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Daily Digest Archive for February 10, 2003
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Q: (Initially posted on February 5, 2003) FROM MENTEE PATRICE
IN MO
What could I do to help me in what I would like to do when
I graduate from high school which is be in the Cosmetology
field?
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February 10, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR DENISE HARBERT
IN IL
Hi Patrice! I was just wondering if you have the right spelling
of the
career you are thinking about. Merriam-Webster's On-Line dictionary
says
Cosmetology is "the cosmetic treatment of the skin, hair,
and nails". It
says Cosmology is:
"1 a : a branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature
of the universe b
: a theory or doctrine describing the natural order of the universe
2 : a branch of astronomy that deals with the origin, structure,
and
space-time relationships of the universe; also : a theory dealing
with
these matters"
As you can see, Cosmology is a very advanced SET career, but
Cosmetology is
not as directly related to SET.
If you really did mean Cosmetology, then the SET applications
are usually
more medical in nature. A lot of recent trends in skin and hair
are
related to laser treatments. Lasers can be used to remove hair
or wrinkles
or tattoos. I believe that tattoo removal is going to be a hugely
growing
career because tattoos are really popular with young people
right now. As
these people get older and develop more serious careers, they
may discover
that getting a tattoo where they got it was a bad decision that
may be
holding them back. Lasers can cause permanent skin damage and
disfiguration if they are not operated correctly, so people
who really do
their research before getting laser treatments of any kind will
insist on
having them done by a Registered Nurse (RN) or Medical Doctor
(MD). Some
offices that do cosmetic laser treatments also perform the laser
eye
surgery that corrects vision so glasses or contact lenses are
no longer
needed. This might involve an Optometrist (a licensed specialist
involved
in "examining the eye for defects and faults of refraction
and prescribing
correctional lenses or exercises") or an Ophthalmologist
(a physician
specializing in "the structure, functions, and diseases
of the
eye"). Medically trained personnel who perform various
laser treatments
may prescribe or recommend Ibuprofen or another anti-inflammatory
to reduce
pain and swelling before and after the procedure. People doing
laser
treatments without medical training cannot do such a thing because
it is
illegal. You might want to consider some medically oriented
training
programs or certifications to learn to do these treatments safely.
Also, someone has to create the lasers and develop the treatment
procedures
for their use, so this might involve a biomedical engineer or
laser physicist.
Finally, chemists and chemical engineers are needed to develop
the
cosmetics and chemicals applied to skin, hair, and nails. Historically,
makeup was revolutionized in the early 1950's by a SET woman
- Hazel Gladys
Bishop, organic chemist. Until that time, makeup was adjusted
for
color. No one ever thought about formula. Hazel, being a woman
who wore
makeup and a chemist who understood how to make it, invented
a new
revolutionary formula she called "Lasting Lipstick."
Her lipstick stayed
on longer and didn't have to be reapplied after every drink
or meal. There
are still needs like that today; new formulas are needed for
permanents,
hair dyes, makeup, skin creams, nail polishes, fake eyelashes/nails
and the
glue to attach them, broken nail repair kits, etc. Chemists
tend to be
men, but how many men wear makeup? Inventors can't fully grasp
the
strengths and weaknesses of products they don't use, so women
are needed in
these areas. Here's an interesting web site for students interested
in
learning more about cosmetic chemists:
http://www.girlpower.gov/girlarea/sciencetech/jobs/cosmeticchemist.htm
Please write back if you were thinking of Cosmology!!!
**********************
February 8, 2003
A: FROM MENTEE SARAH IN VT
I think that you should try to help out at your local salons
or spas. You could go into a Cosmetology college or course after
high school. This link may also be helpful to you: http://minneapolis.about.com/library/weekly/aa100202a.htm
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