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| Both reputed beauty brands and training institutes offer beauty-related programmes |
WHEN Rani (name changed) didn’t score good marks in Class 12, her friend advised her to do beautician’s course, Reluctant initially, she did a one-year course at a renowned beauty parlour in Delhi and worked there for two years. That was 15 years back. Now she is the proud owner of a parlour and has five persons assisting her. She earns over 50-60 K per month. “I can earn more by expanding work, but kids are small, I don’t want to burden myself,” she says.
Beauty, a growing business
Rani’s story echoes an emerging trend – the beauty business is growing by 20% every year. With the opening of Indian markets to foreign brands, emergence of hospitality, television, fashion shows and modelling, there are opportunities galore. Lack of qualified professionals can give a chance to make a good career.
From where to do the course
Beauticians’ courses can roughly be divided into two categories. One, courses offered by reputed beauty brands and salon chains like Shahnaz Hussain, VLCC and Christine Valmy International School of Esthetics. VLCC offers a wide range of courses. Institutes like, Pearl Academy of Fashion, South Delhi Women Polytechnic, Khazani Women Polytechnic, YWCA and Udaipur Women Polytechnic, also run similar courses.
Those offered by institutes are usually of two to three years’ duration while courses offered by beauty brands and salon chains may be as short as six weeks and can go up to two years. Government institutes are a bit cheaper. Kapila Joshi who has been teaching beauty course in South Delhi Polytechnic For Women for the last 25 years says, ‘‘Courses offered at educational institutes have to be more extensive as it is of longer tenure.”
What you will learn
Much depends on the programme and centre you choose but one thing is sure - it is no longer just about threading, waxing and manicures. The scope is wider encompassing cosmetology, diet, nutrition, self-grooming, corporate grooming and etiquette. IBS has started a two-year MSc programme in cosmetology. “Ours is the first institute to start such a course,” says Nalini, Principal of Anoo’s International Beauty School (IBS), Hyderabad. “You become not merely a beautician, but our programme is a mix of clinical, surgical and management courses,” she adds. So, this course will give you triple A: Aptitude, Attitude and Appearance.
Read: Diploma (Fashion & Media Make-up) @ Pearl Academy of Fashion
The atmosphere at VLCC’s Pitampura branch is buzzing with young energy. Some are employees, some are students. One of them is Rahul. It’s a rather unusual to see a boy doing course in professional make-up. He has already completed a diploma in hair dressing. After Class 12 he decided to do these courses because he wants to join the world of glamour. Proximity with celebrities is an added attraction. Isha Sethi used to be an LPG distributor. Now she is doing an advance diploma course (8 months) in professional make-up. “This switch over affirms increasing popularity of this course,” says Monica Bahl of VLCC.
Another big opportunity is to become a make-up artist, with TV and glamour industry evolving at jet speed make-up artist is much in demand person. From make-up of models to TV artists and films can be the ultimate dream. Renowned make-up artist Michelle Montes did her diploma in International Cosmetology from Christine Valmy international school of Esthetics. After working with leading models she sees a host of opportunities coming up.
Opportunities
For a qualified beautician sky is the limit. You can work in a beauty parlour, at different capacities - according to your course and experience, you can go into corporate grooming, Airlines, TV channels, hospitality sector, and can do freelancing for different functions and shows. Have a flair for writing? You can become a beauty journalist. And money is good. After four months’ Diploma in Beauty Culture, starting salary can be Rs. 7,000 to 8,000 while specialised courses and some experience can fetch you around Rs. 40,000-50,000.
| ASSOCHAM paints a pretty picture |
| The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has projected that the market size of the cosmetics industry which is currently estimated at Rs.10,000 crore will double to Rs. 20,000 crore by 2014 due to emergence of a young urban elite population with rising disposable incomes, and increase in the number of working women. The report also contends that while beauty service industry is growing rapidly in India, the spa segment in India is also attracting a lot of attention. |
| Beware |
| The opportunities also mean unscrupulous players taking you for a ride. See our article in the downside of unapproved courses: Are certificate courses in cosmetics unregulated? |
