Cosmetology Schools - Cosmetologist

Cosmetology is an expanding business.

A cosmetologist, sometimes called beautician or beauty specialist, is someone who specializes in giving beauty treatments, usually to women. A cosmetologist is proficient in hair treatments, facials and other skin treatments and nail treatments.

Some cosmetologists specialize in just one of these areas. The sub-categories of cosmetologist are hair stylist, shampooer, manicurist, estheticians and electrologists. Often cosmetologists specialize in more than one of these categories.

Requirements for Cosmetologists

All states require cosmetologists to be licensed. Qualifications for a license, however, vary. Generally, a person must have graduated from a state-licensed cosmetology school and be at least 16 years old. A few states require applicants to pass a physical examination. Some states require graduation from high school while others require as little as an eighth-grade education.

Training Offered at Cosmetology Schools

Most cosmetology schools offer daytime or evening classes in cosmetology. Full-time programs last 9 to 24 months, but training for manicurists and pedicurists, skin care specialists, and electrologists requires significantly less time.

Students at cosmetology schools study the basic services—cutting hair, shaving customers, providing facial massages, and giving hair and scalp treatments—and, under supervision, practice on customers in school "clinics."

Most cosmetology schools also teach unisex hairstyling and chemical styling. Students attend lectures on the use and care of instruments, sanitation and hygiene, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, and the recognition of simple skin ailments. Instruction also is provided in communication, sales, and general business practices.

What Students do After Graduating from Cosmetology Schools

After graduating cosmetology schools, students usually take a state-licensing exam, which consists of a written test and, in some cases, a practical test of styling skills based on established performance criteria. A few states include an oral examination in which the applicant is asked to explain the procedures he or she is following while taking the practical test.