Follow a career in beauty

Beauty treatments and products can beautify, elevate, shape, modify, highlight, hide, colour and transform certain facial elements while at the same time also providing our bodies with much needed pampering and relaxation.

Salon owner Jewel Sansom says, as a beauty therapist you have the privilege to work very intimately with people and offer a service that improves the appearance of their skin, eyebrows, muscles, circulation and overall health.

“Would you like to perform beauty treatments, be a stylist, run your own business, travel the world, or train others?” she asks.

The range of courses, from two to three years, will give insight into a variety of beauty treatments including new techniques and styles and specialised services.

Courses

Jewel says a one- and two-year course is available for studying to become a beauty therapist, but salons prefer the two-year normal diploma course, but the three-year specialised diploma is the best.

“The specialised course means you can specialise in a specific area such as reflexology, aromatherapy and/or hydrotherapy, where the normal diploma only includes basic facials, massaging, waxing, plucking, tinting and all the basic stuff,” she adds.

To become a hairstylist, a two-year full-time course is needed, but a part-time three-year course is also available at various local colleges.

“Study methods change over the years depending on the quantity of students,” says Jewel.

All the levels of hair care include cutting, perming, up-styling, blow waving, basic washing, treatments, setting, the practical dos and don’ts.

“We teach the students how to use the products at the salon,” adds Jewel.

She also says a hairstylist always falls back to the basics as the salons change the basics according to personal preference.

There are basic rules in hairdressing to adhere to, it never changes.

Jewel feels the function of a unique hairstylist is the ability to add to every client’s need.

“Stylists need to adapt to the needs of the client, being it cutting colouring or treatment,” she says.

Nail courses can take from one week, with three to four months practical, whereafter the student has to write and do a practical exam.

Requirements

Beauty schools have widely varying requirements and curricula.

“Salon owners take in students with a Grade 12 senior certificate.

“This already means the student has a will to complete what they have started,” says Jewel.

Being an outgoing, dynamic and bubbling person will help the student to interact better with her clients.

A CV is a necessity as it gives a person with no experience a chance and salon owners teach them accordingly.

“It is easier to teach new habits than to get rid of old ones,” says Jewel.

She adds they send the students to college and the following subjects will help them to cope better. Mathematics and business economy will help the student to understand managing a business and its finances and pricing of the products.

Biology will help with the physics of the body, hair nails and skin, where science can help to understand the concept of measuring and how to mix the products as well as to understand the various products and its chemical ingredients.

“But students do not need to be put off by this as this will be taught at the college,” she adds.

Where

Jewel says various private institutions offer short courses in hair and nail care, but the two well known beauty schools closest to Springs are Rene’s Beauty Institute in Brakpan and Camelot International in Boksburg.

“These colleges are the ideal place to study when it comes to health, hair and skin-care training as well as spa therapy,” she adds.

The courses are divided into practical and theoretical terms which include time at the college as well as the salon.

Costs

To study hair care it can cost you up to R25 000 including a kit, excluding exam costs.

Beauty studies will cost you R70 000 for a two-year course including all the extras.

Time frame

A typical day at a salon is normally a nine-hour day, starting at 8am, with half-an-hour for lunch and finishing at 5pm, but according to Jewel, you never finish at 5pm.

“Working hours vary from salon to salon as some salons are closed on a Monday,” says Jewel.

Generally speaking, beauticians have the largest time commitment at about 1 500 hours experiential time, but nail technicians put in less time.

If on any medication, a client should tell the hairstylist, beauty therapist or beautician before starting any treatment or service.

“It should be one of the first questions asked when a client enters the salon,” she adds.

Some salons make use of a record card system where all the client’s details are available.

“Therefore, if the client comes back with a problem, and it is not stated on the record card, the salon cannot be held responsible,” she adds.

As a hairstylist Jewel can share a lot of funny experiences, but although this story is not a funny one, it meant a lot to her.

She lost her baby and was very sad at work, an elderly lady came for her regular salon visit and noticed Jewel’s sadness.

“She said, do not worry, the Lord will carry you through this,” says Jewel.

She adds some clients, whether at a hair or beauty salon or even at a spa, just need someone who will not judge them, who will give comfort and a listening ear.

Regular client at Jewels salon is Jade Adams.

She says nothing is better than feeling beautiful and therefore she visits salons on a regular basis – to beautify herself.

“You sometimes need a degree in psychology while dealing with the day-to-day client,” concludes Jewel.

Notes:

The function of a beauty school is to educate students in a number of fields, including cosmetology (beauty), nail, make-up and hair technologies.

Because of the diversity of fields that fall under the umbrella of beauty schools, each school will have its own requirements for admission and graduation.

Cosmetology is an overall combined word for beauty therapists and beauticians, taken from the Greek “kosmetikos” and refers to beauty or adornment of the hair and face.

Traditionally, beauty shops have served women, with hairstyling, hair colour, make-up, manicures and facials.

Thousands of years ago, barbers were responsible for shaving faces, shaving heads, cutting hair, manicuring, and even blood-letting and surgery.

Cosmetologists catered to the rich and famous: pharaohs, priests and priestesses, kings, queens and other nobles.

For more information, Camelot East Rand can be contacted on 011 823 3344 or email eastrand@camelothealth.co.za and Rene’s Beauty Institute on 011 740 7070.