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- Requires a friendly and welcoming manner and the ability to make clients feel relaxed
- Option to progress to salon manager, or become self-employed and start your own salon
- Work in a high street salon or beauty clinic, health spa, hotel, or on a cruise ship
As a beauty therapist, you'll provide a range of face and body treatments.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Giving a facial by cleansing, massaging and toning a client's skin
- Giving a makeover by applying and advising on make-up, shaping eyebrows and colouring eyelashes
- Giving a manicure, pedicure or other nail treatment like extensions and nail art
- Removing unwanted facial and body hair
- Giving electrotherapy treatments to improve body tone and shape
- Giving non-surgical skin improvement treatments
- Offering UV (ultraviolet) and spray tanning
- Answering the telephone and greeting clients
- Booking appointments
- Checking and ordering supplies
- Keeping notes of clients' medical histories and treatment programmes
You might also offer treatments like:
- Massage
- Aromatherapy
- Hydrotherapy
- Reflexology
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You could also be self-employed, working from home or visiting clients in their own homes. You may spend a lot of your time standing. You may need to have colour normal vision.
Many salons offer evening and weekend appointments. You could work in a high street salon or beauty clinic, health spa, hotel, or on a cruise ship.
You'll need
This role requires a friendly and welcoming manner and the ability to make clients feel relaxed.
To become a fully qualified beauty therapist, you'll usually need to complete a college qualification in beauty therapy. You could study for a Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Beauty Therapy or an intermediate or advanced apprenticeship in beauty therapy.
Alternatively, could start as an assistant in a salon or spa and study for qualifications on the job, or do a full-time or part-time college course while looking for work. You could also train with a private beauty school.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience you could progress to salon manager. You could become self-employed and get your own salon, work from home or travel to clients. You could also move into fashion, theatre or media make-up.