What is Cosmetology and What Careers Do Cosmetologists Have?

In every beauty enthusiast’s quest to enhance facial features, hair, nails, or skin complexion, they seek beauty expert advice, eager to learn the next trend or master a technique. If this sounds like you, then studying cosmetology at a beauty school will help pave the path to a career in beauty. Cosmetology explores beauty treatments spanning nail care, hair, skincare, makeup application, waxing, and how to achieve a look using traditional and contemporary design and styling techniques.

Beauty trends have demonstrated that creativity and originality have won over a following of beauty tastemakers in recent years. At Evergreen Beauty College, we invite aspiring beauty professionals to join our cosmetology program, where our instructors will help you develop your craft and stir your creativity.

In this article, we’ll review the varying professions you can forge by studying cosmetology, what you can expect to learn, and how to get started in your career path.

Which professions can you do with a cosmetology certificate?

After students graduate from a cosmetology program and pass the board exam, they look for business opportunities. By the end of the program, virtually all students already know which specialization they want to pursue within the beauty industry.

Licensed cosmetologists can go on to become hair stylists, manicurists, or makeup artists. You can do a wide variety of things in the beauty field. Beyond the more traditional positions hair stylists and makeup artists can apply to, there are also successful careers waiting as key makeup artists working for movies and television.

Here are some of the services you will learn as a budding cosmetologist.

Hair stylist

While in cosmetology school, students will learn best practices, maintain a clean station, sanitize products, and practice communicating effectively with clients. Many graduates follow a career as a hairstylist. You’ll learn the following skills:

• Braiding, updos, blowouts
• Artificial hair, permanent waving
• Hair cutting, hair styling, hair trends
• Styling hair
• Nail designs
• Chemical processing and hair coloring
• Highlighting and lowlighting
• Waxing facial hair and body hair
• A range of beauty services

Our instructors at Evergreen Beauty College give equal degrees of attention when supervising students. You’ll learn and apply varying techniques on bewigged mannequins, working with instructors and benefitting from class critiques.

Each campus has a student-operated hair salon where students will put their newly developed skills to work on actual clients while being led by instructors.

Naturally, students will be concerned about whether a client will like how a service turns out. These are real concerns that every professional hair stylist faces with a client. The objective of our classes is to learn how to consult with clients.

If a student prioritizes effectively consulting over doing what the client wants, they will have a better outcome and usually secure returning clients. You have to learn to strike a balance between explaining to a client how their expectations might not align with the outcome completely and also striving to give them what they want.

For example, multiple chemical processing and coloring done quickly can cause additional and noticeable damage to the hair. At the campus salon, students will learn how to educate clients on the steps to achieve the desired results with minimal damage.

Our campus salon philosophy is unique. We encourage students to build a rapport with clients and exchange information so that once a cosmetology student graduates, the client can follow them along with the cosmetology career.

Beauty buyer and skin treatments

Students will study basic skincare and facials in our cosmetology program. This is a valuable asset for anyone looking to gain a broad understanding of all types of beauty treatments. Many cosmetology students become beauty buyers at salons, cosmetic brands, and makeup counters. As a beauty buyer, you must stay abreast of cosmetology industry trends, as well as have an understanding of formulations and ingredients.

In cosmetology, students will cover these topics. Evergreen offers an Esthetics program for those seeking a deeper understanding of skincare or wanting to become an esthetician.

While students study nail services, we offer nail technician courses as a concentration.

Makeup artists

Our aspiring makeup artists will explore shades, mixing foundations to perfectly match a complexion, and learn to transform dull skin into a luminous and bright appearance––all with the help of concealers, moisturizers, and makeup techniques.

Many makeup artists painstakingly work on their craft, following trends and continuing their education post-graduation by attending workshops. After completing the cosmetology program, students must earn a cosmetology license by taking the state’s licensing exams. Many makeup artists start their beauty careers working at makeup counters or becoming a protégé in the entertainment or fashion industry.

Salon owners or managers

If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, becoming a salon owner may be your path. Business owners need an unrelenting drive, organization, and excellent communication skills. Suppose you’re interested in becoming a salon owner. In that case, it’s not necessary to first have managerial experience, but it will undoubtedly set you up for success in your venture to operate your business.

Cosmetology instructors

As the saying goes, if you want to master your craft, teach it! Many cosmetology students work as hairstylists and makeup artists for years before applying for a role as an instructor. If you’re looking to fast-track your way into teaching, consider taking our Instructor Training course.

How to begin cosmetology school

Taking the first step is exciting and relatively simple. If you’re searching for a cosmetology school, we recommend touring the campus you want to see. To tour a campus at Evergreen Beauty College, simply schedule a tour. There are courses in cosmetology for high school students available at some schools, where students can start learning technical skills early.

You’ll get to meet other students on campus, speak to the instructors, and get a sense of what being a student at Evergreen is like. We offer flexible scheduling to accommodate you, financial assistance to students who qualify, and a wealth of resources on campus for students to succeed.

FAQ – What is cosmetology?

What do cosmetologists do?

A cosmetologist is an expert in many beauty treatments, including applying makeup, basic facials, styling, cutting, and coloring hair. If you want to learn beyond basic skincare and facials, you will study esthetics as a concentration.

Which profession gets the highest pay in cosmetology?

A successful salon owner may bring in the highest salary. Following a business owner, spa managers have the potential to make the highest salary. Nail techs and hair stylists both can make competitive salaries. If you are a highly successful freelance hair stylist and business owner, you can expect to make a lucrative salary, but the hustle is real!

What skills do you need as a hairstylist?

You must learn to be professional, consult clients, cut, style, color, highlight, manage expectations, and manage appointments.

Before working in a salon as a hairstylist, you must attend a cosmetology program and pass your cosmetology exam to earn a license.