Missouri’s luxury salon industry is becoming recognized for originality and customized services. Both Belle Epoque in Kansas City and Illusions Color Spa in Saint Louis made it onto Elle Magazine’s “Top 100 Salons in the US.”
 | How to Become a Cosmetologist in Missouri |
| Qualifications for Manicurists in Missouri |
| How to Become an Esthetician in Missouri |
| How to Become a Barber in Missouri |
Illusions Color Spa in Saint Louis, has also been featured in Vogue, W, Alive, and Marie Claire Magazine. The cosmetologists at Illusions undergo constant continuing education, allowing them to specialize in new hair trends and techniques, such as hair and eyelash extensions, dimensional hair color and Keratin Complex hair smoothing. Along with this, the manicurists offer cutting-edge Vinylux manicures and pedicures, known to enhance the natural health and beauty of nails. Finally, the estheticians at Illusions specialize in the use of HydroPeptide, which is the top-of-the-line skin care line with the most powerful anti-aging ingredients. With this, facialists offer HydroPeptide Anti-Stress Spa Facials, HydroPeptide Anti-Wrinkle Spa Facials, and HydroPeptide Mini Eye Treatment, among others.
Missouri is also home to top-notch barbershops, such as Shack’s Barbers and Beauty Salon in Saint Louis, which combines the classically masculine barbershop experience with the full-service experience of a salon. Shack’s offers hair cutting services and hair design to men of all hair types, along with full razor shaves, mustache arches, hair lining, and hot towel shaves. To finish off the full, grooming experience, Shacks’ offers both nail care and facials.
Whether you want to become a cosmetologist, manicurist, esthetician, or barber, your career as a beauty professional in Missouri will start by becoming licensed through the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. The Board regulates all of the exam and education standards used to license personal care professionals throughout the state.
How to Become a Cosmetologist in Missouri
Cosmetologists get to use their creativity to provide top-notch hair, nail, and skin care services for their clients, all while in a fun, energetic, and exciting environment.
Education Requirements for Missouri Cosmetologists
To begin your career as a cosmetologist in Missouri, you will start by enrolling in a 1220-hour cosmetology program. Throughout your beauty school experience, you will be able to take fun and exiting courses that will teach you both the theoretical and the practical aspects of barbering, including the following courses:
- Shampooing – 40 hours
- Hair Coloring – 130 hours
- Hair Cutting – 130 hours
- Permanent Waving and Relaxing – 150 hours
- Hair Setting – 230 hours
- Comb-out’s and Hair Styling Techniques – 105 hours
- Scalp Treatments – 30 hours
- Facials, Eyebrows, and arches – 40 hours
- Manicuring – 110 hours
- Cosmetic Chemistry -25 hours
- Sales and Management – 10 hours
- Sanitation – 30 hours
- Anatomy – 20 hours
- State Law – 10 hours
- Final Study and Review – 160 hours
Examination Requirements for License as a Missouri Cosmetologist
After you’ve completed your cosmetology training program, you will be eligible to take and pass the Missouri cosmetology licensing examinations:
- Missouri Cosmetology Theory Exam administered by PCS Services
- Missouri Cosmetology Practical Exam administered by PCS Services
After passing these exams, you will be able to obtain your Missouri cosmetology license.
Job Opportunities for Cosmetologists
Now is a great time to begin your career as a cosmetologist in Missouri, with the Missouri Department of Economic Development expects the number of cosmetology jobs to grow by 5.37% between 2012 and 2022— creating a total of over 3,100 new cosmetology jobs throughout that time. As a cosmetologist, you will be able to find jobs that pay either an hourly, base pay, or a commission-based pay. Some commission jobs will offer high commission scale pay, such as 50/50 with retail sales bonuses. Finally, once you have established a strong clientele, you may be able to rent a booth from a salon, owning your own mini-business within their salon. Thus, as a cosmetologist, you will want to hone your personal marketing and sales skills, building a strong clientele quickly and selling your favorite products to your customers.
Along with making it onto Elle Magazine’s radar, Belle Epoque in Kansas City has made it onto Salon Today’s list of the “Top 200 Salons in America.” Belle Epoque’s goal is to bring out the natural beauty of each individual client by offering free consultations for first time clients, free beverages (who doesn’t need a little more wine in their diet?), and high-end cutting, coloring, texturizing, waxing, and styling. On top of everything else, any client can come in for hair and scalp treatments, such as the clarifying/detoxifying treatment, deep conditioning treatment, or hair reborn treatment. Overall, Belle Epoque’s wide range of services and high-end stylists makes it one of the best in the country.
Some other high-end beauty salons throughout Missouri include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Beauty World – Cave Springs, St. Charles, O’Fallon
- The Marc Salon – Columbia
- Salon Nefisa – Columbia
Qualifications for Manicurists in Missouri
As a manicurist, you will use your love for beauty and art by specializing your career on nails, hands, and feet. Staying on the cutting-edge of nail fashion, you will be able to provide advanced services, such as nail art and design.
Manicurist Education Requirements
To begin your manicurist career in Missouri, you will start by enrolling in a 400-hour manicurist training program. Oftentimes, you can find these programs as specialized tracks within larger beauty schools. Throughout your beauty school experience, you will get to take the following manicurist training courses:
- Manicuring, Hand and Arm Massage, and Treatment of Nails – 220 hours
- Sales and Salon Management – 20 Hours
- Sanitation, Disinfection, and Sterilization – 20 app.
- Anatomy – 10 hours
- Missouri State Law – 10 hours
- Study of the Use and Application of Chemicals – 40 hours
- Lectures and Test Review – 80 hours
Manicurist Examination Requirements for a Missouri License
After completing your manicurist training program at a local beauty school, you will be able to take the Missouri manicurist license exams:
- Missouri Manicurist Theory Exam administered by PCS Services
- Missouri Manicurist Practical Exam administered by PCS Services
After passing these exams, you will be able to obtain your Missouri manicurist license.
Job Opportunities for Manicurists
With the Missouri Department of Economic Development expecting the number of manicuring and pedicuring jobs to grow by 6.98% between 2012 and 2022, now is a great time to start your manicuring career in Missouri. As a manicurist, you will be able to find part-time or full-time jobs at nail salons, full-service salons, or day spas. These jobs will generally either offer an hourly or commission-based pay, although manicurists with a strong clientele may rent a booth from within a shop or open their own booth from their home.
Top 10 Nails in Independence is truly on par with the latest trends in nail care, offering a wide array of services and pipe less Shiatsu massage spa pedicures. Any client at Top 10 can come in for quick acrylic or gel nails, or they can come in for the full treatment—the deluxe spa pedicure. The spa pedicure includes mud mask application, leg and foot massages, and refreshing, cool gel. And you won’t to leave Top 10 before experiencing their paraffin hand and foot treatments and their hand drawn or airbrush nail art.
For other top nail salons in Missouri, consider some of the following:
- Elegant Nail Salon – Springfield
- Polished Nail Salon – Kansas City
- Gel Nails & Spa – Liberty
How to Become an Esthetician in Missouri
Estheticians get to specialize in the care, treatment, and beautification of skin. By doing this, they are able to provide relaxing, rejuvenating services, such as facials, body wraps, and aromatherapy.
Esthetician Educational Requirements
When beginning your career as an esthetician, you will start by enrolling in a 750-hour esthetician training program, which may be found as a specialized track within a larger beauty college. Throughout your esthetician training program, you will take courses devoted to the science and art of skin care, including the following:
- Facials, Cleansing, Toner, Massaging – 120 hours
- Makeup Application – 100 hours
- Hair Removal – 30 hours
- Body Treatments, Aroma Therapy, Wraps – 120 hours
- Reflexology – 35 hours
- Cosmetic Sciences – 85 hours
- Cosmetic Chemistry – 75 hours
- Cosmetology Sales and Management – 55 hours
- Sanitation and Sterilization – 45 hours
- Missouri State Law – 10 hours
- Misc. – 75 hours
Esthetician Examination Requirements
Once graduated from your esthetician training program at a local beauty college, you can take the Missouri esthetician licensing exams:
- Missouri Esthetician Theory Exam administered by PCS Services
- Missouri Esthetician Practical Exam administered by PCS Services
Once successfully completing these exams, you can get your Missouri esthetician license.
Esthetician Job Opportunities
Estheticians have the most dramatic growth rate of all the beauty professional careers in Missouri, with the Missouri Department of Economic Development expecting the number of skin care specialist jobs to grow by 30.46% between 2012 and 2022. As an esthetician, you may find jobs at local salons, day spas, fitness centers, cosmetic departments, medical spas, and even dermatology or medical offices.
Salon Ami Day Spa, with locations in Independence and Lee’s Summit, offers natural, botanical facials, hair care, manicure and pedicure services, scalp treatments, makeup, massages, body wraps, and waxing. Their Elemental Nature Facial is a personalized facial—customizing the products, essential oils, and facial techniques to perfectly fit the needs and wants of each client. After getting your customized facial, you can take advantage of any of the other wide-ranging beauty services, such as Aromatherapy Steam Treatments and Rosemary Mint Awakening Body Wraps.
Other holistic day spas throughout Missouri include the following:
- The Strand Salon and Spa – Columbia
- Ginger Bay Salon & Spa – Kirkwood
- Spa Shiki – Lake of the Ozarks
How to Become a Barber in Missouri
As a barber in Missouri, you will get to specialize in the art of men’s grooming, bringing back the atmosphere of classic, American, and traditionally masculine, sophistication.
Barber Education Requirements
To begin your career, you will enroll in a 1000-hour barber training program. Throughout your barber school experience, you will take history, theoretical, and practical courses, all centered around the art of barbering. These will include the following barber subject areas:
- History of Barbering – 5 hours
- Professional Image – 5 hours
- Bacteriology, Sterilization, and Sanitation – 25 hours
- Implements, Tools, and Equipment 0 15 hours
- Properties and Disorders of the Skin, Scalp, and Hair – 15 hours
- Treatment of the Hair and Scalp – 20 hours
- Facial Massage and Treatments – 5 hours
- Shaving – 35 hours
- Haircutting – 425 hours
- Hairstyling – 325 hours
- Mustache and Beard Design – 5 hours
- Permanent Waving – 30 hours
- Chemical Hair Relaxing and Soft Curl – 30 hours
- Hair Coloring – 30 hours
- Hair Pieces – 5 hours
- Chemistry – 5 hours
- Anatomy and Physiology – 5 hours
- Salesmanship and Establishment Management – 5 hours
- Missouri State Law – 10 hours
Barber Examination Requirements
After graduating from your barber training program, you get to pass the Missouri barber licensing exams:
- Missouri Barber Theory Exam administered by PCS Services
- Missouri Barber Practical Exam administered by PCS Services
Once passing your barber licensing exams, you can get your Missouri barber license.
Barber Job Options
With the Missouri Department of Economic Development expects there to be over 600 new job openings for barbers in the state between 2012 and 2022, making now the perfect time to start pursuing your barbering career.
Hudson Hawk Barber & Shop in Springfield is truly an old-fashioned barbershop, bringing back the best of classic, American, masculine pampering. With American flags hung on rustic, wooden walls, and the signature barber pole out front, barbers will find that Hudson Hawk feels like home. Along with the traditional cut and shaves, Hudson offers shoe shining, nail grooming, and even eyebrow and back grooming, making it one of the top, traditionally masculine shops around.
For other top-notch barbershops in Missouri, consider some of the following options:
- Wyoming Barber Shop – Saint Louis
- V’s Barber Shop – Joplin
- Barber Shop – Springfield