Learn cut hair, apply artificial nails and perform skin procedures through beauty school.
Aspiring cosmetologists receive beauty salon training to become professionals in a preferred field of aesthetics. Salon training includes instruction on cut, style, perm and color hair, give manicures and pedicures, apply makeup for work or special occasions and perform depilatory procedures on various parts of the body. Students learn employ heating elements, razors, scissors and chemicals to achieve proficiency in their trade.
Types
Many beauty salon schools divide cosmetic training into separate programs. Students wishing to excel in hairdressing typically enroll in a cosmetology program, which focuses training on cutting, coloring and hair design while introducing students to makeup application, salon management and product marketing. More specific studies concentrate on one or two elements of salon training, such as artificial nail application, hand and foot care and skin analysis. Esthetician training, a subdivision of beauty salon training, often focuses on facial treatments, hair removal and exfoliation.
Education
Many potential salon professionals receive training through accredited beauty schools. While some schools offer courses online, many schools require students to exhibit proficient hair cutting and styling skills in person to graduate. Most students begin hair cutting techniques on a mannequin and graduate to family members and close friends. Some students are eligible to offer discount hair cuts and styles to the public during salon training under professional supervision. Cosmetology students also get acquainted with hair biology and chemistry. This knowledge helps students grasp how chemical treatments and heating elements change hair texture and what methods they can use to prevent hair damage.
Tools and Techniques
Beauty salon trainees learn use tools and chemicals to achieve professional curling, straightening and cutting techniques. Such tools include a flat iron, a rectangular device with two hinged sides containing hot, flat plates that straighten wavy or curly hair. For ethnic hair, beauticians learn use chemical relaxers. Hairstylists employ hair shears and razors to fashion multi-dimensional styles and learn shampoo their clients' hair in a special sink.
Benefits
Accredited beauty education is one benefit of beauty salon training. Many employers only hire cosmetologists who received education from accredited institutions. According to beautyschooladvisor.com, the average cosmetology program lasts nine to 10 months, with more advanced programs requiring a few more months of training. This time frame, which is shorter than most college and university degree programs, allows professionals to begin working in their trade earlier than a student enrolled in a degree program.
Warnings
There are some health risks to becoming a beauty professional through beauty school training. According to safecosmetics.org, salon workers are continually at risk for exposure to toxic ingredients in salon products, such as dibutyl phthalate, which is used to add shine and bounce to hair. Nail technicians are especially at risk, as some products are formulated with formaldehyde, which is used as a nail hardener. According to safecosmetics.org, these products are suspect in causing cancer and birth defects.
