Beauty Therapist
Job Description:Beauty therapists provide face and body treatments to help clients look and feel better.
Job Category:What you will do:
In your day-to-day tasks you may:
- give a facial by cleansing, massaging and toning a client’s skin
- do a makeover by applying and advising on make-up
- shape eyebrows and colour eyelashes
- give a manicure, pedicure or other nail treatment like extensions and nail art
- remove unwanted facial and body hair
- do non-surgical skin improvement treatments
- offer ultraviolet (UV) treatments and spray tanning
Skills:
You’ll need:
- the ability and knowledge to perform beauty procedures
- the ability to sell products and services (creativity)
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
As well as:
- customer service skills to put clients at ease
- sensitivity and understanding towards your clients’ needs
- the ability to work well with your hands for giving treatments
- excellent verbal communication skills to explain treatments
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail (organisational skills)
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to work well with others (teamwork skills)
Entry Requirements:
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- specialist courses run by private training providers
College
In the UK, for example, you could study for a:
- Diploma in Beauty Therapy
- Level in Hair, Beauty and Aesthetics
Apprenticeship
You can do an intermediate or advanced beauty therapist apprenticeship.
These typically take between 15 and 18 months to complete as a mix of workplace learning and off-the-job study.
Work
You could start out as a beauty therapy assistant in a salon or spa. You could then study for a qualification while you’re working.
Other Routes
You could also train with a private beauty school.
Working Hours and Environment:
A typical week consists of 37-40 hours of work. You could be required to work evenings/weekends as customers demand.
You could work in a salon, at a health spa, on a cruise ship, in a hotel or from home. You may need to wear protective clothing.
Career Path & Progression:
With experience you could progress to salon manager.
You could become self-employed and get your own salon, work from home or travel to clients.
You could also move into fashion, theatre or media make-up.