Our Esthetics program was created in response to an increasing demand for well-trained, qualified skin care professionals. Our 450 hour diverse program insures that the training our students receive will reflect the most current trends in the field of holistic skin care.

In order that our students graduate with a thorough understanding of the intricacies of esthetics, we include classes on the anatomy, physiology and histology of the skin, sanitation and disinfection, skin disorders and diseases, skin analysis, cosmetic chemistry, and the basics of electricity.

From there we explore product selection and ingredients, treatment room set-up, the benefits of massage and basic facial treatments. Students study different hair removal techniques, the use of machines for facial treatments, and a number of advanced treatments and techniques.

Makeup application for day, evening and special occasions is covered, as well as camouflage techniques. We round out the semester with tips on product sales and recommendations, and career planning for a prosperous future.

Upon meeting all of the requirements for graduation, a Affidavit of Completion is awarded and the student will be eligible to sit for the written and practical exams required by the Board of Cosmetology for the state of South Carolina.

Days, Times, Clock Hours:

Day students at our Columbia and Bluffton campuses attend classes Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 2 pm; evening classes are offered in Columbia and meet Monday through Thursday from 5:30 to 10:30 pm.

The program takes 5 months and 3 weeks to complete. Week-end classes at our Bluffton campus meet Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm. Myrtle Beach offers a Thursday/Friday class that meets from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. Both of these two-day-a-week classes graduate in seven months.

Class size will remain such that individual attention will be stressed, with the student/teacher ratio for lectures not exceeding 1 teacher for every 16 students and hands-on instruction not exceeding 1 teacher for every 8 students.

In describing our program, reference is made to the term “clock hours.” Curriculum in vocational schools is often described this way, rather than in terms of credit hours. A clock hour is one in which instruction takes place for at least 50 minutes of each hour.