You'll be in on a booming business – as 21st-century Britons flock to improve their faces or bodies in all manner of ways, with new methods and technologies flooding the market.
Who can I work for?
Many chains and franchises, such as Champneys Health Resorts, Marriot Hotels & Country Clubs and Cannons Health Clubs, or more local, smaller concerns, such as within a hairdressing salon. Hotels, medical and sports injury clinics will also require your services. The fact supermarket giant Tesco is entering this market shows this industry's employment potential. Fashion, media and performing arts groups might also be able to provide employment.
Where and when can I work?
You'll be office/shop-bound, unless working on an appointment-only/call-out basis working round working clients or working from home. There is scope to work overseas, in holiday resorts or even cruise ships. You'll looking at typical shop hours, 9-6, sometimes, dependent on your employers, on a Sunday.
What can I earn?
Salon managers and senior managers performing specialist treatments (ie, electrolysis) can earn more than £20K. With two years experience as a qualified therapist, you should get £13-£17K. New qualifiers will earn about £10K.
What are the benefits?
Wages may be boosted by commission and tips. In these challenging economic days, beauty therapy is a growth industry, affording many job opportunities. Few people want to grow old – especially now there are the treatments to slow age's advance. How many UK professions can say the value of their market grew 14% in last year's recession (2010)? Beauty treatment professionals could say this, with the luxury beauty product market being worth just shy of £2 billion. Nail polish is the best performing category. Plenty of scope to work part-time.
Are there chances of promotion?
You could start your own business, specialise in particular areas or teach students.
What will I be responsible for?
+ Facials, manicures, pedicures, make-up and waxing treatments.
+ Skin tests or taking brief medical histories before certain procedures, noting down any allergies, sensitivities, medication or medical conditions that may affect or be affected by the treatment.
+ Managing stock and replenishing products when necessary.
+ Skin tests or taking brief medical histories before certain procedures, noting down any allergies, sensitivities, medication or medical conditions that may affect or be affected by the treatment.
+ Maintaining high levels of cleanliness and hygiene, ensuring equipment is working properly.
+ Managing stock and replenishing products when necessary.
+ Greeting clients, making hot drinks, booking bookings, answering the phone – especially when you first start.
+ You might specialise in tangents such as tanning treatments, nail art, electrotherapy facials, laser treatment, message and spa treatments.
+ Before carrying out a treatment, the therapist will usually have a consultation with the client, explaining the procedure and the expected results.
What qualifications do I need?
There's not one generic, cover-all qualification that beauty firms look for. The five they most accept are: The ITEC (International Examination Board) diploma in Beauty Therapy; CIBTAC (Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology) diploma in Beauty Therapy; an NVQ diploma, levels 1, 2 and 3 in Beauty Therapy; a BTEC in Beauty Therapy Sciences; and the CIDESCO (Comite International d'Esthetique et de Cosmetologie diploma in Beauty Therapy. All courses will teach you the basics and run supplementary courses, and most will be largely practical but also include a theoretical part as well, given that you will need a grounding in dermatology, physiology and anatomy before you can treat a client. You may be required to specialise in a particular brand of products. But this is no great hurdle if you haven't – most firms will offer in-house training.
Do I need any experience?
Work experience or shadowing will boost your CV, but firms will demand you're fully qualified, or, at the very least, still training.
What attributes are needed?
This really is a job that requires the human, personable touch, particularly in making a client feel comfortable before treatment, putting their looks in your hands. You'll be naturally artistic but with attention to detail with a good eye for what treatments are compatible with each client's look. You'll have the steady hand of a surgeon – with a stomach to match! Many procedures entail intimate contact with personal parts of a client's body. You'll be the soul of discretion out of the shop/office, as well as in it.