Importance Of Mortuary Cosmetology

Will I be able to handle being a mortuary cosmetologist? That is the question that comes to mind when I think of my future career. Mortuary cosmetology does include a lot of procedures and real life training. It is a relatively new career option that dates back to the late 1970s and I admit, it can be a scary job. It is a job that pays though. So, the question I really need to ask is, is it worth it? In mortuary cosmetology you prepare the deceased for the viewing and you may need to provide comfort for the family left behind. To prepare them you will need to be able to make them look like they did when they were alive. To do this you will either use a photograph that is given to you by the family or you will have to do it from your memory …show more content…
When you are in high school you will need to take classes such as, physics, chemistry, geometry, and biology. It will also be helpful to study bacteriology so you will be able to sanitize equipment and clear up skin disorders that the deceased may have had (Ferguson). The math classes that you take in high school such as physics and geometry will teach you how to cut hair with the precision required to make the dead look normal. The English classes will be helpful to your career as well. For example, speech will help you build your ability to be able to approach the mourning family with both concern and care. Before you become a licensed mortuary cosmetologist you first need to become a licensed cosmetologist. To become a cosmetologist you will need to go to cosmetology school. Cosmetology schools require you to have live training which is when you practice what you learn in the classroom on actual people. You will need to have about one thousand five hundred hours which is about one hundred hours a month (“Mortuary Cosmetologist”). Once you have met all the requirements of the state you will need to pass a written exam. The written exam will test your knowledge of the areas needed to be known to be an accomplished cosmetologist. After you have gotten your license in cosmetology you will then need to be licensed as a funeral director before you are legally allowed to work with the dead. To become …show more content…
Sometimes, like with men for example, the funeral homes still do everything to prepare the deceased for the viewing. Your job is one that is not usually done so you may not be asked to do it for every dead person that rolls through the funeral home, but the job you have is an important one. Mortuary cosmetology is for the dead who worried about their looks when they were alive. The idea behind that is, if you worry about looking good when you were alive then your remaining family should not deny you the opportunity of looking good during the last time anyone will ever see you. Mortuary cosmetology is not that old of a career. It was only just recognized in the late 1970s but it has evolved greatly from when it began to today. Originally, not many people had the need for mortuary cosmetologists, but its purpose became known to the common people it soon became a precedent and that many women required. When mortuary cosmetology first started out it was not called mortuary cosmetology. It was originally called desiarology. The term desiarology comes from a book that was written by Charest-Papagno called Handbook of Desiarology for Cosmetologists Servicing Funeral Homes (“Mortuary Cosmetologist”). Desiarology is derived from the words hair and deceased. Many mortuary cosmetologists prefer to be called desiarologists today but it is not a