SHR (Sveriges Hudterapeuters Riksorganisation) CIDESCO Section Sweden

What SHR (Sveriges Hudterapeuters Riksorganisation) CIDESCO Section Sweden does

SHR (Sveriges Hudterapeuters Riksorganisation) is a Sweden-based, non-profit national professional membership association (ideell förening) for authorized skin therapists, founded on 27 November 1955 and headquartered at Dalagatan 60, Stockholm. Operating as CIDESCO Section Sweden since 1956, SHR is the third-largest CIDESCO section globally (after Japan and China) and administers the recognized "auktoriserad hudterapeut" credential. Its core service is a personal membership program (2,802 kr/yr for sole proprietors in 2026) that grants authorization, ethical-rule compliance, mandatory treatment injury insurance, continuing education, and listing in the public Salong Sök salon directory; ancillary revenue includes gesällbrevsintyg administrative fees (1,000 kr members, 1,750 kr non-members) issued jointly with Sveriges Hantverksråd.

SHR's offering extends across credentialing, education, and community channels: it approves six CIDESCO-accredited training schools (Axelsons, Gilda Skolan in Stockholm/Göteborg/Malmö, Hudvårdshögskolan IBS, Yrkeshögskolan Landskrona); issues gesällbrev, mästarbrev, IPL/laser, needle epilation, and specialized skin therapist certificates; publishes the Hudterapeuten magazine (digital since 2024, five issues/yr); and operates the Hud & Kosmetik trade fair (described as the largest beauty industry fair in Scandinavia). It also runs Hudterapeutens Dag (Skin Therapist Day, 27 November) and an SHR mobile app for consumer salon discovery.

SHR monetizes primarily through recurring annual membership subscriptions from individuals, employers (clinics, spas, hairdressing salons, pharmacies), and service/supplier members, plus transactional certificate fees, trade fair exhibitor/visitor revenue, and magazine advertising. Distribution is direct via the MyClub membership platform, email, and kansli in Stockholm, with the Salong Sök directory and mobile app as consumer-facing self-serve channels; the membership model is community-led, with growth tied to credential authority, regulatory standing, and brand recognition rather than software or technology product cycles.

Name

SHR (Sveriges Hudterapeuters Riksorganisation) CIDESCO Section Sweden

Legal name

Sveriges Hudterapeuters Riksorganisation

Website

https://shr.nu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SHR (Sveriges Hudterapeuters Riksorganisation) is the Swedish national non-profit membership association for authorized skin therapists, founded 1955, operating as CIDESCO Section Sweden. It provides professional authorization, certification, ethical oversight, treatment injury insurance, and continuing education to its 2,000+ members and serves consumers via its public salon directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Massage Therapy Schools & Certification Programs (HSALANAJ)

Keywords

• Professional skin therapy association
• Authorized skin therapist certification
• CIDESCO accreditation services
• Esthetician continuing education
• Salon directory membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Personal membership fees: Annual membership fees from individual authorized skin therapists. For 2026, egen företagare (sole proprietor) members pay 2,802 kr per calendar year.
2. Gesällbrevsintyg administrative fee: SHR charges an administrative fee for issuing the 'gesällbrevsintyg' (journeyman certificate certificate): 1,000 kr incl. VAT for SHR members and 1,750 kr incl. VAT for non-members. This is part of a two-step process to obtain the official gesällbrev from Sveriges Hantverksråd.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SHR is a non-profit national professional association that authorizes, certifies, and represents skin therapists (hudterapeuter) in Sweden. Its core offering is the personal membership program (Personligt medlemskap), which grants members the 'auktoriserad hudterapeut' title, ethical-rule compliance, mandatory treatment injury insurance, access to the MyClub member platform, and continuing education. Supporting offerings include gesäll- and mästarbrev certification (via Sveriges Hantverksråd), CIDESCO diploma pathways, a public salon directory, and the annual Hud & Kosmetik trade fair.

Product overview

SHR (Sveriges Hudterapeuters Riksorganisation) CIDESCO Section Sweden is a national professional membership organization for authorized skin therapists (hudterapeuter) in Sweden, operating as CIDESCO Section Sweden since 1955. It is not a software product company; its offering consists of membership services, professional certification/authorization, continuing education, and member directories. The core service is its membership program (personligt medlemskap), which grants members authorized/trusted status, ethical rule compliance, and treatment damage insurance. Supporting offerings include: a salon search directory (salongsök) for consumers to find authorized skin therapists; CIDESCO certification providing international diploma recognition; and continuing education and certification programs (gesällbrev, mästarbrev, IPL/laser certificates, needle epilation certificates, specialized skin therapist certificates). The organization also publishes the member magazine 'Hudterapeuten' five times per year and organizes the large industry trade show 'Hud & Kosmetik'.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SHR Membership (Personligt medlemskap)
• Salong Sök (Salon Search)
• CIDESCO Certification through CIDESCO Section Sweden
• Continuing Education and Specialized Certifications (Gesällbrev, Mästarbrev, IPL/Laser, Needle Epilation, Specialized Skin Therapist)
• Employer Membership (Arbetsgivarmedlemskap)
• Service Membership (Servicemedlemskap)
• SHR Mobile Application
• Gesällbrevsintyg Issuance (Journeyman Certificate Administrative Service)

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CIDESCO (Comité International d'Esthétique et de Cosmétologie)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1956SHR has been a member of CIDESCO since 1956. As CIDESCO Section Sweden, SHR is the third largest section globally after Japan and China. CIDESCO, founded in 1946 and based in Zürich, Switzerland, promotes international standards in skin therapy and aesthetics. SHR participates in CIDESCO world congresses and issues CIDESCO-accredited diplomas through its member schools.
• Sveriges Hantverksråd (Swedish Craft Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHR works jointly with Sveriges Hantverksråd on gesäll- and mästarbrev (journeyman and master craftsman certificates) for skin therapists. Since 2020, SHR has also been designated by Sveriges Hantverksråd as the responsible organization for gesäll- and mästarbrev for make-up artists (makeupartist) and nail technicians (nagelterapeuter). Sveriges Hantverksråd administers the formal issuance of the certificates through Stiftelsen Hantverk & Utbildning.
• Företagsgruppen / Arctic (Insurance broker)coreOthersSHR has partnered with Företagsgruppen on Arctic to provide its members with preferential treatment injury insurance (behandlingsskadeförsäkring) and, for sole proprietors, company insurance (företagsförsäkring). Treatment injury insurance is mandatory for all members performing treatments. Contact: [email protected], tel. 08-746 05 60.
• WorldSkills Sweden / Yrkes-EMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHR participates in WorldSkills Sweden and sponsors the vocational European championships (Yrkes-EM), with skin therapists competing internationally. Gold sponsor as of the latest available information. Sweden has won three bronze medals in Yrkes-VM and one gold medal in Yrkes-EM.
• Look Good... Feel BetterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSHR supports the Look Good... Feel Better cancer support charity, which helps cancer patients manage the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. SHR members participate by offering skincare consultations, providing a GTM/marketing partnership that also serves as a CSR initiative.
• Axelsons InstitutecoreOthersAxelsons Institute in Stockholm is one of six SHR-approved training schools offering CIDESCO-accredited skin therapy education. Axelsons is a private education provider whose graduates qualify for SHR authorization.
• Gilda Skolan (Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö)coreOthersGilda Skolan operates three campuses (Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö) as SHR-approved training schools offering CIDESCO-accredited skin therapy education. Graduates qualify for SHR authorization and gesällbrev.
• Hudvårdshögskolan IBScoreOthersHudvårdshögskolan IBS in Stockholm is one of six SHR-approved training schools offering CIDESCO-accredited skin therapy education. Located in central Stockholm.
• Yrkeshögskolan Landskrona (Hud- och Spaterapeut)coreOthersYrkeshögskolan Landskrona offers the Hud- och Spaterapeut (skin and spa therapist) vocational programme, which is SHR-approved. This is a public vocational school (yrkeshögskola) as opposed to private schools.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Friseur- und Kosmetikverband Deutschland: German hairdressing and beauty trade association. Operates in a neighboring market with a similar mission — representing beauty professionals, lobbying on regulation, and providing member services — but does not compete directly in Sweden.

Broad incumbents

• ITEC (International Therapy Examination Council): International awarding body offering qualifications across beauty, complementary therapies, and sports. A broad incumbent in the same credentialing space, competing for recognition of its qualifications among Swedish employers.

Others

• CIDESCO International: The Zürich-headquartered international body for esthetics and cosmetology, of which SHR is the Swedish section. Not a competitor but the parent/umbrella network that SHR operates within and derives international authority from.

Direct peers

• Habia (Hair and Beauty Industry Authority): UK statutory standards-setting body for the hair and beauty industry. Comparable to SHR in its role of accrediting training programs, setting national occupational standards, and maintaining the recognized credential for practitioners.
• CIDESCO Section China: The Chinese national section of CIDESCO and the second-largest section globally. Operates as SHR's closest size-and-structure peer — a national professional association for estheticians operating under the CIDESCO umbrella.
• Associated Beauty Therapists (ABT): International membership association for beauty therapists offering insurance, accreditation, and CPD. A direct functional peer to SHR — small, member-funded, focused on therapist credentialing and protection.
• CIDESCO Section Japan: The Japanese national section of CIDESCO and the largest CIDESCO section globally. A peer in scale and function: it accredits schools, certifies estheticians, and represents Japan in the CIDESCO international framework.
• BABTAC (British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology): UK-based national membership association for beauty therapists and cosmetologists. Directly comparable to SHR in role: it sets professional standards, issues certifications, maintains a public salon directory, and provides liability insurance to members in its home market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sverigeshudterapeutersriksorganisation
• Instagraminstagram.com/shr_sveriges_hudterapeuter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shr-sveriges-hudterapeuters-riksorganisation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SHR (Sveriges Hudterapeuters Riksorganisation) CIDESCO Section Sweden