Is Beauty School the Same as Esthetician School?

You may have spent your whole life dreaming of going to beauty school, and now that you’re ready to take action to make that dream a reality, you may wonder if beauty schools differ and what you learn there. Is beauty school the same as esthetician school? Skin Science Institute, an esthetician school with locations in Sandy and Orem, Utah, explains the difference.

Esthetician Program in Utah

Esthetician school focuses on the skin and includes learning about skin care, facials, microneedling and other skin-care procedures. However, at Skin Science Institute, students also learn other skills such as how to do eyelash extensions, nail care, waxing and more. In our eyelash extensions classes, we also teach how to perform lash tints, brow tints and lash perms. In our nail care classes, we teach manicuring and pedicuring skills and how to provide paraffin wax treatments, apply and remove shellac, exfoliate with a blade, and do hand and foot peels. We also teach our students waxing techniques for the eyebrows, upper lip, underarms, legs and bikini area. Waxing is becoming increasingly popular with men now, as they are choosing to get their chest, back, nose and other areas waxed, so this is an important skill to have.

Cosmetology School

The biggest difference between esthetician school and cosmetology school is that cosmetology school focuses on hair care and treatment, rather than skin. Cosmetology schools also teach some skin care and nail care techniques, but most students attend cosmetology school to learn how to cut, color and style hair. The micro-courses in skin care and nail care are helpful when working in a salon, but if a student was really interested in nail care, they could take a separate nail care course to become certified that takes a lot less time, effort and money than a cosmetology course. Similarly, cosmetology schools teach the basics of giving facials, but they do not go into the depth that an esthetician school does. Cosmetologists are not licensed to perform complex skin care procedures such as chemical peels, microdermabrasion, microneedling or laser resurfacing.

Beauty School in Utah

When you are searching in the greater Salt Lake City area for programs that match your interests, you may find some institutions that call themselves beauty schools or beauty colleges. The important thing to remember is that you must choose a school that teaches you what you need to know to pass a state licensing exam. If you want to pass a cosmetology exam, you will need courses on hair, skin and nails. If you want to be a manicurist, you must pass a manicuring exam. To get an esthetician license, you must learn the required skin-care skills to pass the state exam. So the bottom line is, make sure the beauty schools in Utah you are looking at offer the courses that will prepare you for the exam you must take to become a hairdresser, nail tech or esthetician. For more information about Skin Science Institute’s esthetician program, contact our school today. We serve students from Sandy, Orem, Salt Lake City, Provo, West Jordan and West Valley City.