1. Cagle 1
Amie Cagle
Ms. Bennett
12th Lit/Comp.
16 September,2011
Cosmetology as a Whole
“The oldest use of makeup dates back to 4000BC from ancient Egypt”(History of
Cosmetology). Most people think that doing hair and applying makeup is something recent, but
cosmetology goes back a lot farther in history. Cosmetology is such a broad subject; no one can
really narrow it down to just one career. There are many jobs that anyone could go into in
cosmetology. There are barbers, cosmetics, cosmetic surgeons, makeup artists, nail technicians,
and hair stylists. There are many other professions just in the cosmetology category, but the most
well-known jobs are hair stylist and makeup artist.There is more to hair dressing and makeup
artistry than just cutting hair and putting on some lipstick. Cosmetology goes into much more
depth than putting on lipstick. There is so much about cosmetology that so many people do not
know and there is always so much more to learn.
When people think about cosmetology, they think about it just being from the past ten or
maybe twenty years. Little do most people know, cosmetology goes all the way back to the
B.C.era.The history of cosmetology goes all the way back to the 4000BC. The Egyptians were
the first ones know to use make up on men and women. The Egyptians would use anything they
could get their hands on to create any type of makeup.“Nobility in ancient Egypt used
combinations of lead, mercury, ash and other substances to create black eyeliner and was used to
accentuate the shape of the eye”(History of Cosmetology).Using make up was a way to not only

2. Cagle 2
alter their appearance, but also to show that they were a higher power or that the people were
royalty. Not only women in Egypt would wear makeup; the men would also wear eyeliner.
Mostly only pharos would wear makeup.“Ancient nomadic peoples were known to have made up
pastes of mud and ash that they applied to their bodies for disguise or to scare other
tribes.”(History of Cosmetology)When it came to cosmetology the first type that is recorded in
history is barbering. There are painting and drawings of men with their heads shaved showing
the existence of barbering. Most people in early history that wore make up were people that were
high in power such as priest, nobles, and Royalty. The Romans advanced by using wigs and hair
colors so that anyone could alter their appearance. Then a little later in history, in the Elizabeth
Golden age, when theater was very popular they would use makeup and wigs. They would use
the makeup and wigs to change the actor’s appearance to look more like the character they were
playing for the play. In the era there were not a lot of women in theater so the wigs and make up
would help a man that was playing a woman look more like the character.(Careers in Focus
pg.113) As time went along cosmetology became more popular and available to just average
people. It was used in movies, on actors, models, and then sold in stores across the world. In the
world that we live in today cosmetology is a very important factor in many people day to day
lives and none of it would ever be possible without its history.
Hair cutting, styling and coloring is the most well know factor of cosmetology. Cutting
hair is more than just snipping off a few pieces here and there and hair coloring more than
throwing hair color on to some hair. Many women will spend hundreds of dollars to get their hair
cut and colored to perfection. To most women having their hair fixed, cut, or colored is a huge
part in their lives. To some woman, have their hair natural is the best but in the end, they will
still be using cosmetology. Hair styling is a very important part to many people’s lives. Hair

3. Cagle 3
styling is not just for women, there are also many men that style their hair just as much as
women do. So year after year many men and women rush into the field to become a
cosmetologist. To become a hair stylist student must go through a beauty school which teaches
the different ways to style hair, the special technics they use to cut peoples hair, and the different
chemicals a stylist deals with when coloring hair. Across the world there are many different
schools that have hands on learning to help the men and women to become the best hair stylist
they can be. Once a hair stylist is out of school and running into the field there is still so much
work to do. In most salons before anyone can become a full time stylist they have to spend many
hours as an assistant. While the future stylist is assisting in the salon they learn everything there
is to know about the salon and what the stylists need. After spending a certain amount of hours
as an assistant they will finally get their own chair and a pair of cutting shears. Becoming a hair
stylist is a lot more work than many people can even start to realize. “Hair stylists are not only
responsible for cutting and styling hair, but they also take on coloring, chemical straightening,
re-texturing, permanent waving, and much more.”(Cosmetology: Careers in the Beauty Industry)
Hair stylist will do all that they can to help anyone become as beautiful as they wish. Men and
women are spending hours in a hair salon, forming a relationship between them and their hair
stylist, until perfection is made. For a hair stylist a person hair is their canvas. Creativity flowing
out through their cutting shears and their hair coloring brushes.
For a makeup artist the face and body is the makeup artists’ canvas. Makeup artists paint
the eyes and lips, powder the cheeks, and perfect the skin. They create beauty and perfection out
of nothing, out of imperfections. “Makeup artist use cosmetics to help people look and feel their
best by enhancing their natural beauty.”(Cosmetology: Careers in the Beauty Industry) For years
women have always turned to makeup to feel beautiful. Makeup can be crazy, bright, dark, or

4. Cagle 4
natural.Unlike a hair stylist that only has the hair to work with, a makeup artist as the whole body
to design on. When a person walks into a makeup store or maybe just a local drug store, people
will see eye shadows, mascaras, eyeliners, and foundation, but makeup artists’ deals with so
much more than that. Makeup artistry is not just putting on eye shadows and lipsticks. Just these
products are not always about making someone beautiful. Sometimes a makeup artist can
transform someone anyone into the most horrifying monster. There are some makeup artists that
only do horror monster make up. These makeup artists don’t make people beautiful at
all.Makeup artist do not just do wedding make up and fashion photography, they also do movie
sets or backstage at theaters. When you watch a horror movie and the spooky monster that gives
you nightmares for weeks is all the work of a makeup artist. When you are watching a comedy
movie and you see a woman that is truly a man that is also the work of a makeup artist. It is truly
amazing the things that a makeup artist can do with a few martials. Some of the most common
makeup artist jobs are with models and celebrities. Fashion is one of the more popular and well
know makeup artist job. Makeup artist work behind the scenes of fashion shoots for people like
Vogue and Dior making the models that everyone sees in magazines extra extraordinary and
beautiful. Models would be nothing without their makeup artist and hair stylist. The makeup
artists do the makeup for photo shoots and fashion runways. The makeup artist work hard to
make people all around the work to look beautiful, amazing, and different.
The history of cosmetology goes back farther most people know or realize. Cosmetology
could go all the way back into ancient history.Cosmetology is the study of cosmetics and their
use. Almost everyone around the world uses cosmetology in some sort of way even if they don’t
realize it. Cosmetology consists of skin care, nails, cosmetic surgery, makeup, even permanent
make up but the two most well know parts of cosmetology is hair stylist and makeup artist.Every

5. Cagle 5
time someone puts their hair up in a ponytail they are using cosmetology in some way.
Cosmetology is not only hair coloring, coloring hair, and putting on pounds of makeup.
Cosmetology consists of all the simple things as well. People get their nails painted and change
the way they look with cosmetology. It is very important to many people all over the world.
Cosmetology is not just for celebrities and models, everyone uses it. Whether people realize it or
not cosmetology is a huge part of today’s society and is very important to a large part of our
population.