BEAUTY CARE

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder’, a famous Shakespearean phrase discusses about the external and internal beauty of a human being. Who doesn’t want to look beautiful or handsome in other’s eyes? When you talk about external beauty be it your face, skin, hair or even nails- every one, no matter men or women are beauty conscious and want to look perfect. This has led to the flourishing of the field of Cosmetology, generally known as beauty care. 

Derived from the Greek word 'kosmetikos', which means 'skilled in adornment', Cosmetology is the study and application of beauty handling. 'Beauty care' that helps people look their best, is a field for those who have an eye for beauty and enjoy interaction with others. With the work environment getting increasingly competitive and professional, and the growing awareness of health and beauty among men and women, the need to appear well-groomed and attractive has assumed greater importance in today's world. This has resulted in the growth of beauty products and beauty treatments, turning beauty care into a fast growing and lucrative career. Broadly Cosmetology includes every thing from beauty therapy to health care. Work in this field involves the knowledge and use of a range of treatments and equipments to enhance the appearance of the face, body and hair. The main task of a beautician is to give an attractive appearance to their clients. In this field, success has no relationship to the age of the practitioner. Although tastes and trends in beauty keep on changing, the basic job of a beautician/ beauty care professionals remain the same. Hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures / pedicures, and electrology are the specializations or various fields of Cosmetology. This is one field, one can easily get into and be successful.

Since the working medium of this field is a live person, it is one of the most rewarding of all art works

Eligibility :

Cosmetologists take care of our beauty professionally. They may be Medical professionals and Non-medical cosmetologists. Even though both of them in the broad sense do the same job basically, they possess completely different qualifications and methods of application. To be a Medical Cosmetologist or Cosmetic Dermatologist one needs to have a Post graduate degree in Dermatology (MD or diploma/DNB) after MBBS, but a Non-Medical Cosmetologist doesn’t need any professional qualifications as such, besides good hands on experience. Those who have a keen interest and inclination in beauty care can enter the field after completing schooling at a minimum age of sixteen years.

Rather than high academic inputs, a beautician requires practical skills, which can be gained not only by professional training, but also with a great deal of hands-on practice. This can be acquired either by working at a good saloon or by enrolling for a course at a reputed beauty school. There are short-term diploma and certificate courses in beauty and hair care available which if taken will be an advantage for budding beauticians in their career growth. The duration of the courses depends upon the specialisation and varies according to the institution. In USA and Europe, Cosmetologists need to be licensed to practice in their field.

Personal skills: 

The main attribute needed for a beauty professional is a good sense of aesthetics, creative bent of mind and a liking for people of all ages. They should possess good business sense and the ability to express oneself easily. Knowledge of different languages is an asset in this field. Another important factor needed for a beautician is the attitude to keep abreast of all the latest trends introduced into the beauty circuit and the willingness to learn everything. The creativity is a needed skill for this profession. They must be friendly, polite, attractive and confident. Hygiene is a very important thing and the cosmetologists should be in Good health, should not be allergic.

Job prospects :

Cosmetology has a variety of fields such as hair styling, aesthetics, manicure, pedicure and electrolysis which one can specialize in. This is a profession, possible to practice in more than one specialisation concurrently. To achieve professionalism and a good reputation in this field, a beauty specialist must blend their technical skills with a dash of creativity and imagination.

 •  Hair styling: A specialized area of cosmetology, hair styling deals not only with cutting but also with other services such as shampooing, colouring, texturizing, perming, straightening, bonding and also restorative treatment. In hairstyling alone, one can specialise in cuts, colour, or perms and even choose to be a wig stylist. Hair specialists use a wide range of techniques to make hair look healthy and attractive. They advice clients on suitable hairstyles and teach them how to care for their hair. They are required to know about the care and application of hairpieces, wigs and other accessories.
 •  Aesthetics: Estheticians deals with the skin care treatments such as facial treatment, massage, waxing, peeling etc. The estheticians also do aromatherapy, spa treatments, make ups, body wraps, and also laser treatments. They should be aware of skin types and also knowledgeable to recommend skin care products for their clients apt for their skins. Qualified estheticians can even work in hospitals by training patients how to take care of their skin after surgery.
 •  Manicure and Pedicure: Derived from the Latin words 'manus' (hands) and 'cura' (care) a manicurist take care of hands and nails. They beautify the hands and nails by cleaning and shaping the nails. Besides putting nail polishes some manicurist may decorate nails with paintings or designs or even with imitation jewels. The same treatment done on feet is called pedicure. One could even specialize in mehandi designing, which is used to decorate hands and legs.
 •  Electrolysis: An electrologist removes unwanted hair permanently using a method called electrolysis that uses an electric probe. Laser treatment is an advanced form of hair removal by radiation of light.

Medical Cosmetology is a scientific field of medicine and medical cosmetologist or Cosmetic dermatologists can start his own practice or work in any hospital as Cosmetic surgeons, dermatologists and surgical aides. They are physicians first, who care for the external aspects of the living body. They treat diseases and prescribe treatments taking the health of the patient into consideration. They do surgical procedures such as liposuction, lifting of body parts, correcting deformities thus reshaping and correcting abnormalities, as well as non surgical procedures like chemical peeling of skin, administering botox, thread lift etc for rejuvenation.

Cosmetologists can get jobs in cosmetic companies or industries. Cosmetic companies like Revlon, Lakme offer a number of opportunities as beauty executives, cosmetologists and even beauty advisors or consultants. Another opportunity in Cosmetic firms is as a salesperson, and for this in addition to detailed knowledge of the products they promote, they must possess excellent knowledge of grooming, skin, hair and nail care.

The specialized fields of cosmetology such as hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicure/pedicure, and electrology offers a variety of job opportunities in the respective areas. Beauty saloons, spas, resorts and star hotels are some other areas one could get a job after becoming a Cosmetologist. Experienced cosmetologists, especially make up artists & hair stylists are in great demand in the fashion, advertising, film, television and theatre industry. In this field, Makeup artistes require specialized knowledge of make-up applications that will hold out under powerful studio lighting.

Beauty care specialists can work with beauty parlours ranging from luxurious salons at five star hotels to commercial establishments and small, intimate owner-run parlours. A beginner in this field can work under an experienced beautician, which helps to gain a tremendous amount of experience and to keep in touch with new developments. After gaining the requisite experience, one could set up their own beauty saloons or clinics. To open their own parlour, one need thorough professional knowledge of beauty culture, sufficient funds, an accessible location, quality equipment and materials and dollops of business sense.

One can also be appointed as instructors in health clubs and allied fields or teach in Cosmetology schools. They can work as a Consultant Cosmetology expert in newspapers, magazines and web publishers

Remuneration:

The remuneration depends up on the size and reputation of the business one works for. One starting out with beauty parlours can take home any thing from Rs. 3000 to 10,000 per month. But you can demand your price, as far as you practice all the aspects of the job and become successful and popular.

A make-up artiste charges anywhere from Rs.500 to Rs.4,000 to do a bridal or photographic make-up. During season the pay scale may increases twofold. For make up and hair dressing in advertising campaigns one can earn around Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500 for a day's work. In modelling assignments, the pay scale is much higher and it would be around Rs 3,500 or more per day depending on the top-line-professionals.