Job Descriptions - Definitions - Career Fields: Beautician

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Beautician

A pleasant personality, enthusiasm and drive, creativity, empathy with people, courteousness, professionalism, an artistic ability and a love of interesting work environments are essential to this career. You would need strong liaison skills, good communication; persuasiveness, sound organisational skills, patience and the ability to work on your own. Clients are not always noted for their calm personalities and you would occasionally have to be able to shrug off temper tantrums that are aimed at yourself.
If you had been following this profession in the time of the ancient Greeks, your task would have been both simpler but also more complex. Queen Cleopatra, in the 1st century, used blue eye shadow made from ground lapis lazuli stones for her upper eyelids and malachite for her lower ones. She darkened her eyebrows and eyelashes with kohl - fine powdered lead sulphide mixed with sheep's fat - and made her lips and cheeks red with the aid of red ochre (iron stained clay). Her palms were painted with henna to give them a youthful pink glow.

Henna, a reddish-brown dye made from Egyptian privet, was also used by the women as a nail varnish after it had been thickened with catech - a tannin-containing substance from the wood, bark or fruit of trees such as the acacia. In ancient Greece, white faces were deemed to be more beautiful than rouged cheeks so women smeared ceruse - white lead mixed with fat, oil or egg white - on their faces. The women from both these eras sickened from the lead poisoning and sometimes died. A common 17th century rouge ingredient and freckle remover was mercuric chloride, a poison so deadly that 1 gram can cause death. Thank goodness that modern day chemists have ensured that make-up is no longer fatal.

Today's beauty and health therapist is a highly qualified professional who has to adapt to a dynamic and fast moving pace and you would be using a battery of electronic equipment and highly specialised techniques for both face and body. There are strict rules concerning hygiene and clinical procedures. Your tasks would include the following:


* Assessment and treatment of skin and body problems.
* Slimming treatments in conjunction with a recommended doctor's diet.
* Cosmetic sales.
* Application of specialised make-up techniques.
* Permanent and temporary removal of unwanted facial and body hair.
* Manicuring and pedicuring.
* Tinting of eyelashes.
* The application of a variety of electrical equipment and specialised massage techniques such as reflexology, aromatherapy and manual lymph drainage.

The hours which you would be working could be extremely irregular, morning, afternoon night or the early hours of the morning or normal office hours - depending on your choice of employment. Many politicians, announcers, guests and so on, require treatment and specialised make-up to hide reflections from sweaty faces or bald heads, and you would have to be on call during the times that they are before a camera or on stage to repair their make-up.


Career Fields


Beauty and Hairdressing 
 
 



 
 

Courtesy: CareerExpo

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