It seems more and more these days that science and chemistry are surfacing in cosmetology education and training. This addition to the basic beauty curriculum can be attributed to the more sophisticated procedures and methods used in hair care and skin care.

Ten years ago, if you said ‘esthetician,’ most people wouldn’t know what you were talking about. Nowadays, you can choose your beauty professionals like you choose your clothes. With so many different avenues that have branched out of beauty, like esthetics, massage therapy, aromatherapy and advancements in hair treatments, customers can choose a trained beauty professional for their all their different beauty needs.

Salons have also transformed into tranquil and stress-relieving sanctuaries that are making people turn their beauty regimens into a sacred and peaceful event – some beauty treatments even lasting for hours.

How does chemistry come into the equation? Since these beauty procedures have advanced into the science realm, schools are beefing up their classes to include anatomy, the study blood-borne pathogens, chemistry basics for hair treatments, the use of microscopes to determine different types of skin-related problems, and many other scientific aspects of beauty.

These new and advanced classes help each beauty student to take their career from solely a hairdresser to a full-fledged cosmetologist who can not only style hair but recognize skin problems, promote healthier choices for your mind and body, and perform advanced treatments for hair and skin.

What about your school or salon? Does your cosmetology school infuse the science of beauty with traditional beauty education? Tell us all about it!

The cosmetology field employs creative people in every city, in every state in the country. According to a national survey released by the National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences in December 2007, nearly 53 percent of salon owners had job openings for trained and educated beauty professionals. That’s right. Even in this economy, job openings in the world of beauty are still flooding in.

Nearly three quarters of them, though, said that they had a hard time finding qualified applicants. If that doesn’t scream opportunity, I don’t know what does! More than half of the salons in the country are full-service salons, so they offer all kinds of different beauty services to their clients such as hairstyling, nail services or makeup. There are tons of spots open around the country for people fresh out of cosmetology school and equipped with the hands-on training and knowledge to do an awesome job in real life.

So for all you beauty-loving, makeup-obsessed, creative people who have a passion for fashion, why not turn that passion into a profession? Whether you’re fresh out of high school and just beginning to consider a career or you’ve been in the working world for a while and want a new direction, have you thought about a career in beauty?