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How to Become a Cosmetologist
Career Resources, Education, and Licensing Information
Becoming a Cosmetologist isn’t as simple as some people think. There are several things you need to learn, understand, and take stock of as you go to cosmetology school and try to live out your dream. There’s a lot of fun to be had working in the beauty industry, and there are several different niches too.
You might have the drive to work in the hair, skin, and nails industry, or perhaps work in a local barbershop. However, the drive is only half the battle, and you need a few more things to truly become a cosmetologist. Thankfully, if you are willing to work hard and learn a few new things, then here’s what you need to become a cosmetologist.
Earn Your Degree
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Education & Cosmetology
Starting things off, you need to be at least 17-18 years of age (depending on the state) and have a high school diploma or a GED. You should also have a real passion for beauty and for making others beautiful. If you don’t you should walk away because this isn’t a type of job where you are going to go through the motions and succeed.
You need to enjoy making people look good, and you should have the ability to learn. Everyone is going to want something different when it comes to their hair or skin. So you might be doing a buzz cut for someone one day, and then an updo for a wedding the next. All while also applying makeup, nails, and skincare as well.
It’s a lot, but if you go to a good school then you will learn everything you need and will be able to get your work done.
Learn about the Requirements it Takes to Become a Cosmetologist in your State
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Patience
Every single cosmetology school is different, but they all have hours that need to be attended and subjects that need to be taught during those hours. For example, one hair school might have 2,000 hours required to graduate, a second might have 1,500, and a third might have 1,000. No matter the number, they work like a job, and the amount of hours needed depends on the state.
You clock in, do the school work, and clock out. Every single hour is tracked, and when you reach your target number you can graduate and take the two tests needed. You can either join your school’s cosmetology program full time or go part time, and that will affect when you finish.
Cosmetology school includes hair, skin, and nails, so you will have licenses in all three. That’s certainly a great reward for just a little bit of time. After all those hours are done, then you will be focused on the exams.
Passing the Cosmetology Exams
After you have completed the required hours for your state beauty school, then you need to study for the two exams that you need to pass to actually get your degree. The first exam is a theory exam and it largely focuses on the questions that you have been asked during school. For example, they focus on the scientific theory of hair and hair growth, along with questions about hair, skin, and nail care.
The exact number of questions that the exam has depends on the state, but all of the theory exams are multiple choice and take anywhere from one and a half hours to two hours. Once the theory exam is completed, then you will need to move to the practical exam.
This exam will either have you working on mannequins or a real volunteer depending on the state. Either way, you will be working on them to show off your practical skills regarding hair and nails under the eye of an evaluator. The evaluator will take you through a series of tasks, from disinfecting the work area, to cutting hair, to painting nails.
You will have a set amount of time for the examination and a set time to do each task, all while being scored by the evaluator. Once the scoring is complete, then you will receive your scores in the mail.
You Can Do Anything Once You Have The License
After you have your cosmetology degree, you can do just about anything with it. You can open up a barbershop or your own salon, work at some of the biggest salon brands in the country, or even work at funeral homes, resort centers, and various other places where people want to become beautiful.
You will be able to work in the hair, skin, and nail niches, either doing all three or working at one niche specifically. The best part about a cosmetology license is that you can go laser focused on one niche, at the expense of the others. Or you can go for a wide spread and get a little bit of everything into your career.
No matter what you want to do in the field of cosmetology, you can achieve it with a license. Getting the license for any of these niches is fairly straightforward and just requires a lot of patience, support, and hard work. If you want to be a cosmetologist, then luckily you have those qualities in spades!