Maybe you’ve got a knack for mastering the latest hairstyles or your friends always come to you for perfectly shaped brows. You’re thinking you could turn these skills into a career but first, you need to know how to become a cosmetologist or esthetician.
Read on to find out all the details about what it takes to become a professional cosmetologist or esthetician.
What’s the difference between a cosmetologist and an esthetician?
To work with clients as a cosmetologist or esthetician, you need to be licensed by the state in which you plan to work. But first, let’s clarify the difference between these two types of practitioners.
A cosmetologist can perform any or all of the following services:
- Treating a person’s hair, wig, or hairpiece (including cuts, color, styles, weaves, etc.)
- Treating a person’s mustache or beard
- Cleansing, stimulating or massaging a person’s scalp, neck, face, or arms (by hand or using an appliance or cosmetic product)
- Beautifying a person’s face, neck, or arms (using a cosmetic product or appliance)
- Administering facial treatments
- Hair removal
- Treating a person’s nails (including cuts, color, manicuring, or attaching fake nails)
- Massaging, cleansing, treating or beautifying a person’s hands or feet
- Applying lash extensions
An esthetician can perform any or all of the following services:
- Cleansing, stimulating or massaging a person’s scalp, neck, face, or arms (by hand or using an appliance or cosmetic product)
- Beautifying a person’s face, neck, or arms (using a cosmetic product or appliance)
- Administering facial treatments
- Hair removal
- Applying lash extensions
How to become a cosmetologist
To work as a cosmetologist, you’ll need what is called an Operator’s License in the state where you plan to work. An Operator’s License essentially tells clients that you have been trained to perform the services you provide, as well as in proper methods of sanitation and hygiene.
If you want to become a cosmetologist, you must be at least 17 years old and have a high school diploma, the equivalent of a high school diploma, or have passed a valid examination administered by a certified testing agency that measures a person’s ability to benefit from training.
Different states have varying qualifications, but in Texas, you must have 1500 hours of instruction in a licensed beauty culture school OR 1000 hours of instruction in beauty culture courses plus 500 hours of related high school courses prescribed by the commission in a vocational cosmetology program in a public school.
How to become an esthetician
If you want to work as an esthetician, you’ll need an Esthetician Specialty License. This license obtained in the state where you plan to work allows you to perform the services described in the section above.
To be eligible for an Esthetician Specialty License, you also need to be at least 17 years old and have a high school diploma, the equivalent of a high school diploma, or have passed a valid examination administered by a certified testing agency that measures a person’s ability to benefit from training.
Similar to cosmetologists, different states have different requirements for estheticians, but in Texas, you must have 750 hours of instruction in esthetics specialty through a commission-approved training program.
How to find a school to become a cosmetologist or esthetician
In order to get your Operator’s License or Esthetician Specialty License, you need instructional hours at an approved beauty culture school or training program. You don’t want to waste your time at school that won’t be accepted by your state licensing board.
For Texas residents, you can search https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/SchoolCurriculumWebSearch/ for an approved instructional school.
If you live in a different state, go to the website for your state’s cosmetology licensing department and you should find a list of approved schools.
The Bottom Line
If you have an interest in hair, nails, or skin and want to explore career options, you’ll need to become a cosmetologist or esthetician in order to work with clients. Licensing requirements vary by state, but you’ll need approved instruction to get certified. Once you have your license, you can take your skills in any direction you want!