How to become a mortuary cosmetologist is an information website.
Applying makeup to a dead body is not something that people like to do.It is easy to underestimate the importance of the job.It can be helpful for those who have just lost a loved one to see them as they used to be.
If you want to become a mortuary cosmetologist, you have to go through beauty school and get a license.You will be responsible for doing hair, makeup, and nails to prepare the deceased for funeral services.
Desairology is when a specially licensed person prepares a corpse for burial.A mortuary cosmetologist will usually alter a person's hair, face, and nails so that they are appropriate for viewing.
The main difference between a regular cosmetologist and a mortuary beautician is that you won't be making them up to look better.You want to make them look like they did when they were alive.
You will be in close contact with the grieving family.The best mortuary cosmetologists are more than good at putting on makeup and styling hair.
Your clients are going to be sad.Since most funerals take place within a week or two of the person's death, the wound will still be fresh.
Being patient and compassionate is of the utmost importance.You will need to fulfill the family's wishes as to how they want their loved one to look in order to get that information.
The most rewarding part of the job is when a mortuary cosmetologist acts as a comforter.You will be responsible for how someone views their spouse, parent, or child for the last time.
They won't soon forget how they see their loved one for the last time.It's your job to make them feel peaceful and at rest.The deceased's family and friends will be one step closer to finding closure if you succeed at that.
A mortuary cosmetologist styles hair, applies makeup, and paints nails on a dead body in order to make them look asleep.What does that process look like?
The body is brought to a funeral home or mortuary after being picked up from the location of death.The body is then cleaned.
The body has to be cremated or preserved in most states.The most common method is embalming.Embalming is the preservation method of choice for those who will be having a wake.
Depending on how you choose to enter into the field of desairology, the process of embalming is simple, and you might need to know how to do it.
If you want to put it in the least graphic way possible, bodily fluids are removed through the veins with a machine.
A lot of hard-to-pronounce chemicals and dye are in Embalming fluid.The goal is to give the body a more realistic color.A similar process is used to preserve organs and body parts.
Depending on your job position, you may or may not be required to take part in that process.
A memory photo is a reference photo for how a person looked when they were still alive, and how the family wants to remember them.
It can be hard to determine how a person looks from a memory photo.Maybe the family chose a photo from many years prior to the loved one's death, or maybe the photo is old and grainy.You can either ask for a more recent picture or do your best with what you are given.
The family will let you know how they want their loved one's hair styled.How it was styled while they were still living, and how it looks in a reference photo are all possibilities.
Most likely, you will be styling the hair of a dead person when they are lying down.You will have to wash, condition, and comb it before styling it.
Regardless of the request or the difficulties, it will be your job to make sure you style the hair as accurately as possible.
Makeup is going to act differently when it comes to a preserved body.The embalming process is the reason for this.
The skin firm is almost hard because of the chemicals involved in preservation.Makeup Blending is going to be more difficult because of that.You run the risk of the face looking cakey, streaked, and unnatural if you blend it well.
It's the way to go if you can.You will be able to get streak-free, even application using less makeup because it won't be caked on.Unless the family requests otherwise, the goal is to make them look natural.
A mortuary cosmetologist needs to focus on the lips.The appearance of the lips is changed by embalming.It makes them look thin.
The person's lips will need to be reconstructed using lip liner, lipstick, and lipgloss.
Paying close attention to what the family wants is important when applying makeup.Did the person have a lot of makeup on?They might ask for eyeliner or eyeshadow.Did the person never wear makeup?You might want to use less.
A desairologist paints the nails of dead people before viewings, burials, and funeral services.
This is done because, after someone passes away, their nails turn a pale grey or white shade, which isn't common for living people.Their hands will be placed on their chest in the casket, and not painting them could ruin the peacefully asleep aesthetic.
A neutral shade over the nails is what most mortuary beauticians do.Again, this is done at the request of the family.
To be sensitive to the family's religious and cultural customs that may impact what you can and can't do is important.What products you can and can't use during this process may be affected by it.
There are requirements and benefits for each way.There is no standard licensing for mortuary cosmetology.
If you want to work with the dead, you could attend beauty school.Beauty school requires one to two years of education, which is quicker than the other option.
If you haven't already, you would need to get a high school diploma or GED.If you want to get a certificate, you need to either get an associates degree or complete a training program.Different states have different requirements.
You can take the state licensing exam after that.You can practice desairology if you become a state-certified cosmetologist.
You could become anembalmer if you want to be involved in the whole process.It takes two to four years to become an embalmer.
A mortuary science degree is required to become an embalmer.Most universities offer mortuary science courses.There are dedicated mortuary science colleges where your main focus will be on preparing you for this specific field.
Depending on your state, you can either be a embalmer and amortician, or both.The embalmer's license is required for desairology.
An embalmer is usually hired by funeral homes to preserve bodies.In most cases, the embalmer is the one who does the makeup on the dead.
How to get hired as a mortuary cosmetologist depends on the route you took to enter the profession.
If you become an embalmer, you can expect to be hired as a full-time employee at a funeral home if the position is open.If you live in a rural area, you may have to expand your search to find a funeral home that is hiring.
If you work under a senior embalmer you can increase your chances of getting hired by that funeral home down the road.Depending on your situation, apprenticeships pay little to nothing.
If you went through beauty school and became a cosmetologist, there will be less opportunities in desairology.
Only larger funeral homes in metropolitan areas can afford to hire a cosmetologist.In smaller homes or more rural areas, the embalmer or mortuary will handle those duties.
If you are a cosmetologist, you would be willing to work with funeral homes near you.You can reach out to offer your services if you need them.
You can check for job postings online, either on the funeral home's website directly or on a job search site like Indeed.
If you have a portfolio of work, it will help you get a job.Photos of your work on the living will suffice even if you haven't worked on dead people yet.
It is worth noting that most mortuary cosmetologists who enter the profession by beauty school end up working as independent contractors in this field, but that is not always a bad thing.It all depends on you!
You can become their designated makeup artist after you have established a relationship with a funeral home and proven your quality of work and expertise.A steadier stream of work in the field can be provided by that.
The way in which you entered the industry affects how much you can earn per year.
If you only have a cosmetologist license, you will most likely be doing jobs with your standard work.