivery and site-specific risk mitigation.
- Platinum
- Ultrasound-informed practice and management of atypical vascular anatomy.
Product science & rheology
Domain 3
- Bronze
- G′, cohesivity and licensed indication for each product held in stock.
- Gold
- Matches rheology to plane and indication rather than to supplier availability.
- Platinum
- Combination products, longevity planning and biofilm-aware product choice.
Vascular occlusion protocol
Domain 10 — Complications
- Bronze
- Recognises immediate signs; knows where the hyaluronidase is and the dose.
- Gold
- Runs high-dose pulsed hyaluronidase protocol and arranges follow-up and escalation.
- Platinum
- Manages delayed presentations, visual compromise pathways and post-event audit.
Delayed & inflammatory nodules
Domain 10
- Bronze
- Distinguishes early inflammatory from late nodular presentations.
- Gold
- Antibiotic, steroid and hyaluronidase decision-making with follow-up.
- Platinum
- Biofilm management, granuloma pathways and referral for histology.
Emergency preparedness
Domain 11 — Emergency medicine
- Bronze
- Kit contents, anaphylaxis recognition and basic life support currency.
- Gold
- Leads an in-clinic emergency and documents it.
- Platinum
- Writes, tests and audits clinic emergency protocols and staff drills.
Ageing & anti-ageing concepts
What actually changes with age, and why anatomical ageing is not a treatment target.
Tissue-level ageing
Domain 2
- Bronze
- Describes change across skin, fat, muscle, ligament and bone.
- Gold
- Identifies the dominant driver in an individual face rather than treating all five.
- Platinum
- Explains conflicting evidence, e.g. superficial-to-deep midfacial fat ratios.
Bone resorption & support
Domain 2
- Bronze
- Recognises pyriform, orbital rim and mandibular resorption patterns.
- Gold
- Restores support superficially where deep replacement is not appropriate.
- Platinum
- Sequences structural camouflage across multiple sessions with review points.
Biological sequencing
Domain 15 — Whole-face planning
- Bronze
- Treats by stage, not by age; volume before tightening.
- Gold
- Builds a staged plan across skin, movement, support and descent.
- Platinum
- Runs multi-year plans with documented reassessment and de-escalation.
Prevention & lifestyle
Domain 2
- Bronze
- Photoprotection, smoking, sleep and nutrition counselling.
- Gold
- Integrates prevention into every treatment plan and consent discussion.
- Platinum
- Evaluates and rejects unevidenced longevity claims in clinic marketing.
Native volume is not a prescription
Domain 5 — Patient selection
- Bronze
- States that measured native volume does not indicate how much to inject.
- Gold
- Justifies volume by appearance and proportion, not by anatomical replacement.
- Platinum
- Recognises and reverses cumulative over-volumisation in returning patients.
Facial contouring & assessment
Diagnosing the whole face before selecting any single intervention.
Structured facial assessment
Domain 4
- Bronze
- Runs a five-point assessment: skin, movement, volume, laxity, proportion.
- Gold
- Produces a written assessment that names problems the practitioner cannot treat.
- Platinum
- Uses standardised grading and photography for longitudinal outcome audit.
Midface & periorbital
Domains 4 & 12
- Bronze
- Understands SOOF, deep medial fat and tear-trough plane terminology correctly.
- Gold
- Treats midface descent with plane-appropriate product and conservative volume.
- Platinum
- Manages malar oedema, over-filled midface and periorbital revision.
Chin & jawline
Domain 15
- Bronze
- Treats the chin as the anchor before the jawline.
- Gold
- Plans chin, jawline and submental relationships as one unit.
- Platinum
- Recognises parotid, vascular and ultrasound-relevant limits in jaw contouring.
Referral & scope
Domain 14 — Referral
- Bronze
- Knows which presentations require surgical, dermatological or psychiatric input.
- Gold
- Refers routinely and documents the reasoning; declines out-of-scope requests.
- Platinum
- Maintains named referral relationships and audits referral outcomes.
Psychology & expectation
Domain 6 — Psychology
- Bronze
- Screens for body dysmorphic disorder; identifies unrealistic expectation.
- Gold
- Manages appearance-driven consultations and refuses treatment where appropriate.
- Platinum
- Handles complex motivation, repeat non-satisfaction and safeguarding concerns.
Consent, governance & practice
The domains that decide whether a practice is defensible over time.
Consent & documentation
Domain 8 — Consent & ethics
- Bronze
- Two-stage consent, off-label disclosure, cooling-off, contemporaneous notes.
- Gold
- Consent that names alternatives, including no treatment, and records the refusal option.
- Platinum
- Audits consent quality across a team and corrects drift.
Medical history & systemic disease
Domain 7
- Bronze
- Takes a full history; recognises systemic disease presenting cosmetically.
- Gold
- Adjusts or defers treatment on medical grounds and communicates why.
- Platinum
- Manages complex comorbidity, immunosuppression and anticoagulation.
Infection prevention & premises
Domain 9
- Bronze
- Aseptic non-touch technique, sharps, waste and premises standards.
- Gold
- Owns the clinic's IPC policy and evidences compliance.
- Platinum
- Leads IPC audit and incident investigation.
Regulation & licensing
Domain 8
- Bronze
- Knows their own regulator's position and current UK licensing direction.
- Gold
- Operates within scope, insurance and prescribing rules including face-to-face prescribing.
- Platinum
- Contributes to standards work and prepares a practice for statutory licensing.
Mentorship & case review
Domain 13
- Bronze
- Has a named mentor and brings cases to review.
- Gold
- Maintains a reflective case portfolio with documented outcomes and adverse events.
- Platinum
- Supervises others, sets entrustment decisions and teaches to an assessed standard.
How to use this checklist
- Mark each row at the highest tier you could demonstrate to an external assessor today — not the highest tier you have been taught.
- Note where your confidence comes from transferable competence in another field rather than from aesthetic-specific practice.
- Book training against demonstrated gaps, not against your professional title.
- Arrange named longitudinal mentorship for the first twelve months of any new scope of practice.
This checklist is a self-audit instrument. It is not a certificate and completing it confers no qualification.