To the chagrin of many a beauty professional, the movie Grease epitomized beauty school as a place where young women whiled away the hours while waiting to get married. Flash forward three decades and careers in beauty and wellness are growing more rapidly than many other fields according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Blame it on high-definition television, reality programming or the surge in non-invasive procedures, but today’s beauty professionals are working in environments that extend well beyond the styling chair. The American Association of Cosmetology Schools recently commissioned a national survey conducted by Dallas-based Decision Analyst; a leading firm in conducting attitude and perception studies. The Study of Attitudes Toward Beauty and Wellness Careers interviewed young women between the ages of 16 and 34, as well as beauty professionals, to profile the characteristics that make an individual a candidate for a career in beauty and wellness.The findings: Beauty and wellness careers – defined in the survey as “careers in hair care (e.g., styling, coloring, etc.), skin care (e.g., facials, makeup, etc.) nail care, massage and other services that help people maintain good grooming, improve their appearance and increase their sense of well-being) – are a good fit for a unique personality composite. Do you meet this profile?You’re Entrepreneurial – Data collected by the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts and Sciences reveals that approximately one-third of licensed cosmetologists and beauty professionals own their own business. Individuals are drawn to the field by an opportunity to create their own work/life balance. While traditional salaries are rare (but certainly an option for those that work in corporate salons and spas as well as broadcast and entertainment), the field does not suffer from income limits.You Like to Create: The Study of Attitudes Toward Beauty and Wellness Careers found that those that rank beauty and wellness as an attractive career path value the field for its opportunity to create. “Whether as a platform artist, educator or marketing representative, beauty offers unrivaled opportunities to create,” noted Jim Cox, executive director of the American Association for Cosmetology Schools. He noted that the respondents who favored careers in beauty tended to share many similarities with individuals interested in graphic design careers.You Enjoy Working with Others: Beauty may just be the ultimate people profession. Success requires more than an extroverted personality, however. Successful cosmetologists are adept at “reading” client’s and communicating with them in a manner that complements how the client prefers to be engaged. This encompasses skills such as sensitivity, respecting privacy and time management skills.You’re Looking for Life/Work Balance: What started with “flex-time” has morphed into a life-work balance, with young people desiring an alternative to the 40-hour, Monday-Friday week. Due to the entrepreneurial nature of careers in beauty, professionals can create their worn life/work path.