You can easily find a school close to you by entering your ZIP further down this page.

Cosmetologists of all types have a unique opportunity to brighten and to beautify their clients and to change their entire perspective. That’s one of the main reasons people become beauticians after all.

While some people look at beauticians and hairdressers as people who deal only with the surface, anyone who has experienced a beauty transformation knows that it goes way deeper than that.

Enter your ZIP below to see where you can train nearby to become a licensed professional.

Helping someone else to look their best is one of the most empowering things that you can do for them. The first step for you if you want to become a beauty pro of some sort is to figure out: “Are there beauty schools near me?”

What Type of School Are You Looking For?

NASA photo of the earth (public domain)
Q: How many beauty schools are there in total worldwide? A: We don’t know! lol

When you first start thinking about going to beauty school, you might think about it in general terms.

The thing is, once you get deeper into the field of cosmetology, you start to understand just how vast the field is.

There are far more options available to you than you might think.

Your very first step might be learning more about each of the different types of schools, so that you can make sure you’re finding the right school for you.

Cosmetology School

Cosmetology is the general business of helping your clients to look and to feel their most beautiful. Cosmetologists might learn a wide range of different skill sets, including:

  • Hair care
  • Hair cutting
  • Hair coloring
  • Skin care
  • Nail care
  • And so much more

Some people who become cosmetologists choose to add other types of skills to their arsenal as well. They might also offer massage services or reflexology, but neither of those skills are a part of cosmetology training. Cosmetology is often a more generalized part of the beauty arts and you might find that you want to specialize in another aspect of beauty as you gain more experience.

If you are still in high school you may want to check your area for places that can train you before you graduate.

Esthetician School

An esthetician is not a medical professional at all, but many do work closely with a dermatologist or even in a dermatologist’s office.

In addition to working with dermatologists, estheticians might also work in a salon or a spa.

Estheticians specialize in skin care and offer cosmetic treatments related to caring for the skin in a variety of ways. As an esthetician, you might offer your clients facials, waxing treatments, microdermabrasion, and acne treatments among other services. They may even work in a medical setting, but that requires specialized training that will take more time and cost more as well.

Hair School

If you want your focus to be on hair and all of the glorious things people can do with hair, then becoming a hairdresser is for you.

Hair school teaches you how to cut hair, color it, and style it. You’ll learn all sorts of techniques that can help you to determine what your client wants and what your client’s hair needs in order to get to that end result.

Hair experts today go through some really extensive training in order to make what they do look effortless for their clients. In fact, if hair is all you want to do during your career, you can start looking for “hair schools near me” to find schools that focus solely on hair styling and cutting.

Nail School

The anatomy of a fingernail is far more complex than the average person realizes. That’s why if you want to become a manicurist, you’ll want to look for a school that offers specific training to nail professionals.

You’ll learn to recognize nail ailments as well as how to help your customers to look their best.

You’ll also learn how to perfect your nail art and when to let your client know that she’s dealing with something more than just a little discoloration on her nail.

Barber School

Being a barber seems pretty straightforward at first. You might think that all you need is a pair of clippers and a chair, but barbering involves a lot more than that, especially now that urban men are willing to spend a lot to look great.

A highly-trained barber grooms, shaves, and trims a client so that he always looks his best.

Barbers in the past apprenticed themselves to a master barber for long periods of time, but now you’ll get your education at a professional barber school.

Do You Have a Preference about the Type of Learning Environment?

Something else that you need to consider before you get too deep into your search is the type of learning environment you’re most interested in trying.

Beauty schools in your immediate area are going to have lots of in-person, hands-on learning opportunities.

But if you live in an area that doesn’t have a large selection of the types of schools you’re hoping to find, you might still have options. Lots of online beauty schools offer you the training that you need to get your license once your lessons are complete. And they can help a lot if your life is busy and time-constrained.

Start an Online Search

Your best bet is to start out with a search via your favorite browser.

Entering a search as simple as “beautician schools near me” can net you the exact results you need to get your list going.

If you don’t get the results you’re looking for on the first search, though, don’t give up. You can always get more specialized with your search phrase, particularly if you already know that you want to be a makeup artist or an esthetician. Add some of the keywords that apply to your chosen specialty and take note of the results you get.

Investigate Your Various Options

Remember that just because you are pretty sure you want to specialize in one thing now, that doesn’t mean you have to stick to just that one option.

Make sure that you’re looking into all of the various opportunities that you could pursue so that you’re getting the most well-rounded look at a possible future in the field of cosmetology.

Double check the requirements for a license in your area and determine whether it’s worth your while to specialize or to stick with a general license.

Do Your Research

As you find cosmetology schools near you, start to keep detailed notes on the schools, the programs they offer, and anything else that you might need to know. At some point, you’re going to need to narrow down your choices and that is a lot easier to do when you’ve thought through everything that the school offers to you and how they can help you to be the best beauty school graduate possible.