Any
individual who provides manicures or pedicures, shampoos, cuts, dyes or styles
hair, or provides cosmetic skin care services, including makeup application, is
considered a cosmetologist.
The main
objective of any cosmetologist is to always make clients look and feel their
best. This is primarily done through professional care and treatment of the
clients' hair, skin and nails.
Depending on the actual
job title and the duties performed by the cosmetologist, the type of education,
training and licensing required for each job will vary. There will also be
variations from state to state.
A successful cosmetologist will have the skill and ability to provide clients
with such an enjoyable and rewarding experience that they will keep coming back.
In order to achieve this level of skill, they have to stay current
with the latest fashion trends and continually improve their training and
education. Cosmetologists have exciting careers that offer plenty of opportunity
for personal improvement and financial advancement.
Jobs and Responsibilities After Beauty School School
Some basic
duties performed on a daily basis after finishing beauty
school include:
-
Washing,
cutting, and shaping hair and hair pieces
-
Straightening or curling hair
-
Dyeing,
bleaching or tinting hair
-
Styling wigs
and hair pieces
-
Performing
head or neck massages
-
Providing
therapeutic advice and/or treatment to clients with scalp conditions
-
Removing or
bleaching facial and body hair
-
Applying
cosmetics and makeup
-
Cleaning,
trimming and polishing nails
As cosmetologists become more skilled and experienced, and as
they build a loyal clientele, their earning potential will greatly increase.
Their options for advancement will also increase. Opportunities will become
available to manage shops or salons, and even to open their own establishments.
Cosmetologists can also become sales representatives for beauty and skin care
product manufacturers. And they can also become teachers in cosmetology schools.
It all depends on their personal interests and abilities.
Where Cosmetology School Graduates Can Work
Most raduates work in beauty salons, barber shops and nail
salons. Other places include resorts, day spas, department stores, drug stores
and even nursing homes.
Cosmetology Schools Training and Education
The
educational and training requirements will vary from
state to state. All states require licensing. One of the requirements for
licensing is graduation from cosmetology or beauty school. Typically, a
requirement for enrollment in cosmetology school is completion of high school.
However, this varies from state to state. In some states, only an eighth grade
education is required prior to enrolling.
After successful completion of the program, applicants for a
cosmetology license will typically be required to pass a written test and
practical exam.
Most
schools will offer a variety of cosmetology
programs. The most common programs offered are: esthetics, cosmetology, electrolysis, nail technology and teacher
training.
-
An
esthetics program will provide the
student with training in makeup application, facials, waxing, and head and
neck massaging.
-
A full
cosmetology program will educate the
student in the specifics of hair cutting and styling, skin care, makeup
application, and nail care.
-
An
electrolysis program will train the
student on how to perform permanent hair removal of the face and body through
electrolysis.
-
A nail
technology program will teach the
student the techniques for manicures and pedicures.
-
A teacher
training program will prepare the
student to train others who want to become cosmetologists.
How long it
takes a student to complete training depends on the
program the student chooses. Normally, a full cosmetology program will take
between 1400 and 1600 hours to complete. The actual number of required hours
depends on the state. An esthetics program may
take an average of 300 hours, a nail technology program may require between 600
to 700 hours, and an electrolysis program may require approximately 500 hours. A
full-time student at a beauty school should be able to
complete a full cosmetology program in under two years.
Cosmetology School Accreditation
The main
accrediting agency for beauty schools is the National
Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (NACCAS). The NACCAS is
not the only accrediting agency. Two
others are the Accrediting Council for Continued Education and Training (ACCET)
and the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT).
The main
benefit of enrolling in a beauty school that has been
accredited is that students will be eligible for financial aid. Another benefit
is that accredited schools have met the minimum
academic requirements that are set by the accrediting agency. Students attending
an accredited school can be confident in the
quality of the academic curriculum, the qualification of the instructors, and
the quality of the facilities.
Job Numbers for Beauty School Graduates
According to
the NACCAS, there were more than 1.6 million working cosmetologists in 2003.
Earnings and Wages for Cosmetology
School Graduates
The median
annual income for cosmetologists in 2004 (which includes tips and commissions)
was $19,800. The median income for skin care specialists in the same year was
$24,000.
Employment Prospects for Beauty School Graduates
According to
the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the expected growth rate for jobs
is about the same as the average for all occupations through 2014. While job
prospects for are good throughout
the country, the majority of jobs exist in larger cities and more densely
populated areas.
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