What if you could use your skills to bolster the confidence of others who may experience self-consciousness or even depression as a result of visible skin problems? As a camouflage cosmetician, you could apply camouflage therapy to help people who have skin conditions or disfigurements experience a more positive outlook on life. Your payoff in this profession includes the rewarding, uplifting feeling that comes with helping those in need.
Skill Set
The personal qualities that can help you become a camouflage cosmetician begin with being a “people person.” Having a desire to offer top-notch customer service, being a good listener and possessing a comfort level with offering honest feedback to your clients are all important skills. Creativity and knowledge of color and proportion are essential. Also crucial are manual dexterity, good close-up vision and time-management skills. If you have the self-motivation to pull it all together, this profession may be a good fit for you.
Primary Responsibilities
This position, which deals chiefly with facial issues, may require working with a variety of other professionals, including plastic surgeons, dermatologists, estheticians and others in related disciplines. You’ll consult with clients to determine the best makeup options for each need. Your work might entail balancing pigmentation problems, compensating for facial defects or concealing the effects of acne in young adults and others. The products you’ll use will assist you in balancing your clients’ complexions by counteracting discolorations to arrive at a more pleasing result.
Other Tasks
You may, at times, work with physicians and others in effectively dealing with skin infections or other conditions. Your expertise may be called upon to demonstrate various makeup techniques using specialty products. There may be opportunities to use your skills in the application of theatrical makeup. You might also spend time evaluating new makeup techniques designed to improve a variety of circumstances involving the skin, such as scarring from exposure to fire or chemicals.
Requirements
Although the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not provide data specifically for camouflage cosmeticians, the requirements for becoming a general cosmetician should apply. They include possessing a high school diploma and completion of courses offered by licensed cosmetology schools. Every state in the United States requires that you acquire a license to operate in this profession, although provisions for licensing differ with each state. Your license will be issued after successfully passing a state exam, which may include written and oral sections, plus a practical, hands-on review.
References
Writer Bio
Michelle Reynolds has been writing about business, careers and art since 1993. She was the publisher of a newsletter, “Working Parents Monthly," as well as a graphic design guidebook. Reynolds also served as human-resources director at a resort/spa for eight years. She is an artist and promotes the arts and other artists through ElegantArtisan.com, a website she developed and maintains.