Vicki MacCallum is an esthetician at Jennifer's and Co. and Aveda Concept Salon and Day Spa in Truro. She loves her job and says it is all about making the customers feel good about themselves.(cathy von kintzel / Truro Bureau)

Skills
For this work, you should be good at working with your hands, imaginative and creative. Good health is important, as are tact and patience. You need good communication skills to understand your clients' preferences and ensure that they understand what a procedure involves. Business skills are a definite asset for those who plan to operate their own studios or spas.

Employment Requirements
Cosmeticians, estheticians, electrologists, manicurists and pedicurists must complete high school plus college or beauty college programs, complete a specified period of training and pass a licensing exam administered by the Cosmetology Association of Nova Scotia.

The length of training varies from 1,250 hours for estheticians to 250 hours for nail technicians.

Colour consultants, makeup and skin-care consultants and weight-loss consultants may require specialized training courses, along with some experience and expertise in fashion, art and modelling.

Tattoo artists and body piercers and modifiers usually apprentice to learn the trade. But there are very few regulations or guidelines for these occupations in the province, and the apprenticeship process is informal.

Reputable practitioners follow the guidelines established by Health Canada.

Many people in this type of work are self-employed and their earnings are often supplemented by tips or gratuities. Therefore, an individualà income will likely depend upon their ability to attract and maintain a group of clients.

This work usually occurs in clean, pleasant surroundings with good lighting and comfortable temperatures. The work can be tiring and physically demanding. Estheticians must be on their feet for long periods of time.

This work is often carried out during evenings and weekends when spas are busiest.

Work Prospects
More people are becoming interested in how they present themselves to the world, creating demand for workers in these jobs. The number of beauty treatments available to consumers has mushroomed in recent years, increasing employment opportunities.

People in this occupational group are employed in beauty salons, day spas, specialty shops (such as tattoo studios), electrolysis studios, scalp treatment and hair replacement clinics, and retail establishments, or they may be self-employed.

The average age in this occupation is 35, and the workforce is predominantly female.

Labour Market Information