Attaining skills in beauty treatment

Ever since style gurus refashioned their looks by giving it the Midas touch, not only have the Indian customers got mesmerised by the effects, beauty care as a career option has also gained popularity. EKTA introduces the world of beauty care retail, a career that thrives more via practicing rather than preaching. 

When asked about her career in beauty care retail, spanning over 12 years, a dreamy eyed Siya Rathi had this to say, “A career in beauty care gave my dreams a pair of wings to discover new horizons. Post training at a premier institute and initially setting up of my own beauty parlour in the drawing room of my small house, was a challenging task. Clients or no clients, days with no money or easy flow of money, I always reminded myself that I had my wings to support me that this career had given. I got encouraged by my day-to-day working, remained ambitious, kept innovating and enhanced my knowledge and reached where I am today.”

So, opening the door of opportunities wider is a career in beauty care retail that has literally transformed many-a-lives, presenting a valuable career alternative for the go-getters.

Informing us about an array of courses in beauty care retail, Dr G.S. Kochar, Director, VLCC Institute, says, “The VLCC Institute in India provides a holistic approach in the field of beauty and fitness industry, so as to prepare the students to face all the challenges in their professional career. VLCC Institute covers the entire gamut of specialised training in beauty care retail courses, all under one roof. The VLCC Institute offers short-term beauty courses varying from one week to eight months. In addition, advanced, updated courses are also conducted to teach the latest developments in the fields of aroma therapy, beauty culture courses, hair designing courses, make-up courses, et al. This provides VLCC Institute students a cutting edge in the beauty and health industry in India.”

A career in beauty care retail could be a satisfying option for those who believe that beauty, or wellness retail, is all about caring for others and endowing them with the gift of refinement that they would cherish. The demand for careers in beauty retail stems out from the unorganised sectors in India where people have suddenly become beauty conscious and prefer to go to salons in the neighbourhood to get a feel of the fresh wave.

Feeling fresh matters

Frequented mostly by society women the beauty care clinic and salons are home to lakh of clientele` today, who wish to alter their looks in the most professional way. Working or non-working women get a 'feel good factor' when they step into the beauty clinics operated by the most perfect experts in the field. Ask any woman and she would say that she owes much of her confidence in herself to the newfound look that she got through some expert at a particular beauty parlour.

When we talk of career in beauty care retail today, we are talking about lakhs of job positions that need to be occupied by the professionals, and since the demand supercedes the supply, these positions are eyed eagerly by young career aspirants who want to have the best of both the worlds.

Winds of change

Three decades ago visiting a beauty parlour was a taboo or considered a leisure activity, now it has become a necessity and leading beauty clinics find long queues of women waiting for their turn. Today people’s mindset have changed and spending on themselves no longer hits the family budget. It has become a common ritual for women to visit their parlour once in a fortnight or in a month or during the festival season or important occasions. Moreover, the working women have now formed a class of their own, a class that stays up-to-date with the best of beauty treatment from the most popular beauty parlour in the vicinity. More importantly, women beyond the age of 40 and men of all ages have also got influenced by the 'look good, feel good' factor and they are finding time to visit the beauty clinics as well.

Ms Shahnaz Husain, chairperson and MD, Shahnaz Husain Group of Companies, says, “Over the last three decades, our beauty institutes have remained committed to excellence in vocational training in beauty by offering professional courses of the highest order, tailored to suit the changing demands of the beauty business. Students have the benefit of theoretical approaches in skin and hair health, body care, as well as the latest techniques in practical skills. They enable students to obtain professional qualifications, in keeping with international standards, opening up a vista of career opportunities.”

Aspirants in beauty career retail

A candidate wishing to pursue a career in beauty care needs to realise that his/her career graph will only go steady if s/he intends to not just learn but learn by doing. There is need to overcome hurdles in growth by removing hesitation of any kind in asking questions that could nurture their career.

A candidate must be a keen observer. Every beauty care tip should be recorded not iin notebooks but directly reach their brains to be processed. Having confidence in efforts and ability to admit one's mistake quickly and emphatically would only make them learn faster.

Similarly, hair styling should be learnt in a dedicated manner, because hair directly alters the look of a person. Coloring, frosting and perming et al need full attention and guidance from masters in the field.

Discussing the career success mantra, Ms Husain says, “It is a service sector and a people's business where discretion and good ethics are essential. So, the ability to deal with people, diplomacy and tact are useful attributes. There must be an interest in beauty and beauty trends, because it is a dynamic business. Trends keep changing. One has to keep up with new techniques, hairstyles, make-up, cosmetic products. One has to keep learning, and that is the only way to succeed.”

Concluding thoughts

Training and education in beauty care retail should be of direct relevance to employability. The ultimate value metric for hands-on training along with education comes to be known when they recruit the trained candidates from various organisations.

Therefore, in a short period of time, training institutes should be successful enough to inculcate enthusiasm and multi-dimensional approach in the minds of beauty care retail aspirants so that they are not only made employable but would also become innovators and job creators.