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Beauty Therapist

Skilled Trades

Provide skincare treatments to face and body to enhance an individual's appearance. Includes electrologists and laser hair removal specialists.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

General

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Sterilize equipment and clean work areas.
  2. 2Cleanse clients' skin with water, creams, or lotions.
  3. 3Demonstrate how to clean and care for skin properly and recommend skin-care regimens.
  4. 4Determine which products or colors will improve clients' skin quality and appearance.
  5. 5Keep records of client needs and preferences and the services provided.
  6. 6Treat the facial skin to maintain and improve its appearance, using specialized techniques and products, such as peels and masks.
  7. 7Examine clients' skin, using magnifying lamps or visors when necessary, to evaluate skin condition and appearance.
  8. 8Collaborate with plastic surgeons and dermatologists to provide patients with preoperative and postoperative skin care.
  9. 9Select and apply cosmetic products, such as creams, lotions, and tonics.
  10. 10Perform simple extractions to remove blackheads.
  11. 11Stay abreast of latest industry trends, products, research, and treatments.
  12. 12Apply chemical peels to reduce fine lines and age spots.
  13. 13Refer clients to medical personnel for treatment of serious skin problems.
  14. 14Provide facial and body massages.
  15. 15Remove body and facial hair by applying wax.
  16. 16Tint eyelashes and eyebrows.
  17. 17Advise clients about colors and types of makeup and instruct them in makeup application techniques.
  18. 18Sell makeup to clients.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Spa Tech
  • Facialist
  • Beautician
  • Esthetician
  • Aesthetician
  • Removal Tech
  • Electrologist
  • Electrolysist
  • Skincare Tech
  • Spa Therapist

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BusinessDraws directly on Sales and Marketing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Sales and Marketing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Bahasa MelayuDraws directly on Communications and Media — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BiologyDraws directly on Therapy and Counseling — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Customer and Personal Service86%
  • Sales and Marketing73%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Administration and Management72%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Education and Training72%
  • English Language70%

    English

  • Administrative68%

    Business

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentAlmost never

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

6%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

International Pre-U

A-Levels, AUSMAT, IB and more. The flexible premium route, local or overseas.

1–2 years

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Skincare Specialists

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org

Programmes that lead here

Programmes from the official UPU (KPT) and MQA catalogues whose field of study typically leads to this career. Matched by field, not a job guarantee.

Public universities (UPU)

Private institutions (MQA-accredited)

Search the programme catalogue