Southern girls know style – and that has a lot to do with why the number of beauty professional jobs in Alabama is expected to grow by 15% between 2012 and 2022, according to the Alabama Department of Labor.
As a beauty professional in Alabama, you will get to immerse yourself daily in the exciting and energizing world of beauty, style, and fashion.
 | Qualifications for Cosmetologists in Alabama |
| How to Become a Manicurist in Alabama |
| Becoming an Esthetician in Alabama |
| Qualifications for Barbers in Alabama |
Alabama is home to phenomenal salons, such as Fusion Spa and Salon with locations in Orange Beach and Spanish Fort. Fusion Spa and Salon is dedicated to caring for the planet and caring for their clients by using only the highest quality, natural products. Fusion’s hairstylists offer botanical therapy treatments, which are holistic hair remedies using only the finest aromatic essential oils.
Along with offering spa manicures and pedicures, the manicurists at Fusion offer a Green Science Skin Renewing Manicure, which uses powerful, natural ingredients to renew skin, repair aging spots and wrinkles, and create smoother, softer hands. To continue with the natural products and treatments, the estheticians offer Green Science Skin-Renewing facials, as well as the Perfecting Plant Peel, which is a facial masque that restores the natural radiance of client’s skin.
Every Alabama man needs his man-cave barbershop, and the barbers in Alabama are serious about bringing back the classic, American art of barbering. Orange Beach, Men’s Den Barber Shop is raising the bar for men’s grooming. Men’s Den caters exclusively to men, offering free neck shaves, precision cuts, nail grooming, hot towel shaves, beard trims, neck massages, and cold drinks to each client. Along with that, they even offer the “Unibomber” eyebrow trim and a “no loose hair” guarantee—what more could a man want?
Clearly, Alabama is home to high-end salons, spa services, and barbershops. Whether you’re looking to become a cosmetologist, nail technician, esthetician, or barber, you will begin your beauty career by getting licensed through the Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering. This is the Board responsible for regulating all of the licensing standards for beauty professionals in the state.
Qualifications for Cosmetologists in Alabama
Cosmetologists are all-inclusive, comprehensive beauty professionals, who provide both men and women with the latest styles in hair, nail, and skin care.
Education Requirements for Alabama Cosmetologists
To become a cosmetologist in Alabama, you will start by enrolling in a 1500-hour program at one of Alabama’s cosmetology schools. Throughout your beauty school experience, you will learn the theory and practice behind perfect cosmetology by taking the following courses:
- Sanitation/Sterilization/Allied Sciences – 225 hours
- Skin, Facials, and Make-Up – 75 hours
- Manicure, Nails – 112 hours
- Shampoos, Rinses – 75 hours
- Coloring, Bleach – 150 hours
- Haircutting – 112 hours
- Hairstyling (Finger Waving, Styling, Hair Pressing, Thermal Waving) – 300 hours
- Permanent Waving – 265 hours
- Unassigned – 190 hours
Examination Requirements for License as a Alabama Cosmetologist
After graduating from cosmetology school, you will then pass the Alabama cosmetologist licensing examinations, listed as follows:
- Alabama Cosmetology Written Exam administered by PSI Services
- Alabama Cosmetology Practical Exam administered by PCS Services
After passing these two licensing exams, you will be eligible to receive your Alabama cosmetology license.
Job Opportunities for Cosmetologists
As a cosmetologist in Alabama, you will join a quickly growing sector of society, with the Alabama Department of Labor estimating 14.2% growth in the number of cosmetology jobs throughout the state. This correlates to an average of 150 job openings each year. Alabama cosmetology jobs will either offer a guaranteed, base, hourly salary, or they will offer commission-based pay, which can reach up to 50-60%. Finally, if you have a strong clientele and strong marketing and sales skills, you can strike out on your own as an independent contractor and rent a booth within a salon.
Many Alabama salons are joining on the holistic, natural hair health industry. Similarly to Fusion, Miracles Hair Designs in Birmingham takes a holistic, natural approach to hair care, style, and design. The cosmetologists at Miracles are dedicated to personal, individualized treatments for teach client, offering ho toil treatments, relaxers, color, eyebrow arching, and weaves.
For other top salons in Alabama, consider the following:
- Stone Salon – Hoover
- Studio C Salon – Tuscaloosa
- Trade Wind Hair Fashion – Daphne
How to Become a Manicurist in Alabama
Manicurists focus their specialization entirely on nails, hands, and feet, helping to alleviate callouses and deliver the softest, smoothest hands to any southern belle.
Manicurist Education Requirements
To become a manicurist in Alabama, you will start by enrolling in a 750-hour Alabama manicurist training program in a local beauty school. Throughout your beauty school experience, you will learn the science and art behind top-of-the-line manicuring and pedicuring, and you will take, at the minimum, the following courses:
- Bacteria, Infections – 90 hours
- Sanitation and Disinfection – 60 hours
- Anatomy, Skin, Nails, Diseases, Disorders – 90 hours
- Nail Products – 15 hours
- Client Consultation, Professional Image – 50 hours
- Manicure, Pedicure – 110 hours
- Acrylic Nails – 75 hours
- Unassigned – 260 hours
Manicurist Examination Requirements for a Alabama License
After graduating from a manicurist training program in a local beauty school, you’ll be able to pass the Alabama manicurist licensing examinations, listed as follows:
- Alabama Manicurist Written Exam administered by PSI Services
- Alabama Manicurist Practical Exam administered by PCS Services
After passing these licensing exams, you will be eligible to receive your Alabama manicurist license.
Job Opportunities for Manicurists
As a manicurist in Alabama, you will join a quickly growing field, since the Alabama Department of Labor expects the number of manicurist jobs to grow by 16% between 2012 and 2022. You will be able to work with nails in full-service salons, nail salons, or spas. You may find that you’re more productive when working night and weekend hours, Jobs may offer an hourly, base pay, commission, or sometimes even an hourly pay plus commission on retail sales. Finally, you also have the option of renting a booth, working as an independent contractor from a nail salon.
With southern belles being so serious about their nails, Nail Boutique and Spa had to open up over 15 locations throughout Alabama. Nail Boutique is dedicated to delivering cutting-edge nail styles, trends, and techniques to its clients. This includes all types of manicures and pedicures, namely natural, acrylic, gel, and solar nails. Along with this, Nail Boutique offers silk wraps, which strengthen your natural nails, spa manicures and pedicures, and even waxing.
For other high-end nail salons and full-service salons, consider some of the following options:
- Trocadero Inc. – Mountain Brook
- Canterbury Nails – Mountain Brook
- T&K Nails – Birmingham
Becoming an Esthetician in Alabama
Estheticians focus entirely on skin care services, being able to provide facials, body wraps, and makeup application.
Esthetician Educational Requirements
To become an esthetician in Alabama, you will start by enrolling in a 1000-hour Alabama esthetics training program in a local beauty college or skin care clinic. Throughout your beauty college experience, you will learn the science of skin by taking the following courses:
- Bacteriology and Sanitation, Personal Hygiene, Public Health – 100 hours
- History of Skin, Cell, Tissue – 100 hours
- Dermatology, Structure, Functions, Types, Color, Elasticity, Disorders – 100 hours
- Structure/Function Human Systems – 50 hours
- Skin Types, Color, Nutrition – 50 hours
- Facial Treatments, Massage, Analysis, Preparation, Manipulations – 100 hours
- Equipment, Electrical Current Facial Treatments, Benefits, Safety – 75 hours
- Other Facial Treatments, Purpose and Effects, Safety – 75 hours
- Hair Removal, Depilatories, Tweezing, Waxing – 37.5 hours
- Makeup, Supplies and Implements, Preparation, Safety Procedures – 100 hours
- Body Wraps, Purpose and Effects, Types of Treatment, Supplies – 37.5 hours
- Business/ Management Practices, Salon and Client Development – 62.5 hours
- Unassigned – 112.5 hours
Esthetician Examination Requirements
After graduating from an esthetician training program in a local beauty college or skin care clinic, you’ll be able to take the Alabama esthetician licensing exams, listed as follows:
- Alabama Esthetics Written Exam administered by PSI Services
- Alabama Esthetics Practical Exam administered by PCS Services
After passing the exams, you will be able to receive your Alabama esthetician license.
Esthetician Job Opportunities
Estheticians in Alabama have the highest of all growth rates, with the number of esthetician jobs growing 35.2% between 2012 and 2022. This means great opportunity for aspiring estheticians, who can find jobs in full-service salons, day spas, medical spas, and even hotels that offer spa services. With your wide range of skills as an esthetician, you can even find jobs with titles such as makeup artist, beauty advisor, skin care product salesperson, and more.
Birmingham is home to esthetician heaven—or in other words, Santa Fe Day Spa. This spa encapsulates every facet of relaxation and rejuvenation, with 8000 square feet, a salon, spa, and an aesthetic center. Along with the showers, hot tubs, steam rooms, and complimentary beverages, Santa Fe’s estheticians offer skin peels, microdermabrasion, permanent makeup, hair removal, and more. Their body wraps, just to name a few, include Citrus Sea Salt Scrubs, Spicy Pumpkin Body Treatments, Algae Body Treatments, Coconut Lime Treatments, and Decadent Chocolate Body Treatments, taking each client into their own healthful, luxurious heaven.
For more medical spas, day spas, and hotels, consider some of the following options:
- East Alabama Plastic Surgery & Spa – Auburn
- Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge – Birmingham
- Escape Day Spa – Birmingham
Qualifications for Barbers in Alabama
Barbers focus exclusively on hair, beard, mustache, nail, and facial care for men, bringing back the classic art of men’s styling and sophistication.
Barber Education Requirements
To become a barber in Alabama, you’ll start by completing in a 1000-hour Alabama barber training program. Throughout barber school, you will learn everything you need to know to excel as a barber by taking the following courses:
- History, Law, Image, Management – 100 hours
- Sanitation, Infections – 100 hours
- Cutting, Shaping, Styling – 150 hours
- Shampooing, Rinses – 75 hours
- Sciences, Anatomy – 100 hours
- Skin, Scalp, Hair – 50 hours
- Shaving, Design, Hairpieces – 125 hours
- Chemical Waving – 50 hours
- Relaxing – 50 hours
- Unassigned – 200 hours
Barber Examination Requirements
After graduating from a barber training program, you can take the Alabama barber licensing exams, listed as follows:
- Alabama Barber Written Exam administered by PSI Services
- Alabama Barber Practical Exam administered by PCS Services
After passing these licensing exams, you will be eligible to receive your Alabama barber license.
Barber Job Options
The Alabama Department of Labor estimates that the number of barber jobs in the state will grow by 16.2% between 2012 and 2022—making now a great time to start your barbering career. As a barber, you will be able to look for jobs in barbershops or salons, where you may get paid an hourly rate, a commission-based rate, or where you may even rent your own booth.
A quality, traditional barbershop is important to Alabama’s men, and Heritage Barbershop in Montgomery is just that. You can’t get more classic than the traditional barber poles, timeless buzz cuts, hot towel neck shaves, hot oil treatments, and straight razor shaves found at Heritage. And the best part is, although the cuts are just for men, the atmosphere’s safe for the whole family.
To check out some other top-notch barbershops throughout Alabama, consider some of the following options:
- Whiskers Men’s Grooming – Madison
- Exclusive Cuts Barber Shop – Mobile
- Treadwell Barbers Hairstyling – Mountain Brook