Cosmetology is the professional practice of beautifying hair, skin, and nails. If you are interested in the field, you can take relevant courses and choose popular careers like that of a makeup artist, hair stylist, or nail technician. Hairdressing, in particular, involves cutting, trimming, styling, and curling hair, along with providing hair treatments. Cosmetologists offer a variety of services, including hairdressing. Here is all you need to know to build a career in the field:

Hairdressing versus cosmetology
A hairdresser can offer haircuts and hair styling services, which may involve washing, coloring, and hair treatments. In the country, a cosmetologist is a person who is trained in hair styling, facial treatments, and makeup analysis. Typically, a hairstylist focuses on only hair, and a makeup artist has some expertise in cosmetics, but a cosmetologist is trained to work with skin and the scalp. Some professionals in the industry also receive training in providing treatments for nails, face, and hair removal.

Top services
The variety of hairdressing and cosmetology services keeps expanding with time. Here are some of the common services you can expect at a salon or a spa:

• Haircut
• Hair styling
• Hair coloring
• Massages
• Waxing and other hair removal services
• Nail treatments and manicures
• Skincare

Career benefits
If you are interested in learning about makeup and hair, you might enjoy a career in cosmetology and hairdressing. Here are some of the key benefits of taking up a job in this field:

Flexibility: One of the benefits of choosing hairdressing and cosmetology is that you can get a job at a salon, personal care centers, and even as a freelancer, as people always need a haircut. Other than that, if you have a cosmetology degree in hand, you can find jobs pretty much anywhere. If you are a cosmetologist, hairdresser, or makeup artist, you can kickstart your career based on your preferences. You can rent a room or office and set up a salon.

You can also start a mobile business where you provide services to clients at a location of their choice or at their homes. This allows you to schedule services at your convenience and account for downtime. Running a mobile hair salon is a less costly alternative to traditional salons. It can help you cater to customers who have urgent commitments and those who cannot visit the salon. If you are considering offering home visits, you should always carry all the basic hairstyling, skincare, and makeup equipment at all times.

Pleasant working experience: Cosmetology is considered one of the happiest fields in the world. In this field, you can always engage with people and build relationships with clients using skills like creativity and passion for making a lasting career. The flexibility here also provides job satisfaction.

Ease in building a name: By building lasting client relationships, you can easily make a name for yourself. You can create a social media profile and get photo shoots displaying your work. You can offer specialized services for specific events like weddings and fashion shows and build a reputation in the field.

People-focused industry: If you are a people-person, you get to enjoy working with new people as a cosmetologist, hairdresser, or makeup artist. You get to meet new clients every day, which means you can great connections. Further, in this industry, you get to create so many hairstyles, work on different hair textures, and hone your skills. If you work with makeup, you can experiment with a variety of products for different skin types and expand your knowledge.

Develop people skills: In this field, you will learn a bit about client psychology and deal with different kinds of customers. This type of career teaches you a lot about how to interact with and manage people, which is a transferable skill that you can utilize in multiple jobs.

To become a cosmetologist, you must study at a well-known school or institute that provides you with a certificate or degree at the end of cosmetology and hairdressing training. Once you are a graduate, you need to get licensed in your state. So, consider checking out all the requirements while you are still in school. To qualify for a license, you should graduate from a state-approved cosmetology program and pass an exam. During your studies, you will be taught about various cosmetology products, techniques, and basic customer-handling etiquette. Cosmetology courses can last from 8 months to two years, covering hands-on training, lab sessions, and theory. You can also find courses specializing in hairdressing.