Some academic elitists consider beauty school a waste of time, but beautician courses result in licensed professionals whose everyday work keep society well groomed. Estheticians attend the same school as hair stylists, but the beautician courses they take often focus on the wellness aspect of their field instead of the cosmetic. Beauty therapy courses include classes such as skin care, massage, and relaxation. These processes have come a long way from ancient Greece, where women used ashes, water, and olive oil to clean their hair. Now, beauty therapist courses use topical moisturizers and other products that have been developed to imitate and enhance the body’s natural processes.
A current trend that has recently come from beauty schools is “wellness gaming.” Some people call them “spa amusement parks”, which allow guests to partake of a number of treatments and dining options. These organizations are growing by leaps and bounds, with some sources estimating “wellness gaming” will produce two billion dollars in profit by 2015. In an economic downturn, such a lucrative business may turn many students to beauty school as a second career or investment opportunity.