When most of us envision the typical high school experience, subjects like math, English and chemistry often come to mind before cosmetology, hair design, nail technology, skincare or massage. A traditional high school curriculum is designed to prepare students for a four-year university experience, but many students have a different plan for their educations and careers.

In high schools across the country, many educators think these students deserve to take practical classes that will introduce them to the subjects about which they are most interested. At some schools, this means an opportunity to begin a cosmetology education before graduation.

For instance, in Lancaster, Ohio, about 50 students at Lancaster High School apply each year for the school’s cosmetology program. To gain acceptance in the program, students must have a solid academic record and complete an interview process with their instructors. Teachers say that nearly all of their students in the program share a genuine enthusiasm for working in the cosmetology field, but they don’t yet realize how in-depth a cosmetology education really is.

In the Lancaster High School cosmetology program, students begin the classes during their junior year, and study everything from the chemical compositions of hair products, massage treatments, common skin ailments and cosmetic applications.

Like other high school trade and vocational programs, these narrowly tailored cosmetology programs allow students to learn through hands-on activities and practice in the beauty trade. Some programs even offer internship opportunities that allow high school students to see a salon or spa’s inner workings.

Most of these high school beauty courses do not replace a cosmetology license or training from post-secondary cosmetology schools, but the irreplaceable experiences can help students explore their career interests in hair design, nail technology or skincare.

It is always great to attend an accredited cosmetology school to begin your career in beauty, but ask around at the high schools near you if you’re interested in a high school cosmetology program. You may be able to get your foot in the door of the cosmetology industry even sooner than you realized!

Tags: beauty school, cosmetology classes, cosmetology school, esthetician training, hairstyling, high school cosmetology, makeup artist classes

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 at 7:51 am and is filed under Beauty Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.