Do You Need a License to be a Dental Assistant in Florida?

The answer to this question is no; a dental assistant license is not required to become a dental assistant in Florida. In the past, you might have seen that many dental assistants started in the dentist’s back office, supported the dentist and hygienist, and worked their way up to becoming dental assistants. However, the current hiring environment has changed its dynamic. Employers are looking for trained “entry-level” dental assistants. So, how can you get a job if you have yet to work as a dental assistant? The best option is to attend the Dental Assistant program at Meridian College.

Reasons Why Getting a Dental Assistant Diploma is Important

There are many reasons to get a dental assistant diploma at Meridian College. These reasons include:

#1: Employers are Looking for Trained “Entry-Level” Dental Assistants

Most employers want trained dental assistants to reduce the burden on resources and accelerate the time it takes for new employees to start working independently. Why hire a new dental assistant and spend a year training them when candidates already have educational experience?

#2: The Liability in the Dental Field

The medical and dental fields are heavily regulated, and sometimes patients sue for malpractice. Since there is a liability in the dental field, employers want to hire trained dental assistants who won’t make mistakes or errors. Having the proper knowledge and skillset is vital to limit liability.

#3: A Competitive Work Environment

Even though dental assistants are in demand, there are many candidates completing vocational training and applying for dental assistant roles in Florida. Don’t get left behind. Take the time to complete dental assistant training and allow yourself to compete in this competitive work environment.

#4: No Knowledge Gaps

Starting as a dental assistant trainee may sound like the best option. This can get you started quickly, but it can leave knowledge gaps you didn’t even know you have. Starting from scratch in a trainee position means you do what you are assigned. You might start by sterilizing instruments or shadowing the current dental assistant and watch what they do. You end up doing a limited number of tasks without a complete understanding of the dental assistant role. However, attending the Dental Assistant program at Meridian College will allow you to lay a solid educational foundation you can build upon throughout your career.

By completing the Dental Assistant program, you will work on all aspects of dental assisting. Bridges, dentures, dental prosthetics, polishing clinical crowns, applying topical fluorides and anesthetics, suture removal, and applying liners and sealants. No stone is left unturned, and you are ready to take on any task as you start working as a dental assistant.

#5: Career Services

One of the best reasons to attend the Dental Assistant program at Meridian College is our career services. We help you build a strong resume, prepare you for those important job interviews, and match you with employment opportunities. We have strong ties in the Florida communities, and employers look to Meridian College for highly trained dental assistants ready to hit the ground running.

Want to Learn More?

The Dental Assistant training program at Meridian College provides extensive hands-on training, including a school externship at a dental office where you will assist the dentist in treating actual patients.

Meridian College also has dedicated school instructors who offer dental assisting training that can help you get an entry-level position at a dentist’s office or dental clinic. You get to work in real-world situations and use your training from classroom lectures to further your skills during lab work.

Contact Meridian College today to learn more about becoming a dental assistant.

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Do You Need to be Certified to be a Dental Assistant in Florida?

Florida doesn’t license or certify dental assistants. It’s among a handful of states with no formal education requirements, so you can still get an entry-level position with on-the-job training.

To perform so-called expanded functions, however, dental assistants must complete an educational program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).

Lists of expanded functions differ from state to state but typically include:

• Taking X-rays
• Applying sealants
• Coronal polishing
• Orthodontic procedures
• Obtaining impressions
• Administering local anesthetics
• Monitoring nitrous oxide
• Removing sutures
• Appliance fabrication

With this training, dental assistants can handle the duties they can perform, so jobs may be easier to find.

How Can You Obtain Formal Training?

Enrolling in a vocational school program at Meridian College is a great way to get training in Florida. All you need to apply is the willingness to learn and a high school diploma or general equivalency certificate.

You’ll graduate in months with the skills you need to launch a rewarding career in oral care. It’s an investment in yourself and others.

What Are the Additional Benefits of a Formal Education?

Formal education offers both personal and practical benefits, including:

A Standardized Curriculum

Formal dental assistant programs have standardized curricula covering essential topics, from dental procedures and radiography to infection control and client care. Students receive a well-rounded education, developing the expanded function skills employers value.

A Competitive Edge

Vocational schools collaborate with industry experts to ensure curricula are relevant to the job market’s needs. Local employers know program graduates have the knowledge and skills to succeed in a fast-paced dental office. A diploma shines on a resume, giving you a competitive advantage when competing with experienced applicants for the best positions. As a potential employee, it makes you a better investment.

Hands-on Learning

Dental assistant programs include supervised clinical experiences where students practice critical skills in a controlled environment. Hands-on training allows you to work with dental equipment and assist with patient care under the supervision of qualified instructors. You’ll be familiarized with the latest treatments and technologies, graduating fully confident in working in a modern dental setting.

Instructor Mentorship

Vocational schools hire industry-seasoned instructors who are familiar with the field. As mentors, they help students bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace by sharing industry expertise.

Beyond practical skills, they share tricks of the trade and promote a positive learning environment that demonstrates the professionalism required in dental offices.

Networking Opportunities

Formal training programs facilitate networking opportunities with classmates, instructors, and professionals in the dental field. Most schools sponsor job fairs and meet-and-greets with local employers. Many open positions are never posted for the public, so getting your dream job is as much about who you know as what you know.

Professional Freedom

All dental assistants work under the license of an oral care professional. However, Well-educated dental assistants have more autonomy to manage a dentist’s practice. Dentists know they can trust them with greater responsibility.

Job Placement Assistance

Vocational schools are job-focused, meaning their goal is to ensure graduates find meaningful employment. Most institutions have dedicated career counselors who help students find job openings, write resumes, and prepare for interviews. It’s reassuring to have someone in your corner.

Certifications

Formal dental assistant programs prepare students for optional but valuable certifications. Certificates like these are the key to professional development and opportunities to specialize:

Certified Dental Assistant (CDA)

The Certified Dental Assistant credential is offered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). To become CDAs, candidates must pass an exam covering radiation health and safety, infection control, and general chairside assisting. CDA certification demonstrates your competency as a dental assistant.

Radiation Health and Safety (RHS)

The RHS certification, an independent certificate and one of the components of the CDA credential focuses specifically on dental radiography and radiation safety. Candidates who pass the RHS exam are qualified to take dental X-rays in most states.

Infection Control (ICE)

The ICE certification, another component of the CDA credential, covers infection control practices in dental settings. It shows you can perform sterile procedures while maintaining a safe and sanitary environment in oral care practice.

Expanded Functions Dental Assistant (EFDA)

Some states allow dental assistants with general education and experience to obtain an EFDA certificate permitting them to perform advanced clinical procedures. Education and experience requirements for EFDA certification vary.

 Orthodontic Assistant Certification

Dental assistants interested in orthodontics practices can pursue orthodontic assistant certification. This orthodontic assistant certificate covers the specialized skills required in orthodontic settings, such as appliance adjustments.

Certified Preventive Functions Dental Assistant (CPFDA)

Offered by DANB, the CPFDA certification establishes you as a preventive care expert. The exam covers fluoride treatments, dental sealants brushing techniques, and nutritional counseling.

Certified Restorative Functions Dental Assistant (CRFDA)

The CRFDA certification, also sponsored by DANB, emphasizes restorative dental procedures. It covers skills related to dental fillings, crowns, bridges, implants, and other treatments.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to be licensed or certified to work as a dental assistant in Florida, but your education impacts the positions you’ll qualify for. With a diploma, you can do more than get a job. You can start building a career.

Want to Learn More?

The Dental Assistant training program at Meridian College provides extensive hands-on training, including a school externship at a dental office where you will assist the dentist in treating actual patients.

Meridian College also has dedicated school instructors who offer you training in dental assisting that you can use to get an entry-level position at a dentist’s office or dental clinic. You get to work in real-world situations and use your training from classroom lectures to further your skills during lab work in dental assisting.

Contact Meridian College today to learn more about becoming a dental assistant.

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What Are Medical Assistant’s Duties?

Medical assistants handle clinical and administrative tasks in a broad range of healthcare settings at many different medical facilities, hospitals and physician’s offices in Florida. Job descriptions vary, but their primary responsibilities include:

Triaging Clinical Calls

When patients call for help, they need to hear a knowledgeable, comforting voice. Medical assistants have the clinical expertise required to troubleshoot complex symptoms and report them to the appropriate provider. As the doctor’s representative, you’ll interact with patients on their behalf, guiding communication to deliver prompt care.

Scheduling

Medical assistants team up with medical office assistants to schedule urgent care. Because they know what clients need, how long treatments take, and which equipment and team members must be available for the visit, they’re invaluable clinical resources.

Rooming Patients

Medical assistants make care more efficient by escorting patients to exam rooms, taking their vital signs, collecting biological samples, and updating their health records. They may also perform verbal screens for depression and home safety needs to save the doctor time.

Performing Medical Tests

Medical assistants perform medical tests from electrocardiograms to urinalyses. If you enjoy the technological and scientific aspects of medicine, it lets you spend more time in the lab.

Administering Medications

Medical assistants may administer oral medication and give injections under the watchful eye of a licensed clinical professional. You’ll help give flu vaccines, allergy shots and more. Working in an oncology practice, you might also assist with infusion therapy.

Performing Treatments

Medical assistants help with treatments from suture removal to wound care. They also assist with minor surgical procedures, sterilizing and setting up equipment while serving as an extra pair of hands to the doctor.

Infection Control

Medical assistants are responsible for maintaining a sanitary environment that controls the spread of disease-causing microorganisms. From disinfecting tools to sanitizing surfaces in exam rooms, they help keep patients and peers safe.

Inventory Management

Medical assistants keep exam rooms stocked, filling shelves with what providers need to perform exams and treatment. They keep also keep track of supply use for billing, coding insurance forms so that facilities are reimbursed.

Record Management

Updating patients’ medical records is a large part of a medical assistant’s duties, but you’ll also help maintain entire recordkeeping systems and assist with the secure transfer of health data for billing and referrals.

Patient Education

Patient education is among a medical assistant’s most meaningful roles. You can’t dispense medical advice, but you can help patients better understand their treatment plan and offer timely information on important topics from nutrition to heart health.

General Office Procedures

Medical assistants are part of both the office and clinical teams, so they lend a hand with filing, faxing and other general office duties. If it happens in a Florida healthcare office, you can bet that a medical assistant is involved.

Where Can a Medical Assistants Work?

The majority of medical assistants still work in Florida doctor’s offices, but the percentage has dropped in the last decade. The rest are employed in hospitals, outpatient care facilities and for those intrigued by alternative care, chiropractor’s offices in Florida. Part of the fun of medical assisting is the freedom and flexibility to choose what to do with your diploma. As roles for medical assisting expand, the sky’s the limit on where you can work in Florida. Each setting has its perks:

Doctor’s Offices in Florida

Medical assistants employed by private practices in Florida enjoy the camaraderie of a close-knit environment. You’ll work with the same doctors, patients, and peers consistently. It’s an energetic but team-based environment where you’ll be busy but supported.

Doctor’s offices are rarely as exciting as hospitals, but there’s greater potential for specialization. If you’re passionate about one type of medicine, look for jobs in that field. Top choices, in Florida, include cardiology, pediatrics, gerontology, women’s health, and chiropractic care.

Hospitals

Hospitals are an exciting workplace for medical assistants who thrive on diversity. The patients are more acute, so your role may be less clinical and more administrative, but every task you do contributes to high-quality patient care.

A medical assistant with good organizational skills is an asset as a unit clerk or a medical records technician. However, if clinical practice is more appealing, you can assist in an ambulatory care unit.

In a Florida hospital, you’ll see a greater variety of patients and once-in-a-lifetime cases that you won’t encounter in other settings but put your most comfortable shoes on because the pace is brisk.

Outpatient Centers

Outpatient centers are parts of medical facilities that provide specialized care for patients who don’t need to be admitted. Examples include imaging centers, sleep labs, chemotherapy infusion centers, pediatric clinics, psychiatric care programs and more.

If you live in areas like central Florida where the population of seniors is skyrocketing, outpatient centers are flourishing. In the Sarasota region, medical assistants are in especially high demand. As exciting a setting as a hospital but medically focused, they need the full range of your clinical and clerical skills.

How Can Someone Become a Medical Assistant?

There’s no easier way to become a medical assistant than to enroll in a vocational school program. Full-time students graduate with a diploma in just nine months, ready to hit the ground running.

Final Thoughts

Vocational schools offer what colleges don’t, marketable training in just nine months. A foot in the door and a foundation to build on, a diploma is the cornerstone of a successful medical assisting career.

Want to Learn More?

Meridian College offers hands–on Medical Assistant training from experienced school faculty who know how to prepare you for the daily challenges you’ll face on the job. From assisting doctors with patients to important administrative tasks, our experienced Medical Assistant program teachers will train you for a rewarding new career.

In addition to receiving training from school instructors with real-world experience, you will also complete a school externship in a physician’s office, clinic, or related healthcare facility under the supervision of a physician, nurse, or health services professional to further develop your skills.

Contact Meridian College today to learn more about becoming a medical assistant.

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What Does a Medical Assistant Do?

As a medical assistant, you will perform both clinical and administrative duties. The actual duties will vary depending on whether you work in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and other healthcare facilities. However, some of the most common duties may include:

Patient Management

As a medical assistant, you will greet patients, escort them to the exam room, as well as record their information, including health history, medications, and other important demographic data. You will take vital signs, including their blood pressure, respiration rate and temperature. Also, part of patient management involves educating patients on proper health care, nutrition, and other aspects of their health. The medical assistant is the patient’s liaison, and they are the backbone of the medical facility. Patients rely on medical assistants to keep them informed and up to date on all happenings.

Assist Physician

Another duty of a medical assistant includes supporting the doctor with all patient examinations. You will be an extra set of hands for the physician, handing them medical instruments and taking notes. Helping the physician in this way allows them to pay closer attention to the patient, improving patient health outcomes.

Clinical Duties

As a medical assistant, you will perform phlebotomy to take a blood sample from patients and prepare it for the laboratory. You will also administer EKGs and other diagnostic testing to help the physician better diagnose and treat patients. It is an important skill to learn during a medical assistant program because medical errors can cause problems with patient care.

Administrative Duties

In addition to clinical duties, you will also help the other medical staff schedule patient appointments, answer questions, greet patients and perform many other patient related tasks. Managing the clinical schedule, triage phone calls, managing billing and coding, and ordering medical supplies help the medical facility run smoothly and supports the physicians with essential assistance.

How Do You Become a Medical Assistant in Florida?

An easy way to become a medical assistant in Florida is to attend a vocational school like Meridian College. We offer a complete curriculum including what you need to know to start working on day one and to prepare for a certification exam if you choose. So, what do you learn in a medical assistant program?

What Do You Learn in a Medical Assisting Program?

Medical assisting programs give you the knowledge and skills to be successful in an entry-level position. Coursework includes:

Medical Terminology

During a medical assistant program, you learn how to talk like a healthcare professional. You don’t need to memorize all the terms, because we give you the tools to decipher the medical terminology. Whether it is a suffix, prefix or root words, we educate you about how medical terminology is created and allow you to decipher its meaning. This comes in handy when taking notes for patient records, assisting with insurance claims or managing many of the clinical and clerical duties that you perform day-to-day.

Medical Office Procedures

As a medical assistant, you will support the medical staff with clerical tasks. Whether it is answering phones, greeting patients, ordering supplies or anyone of the tasks that you will be responsible for as a medical assistant, learning proper office support will allow you to support the medical staff and improve health outcomes in the process.

Anatomy and Physiology

To work as a medical assistant, you must understand both anatomy and physiology. It helps you take vital signs, code electronic health records, and educate patients on pre- and post-care. During a medical assistant program, you learn how the body is made and how it works. This includes the many common diseases and disorders of the 12 body systems. Understanding how the body systems work together helps you better perform your duties as a medical assistant successfully.

Laboratory Procedures

Once only done in hospitals, medical assistants are increasingly becoming responsible for processes blood and specimen in the lab. Whether it is phlebotomy, urine samples, biopsy sample, or other lab specimen, during a medical assistant program you will learn how to process, prepare for delivery, and analyze specimen to help doctors diagnose and treat patients.

Health Information Resources

Most patient charts are transforming from paper to digital. Electronic health records have revolutionized the industry, allowing physicians to better collaborate and reduce the number of medical errors. A medical assistant will learn how to use the medical software that relates to health information resources to better manage health care for their patients.

Medical Coding

Medical coding is shorthand used to condense data on insurance forms. Without it, a simple claim could be pages long. As a medical assistant, you assist with claims or code clinical forms so medical billers knows who to bill. In this course, you’ll learn about the three primary coding systems, including:

ICD-10 – the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision, has been used worldwide since 1977 to classify medical disorders. Codes are alphanumeric sequences used for billing and by the global health authorities for disease surveillance.

CPT – Common Procedural Terminology codes are five-digit numbers describing surgical procedures and diagnostic tests. The American Medical Association developed this system in the 1960s for data collection and reimbursement purposes.

HCPCS – Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, was developed in 1983 for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services but is used by other insurers as well. Seventeen classifications cover billing for medical support services and products like durable medical equipment

Medical Billing and Insurance

During this medical assistant program, you will learn about medical billing and insurance. From submitting insurance claims to processing patient billing, you learn medical billing inside and out.

Externships

One of the great opportunities you gain while attending a vocational school is an ability to learn hands-on in real world situations. You will have the opportunity to enjoy an externship at a local Florida medical facility, to not only get work experience but it also looks great on a resume. Take the time to shadow a medical assistant in a real clinic and understand where you fit in this exciting industry.

What Are the Benefits of Attending a Vocational School in Florida?

There are many benefits to attending a vocational school in Florida. Some of these benefits include:

A Complete Curriculum

By attending a medical assistant program, you are getting a complete curriculum without knowledge gaps. Whether you will be responsible for the task in your role or not, you learn what you may need to know to perform your duties as a medical assistant. You may consider a clerical role in the beginning but decide to focus more on the clinical tasks as you progress in your career. Getting a complete curriculum from the start will make that possible.

Learn from Your Mistakes

Unfortunately, medical errors happen. However, if you make a mistake while you are at school, you can use it as a teaching moment. While you attend a vocational school in Florida, you can prefect your skills so as you are working with a patient, you are error free. Take the time to learn from your mistakes, your patients will be happy you did.

Hands-On Experience

During your medical assistant program, you will spend time in the classroom for lectures, but you will also practice your skills with classmates, in school labs, and during externships. Whether you perform phlebotomy, administer an EKG or take vital signs, you will be able to perfect your skills while at the same time being supervised by your instructor. This will also help you build your confidence for your first day on the job.

Industry Expert Instructors

Another great benefit of attending a formal education is that you are taught by industry experienced instructors. They will have worked in the industry and may even have ties with the Florida communities around Meridian College. They will understand what you need to be successful and allow you to stand out in a sea of candidates.

Career Services

One of the best benefits of attending a vocational school in Florida is the career services that we offer our graduates. We look for the job that fits your knowledge and passion. If you are happy while you work, then we did our job. We also help you build a resume, prepare for interviews and connect you with Florida employers that have job openings. We stride to find a job for you that fits your passion, so you don’t work a day in your life.

Final Thoughts

Do you want more than a job, but a career? If so, Meridian College wants to help you become a medical assistant. We help you, and you help others. It’s a win-win.

Want to Learn More?

Meridian College offers hands–on Medical Assistant training from experienced school faculty who know how to prepare you for the daily challenges you’ll face on the job. From assisting doctors with patients to important administrative tasks, our experienced Medical Assistant program teachers will train you for a rewarding new career.

In addition to receiving training from school instructors with real-world experience, you will also complete a school externship in a physician’s office, clinic, or related healthcare facility under the supervision of a physician, nurse, or health services professional to further develop your skills.

Contact Meridian College today to learn more about becoming a medical assistant.

The post How Long Does It Take to Become a Medical Assistant in Florida? appeared first on Meridian College.

So, why go through all this hassle? The demand for licensed cosmetologists in Florida isn’t slowing down any time soon. Florida’s warm weather, sunshine, and miles of beaches offer a great place to become a cosmetologist and work in one of the United States’ best areas. Enrolling in a cosmetology diploma program affords you the foundation required to prepare for a Florida Cosmetology license and pursue a career in the field of beauty. Working in the beauty industry offers strong earning potential, but it takes stamina, hard work, and the right Florida college.

Florida Cosmetology Curriculum Areas

Earning your cosmetology diploma from an accredited program is the first step toward a Florida cosmetology license. In a cosmetology program, you’ll learn the basics in several key areas, from hairstyling and skincare to the business of running a salon to proper sanitation practice, in preparation for a cosmetology license in Florida. Areas of study when attending cosmetology school in Florida include:

• Related history of the beauty culture
• Cutting and styling hair
• Application of chemical perms to hair including relaxers, curls, waves.
• Bleaching, coloring, and highlighting hair
• Nail care, nail diseases, and nail grooming
• Skincare and skin issues
• Makeup application
• Related anatomy, physiology, and chemistry
• Hair removal methods including waxing and depilation.
• Bacteriology and infection control
• Salon sanitation, implement sterilization, cleaning practices, and personal hygiene.
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines
• CPR & First Aid
• Business prep including record keeping, appointment setting, ordering supplies and financial responsibilities.

What to Expect When Taking the Exam

A third-party provider of assessment services supplies the cosmetology license exam at various locations around Florida. Your exams, administered on an electronic testing system, eliminates the use of paper, pencil, and answer sheets. Exam candidates answer multiple-choice (A, B, C, D) questions. Before beginning the exam, there is an opportunity to read through a tutorial on the computer. The test is simple to maneuver through with clear navigational arrows that allow you to go backward and forward, mark questions for review, and skip around. An easily accessible summary screen shows your questions answered, questions unanswered or skipped, and time left.

What the License Exam Covers

The Cosmetology license exam is two separate examinations: I. Written Theory and II. Written Clinical. The Written Theory Examination is a one-and-a-half-hour exam containing sixty-five multiple-choice questions. The Written Clinical Examination is a one-and-a-half-hour exam consisting of sixty-five multiple-choice questions. Questions for both parts are from the subject areas listed below.

General Safety and Sanitation Procedures

The general safety and sanitation procedures section of the Florida cosmetology license exam focuses on wet and dry procedure implement sanitization, proper work area cleaning and sanitization, personal hygiene practices, storing and disposing of equipment, supplies, and chemicals, and maintaining a proper working environment to ensure the safe operation of implements and equipment. Many of these standards and guidelines are supplied by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). It is up to you to know these procedures to keep yourself and your clients safe.

Client Services

As a licensed cosmetologist, you must learn about client services. This section of the license exam focuses on how to determine desired services by establishing proper communication. Also, important general safety is protecting clients with the necessary covering and draping. You are tested on the basic knowledge of the bone and muscle systems of the head, hands, and feet. This anatomy review focuses on analyzing skin, hair structure, scalp, nails and recognize their disorders and diseases.

This exam also tests you on how to advise a client of recommended services, referring a client for medical treatment, maintaining a client’s record of previous services and notes, and client at-home maintenance advice. Part of your services is educating clients on proper hygiene and hair care in between hair appointments.

Facials, Make-up and Hair Removal

When it comes to facials, make-up and hair removal, you must be familiar with the skin sensitivity test, the different ways to remove superfluous hair through tweezing, waxing, and depilatories, how to lighten superfluous hair, proper facial massage techniques and make-up application.

Manicuring and Pedicuring

Part of your curriculum in a cosmetology program, that you will be tested on during this license exam, will include manicuring and pedicuring. The exam covers repairing damaged nails, filing nails into the desired shapes, giving plain or oil manicures and pedicures, applying nail tip extensions, and applying acrylics or porcelain to sculpture nails and nail wraps. Although you may not perform nail technician services as a cosmetologist, it is important for you to understand the process because in the future, you may decide to perform manicures and pedicures.

Professional/Legal and Ethical/Laws and Rules

It is important for you to understand about and abide by legal and ethical laws and rules. There are many responsibilities that come along with a cosmetology license and knowing how to keep your clients safe is important. You will need to know how to maintain proper licensure status, actions and grounds for discipline and penalties, requirements for a facility’s licensure, and board of Cosmetology duties.

Hair Coloring and Lightening

Hair coloring and lightening involves chemicals that can harm a client. The license exam confirms your proficiency in hair coloring and lightening. You will be tested on how to select and apply temporary color rinses, performing skin sensitivity patch test and strand test methods, semipermanent, permanent, color, toner, lightener, frosting, streaking, painting, tipping applications, and performing corrective color, one-step color, and retouch.

Part of the hair coloring section of the exam will include color matching eyelash, eyebrow, beard, and mustache tinting. You will also be responsible for coloring or lightening wigs and hairpieces as a cosmetologist.

Permanent Waving and Chemical Relaxing

Permanent waving and chemical relaxing also use chemicals that can be harmful to clients. Proper procedure is important, and this exam confirms your knowledge about how to properly implement the waving and relaxing equipment, and proper section selection. The exam also tests you on how to perform a test curl, permanent wave solution selection and application, proper use of acid wave and exothermic wave solutions, using relaxers/straighteners including thiol, acid, no lye, and sodium hydroxide, applying a base at hairline, scalp, and ears, chemical blowouts, and performing re-formation curl, reconstruction perm, curl rearranging, and re-curling.

Scalp and Hair Care

This section of the Florida cosmetology licensing exam focuses on shampooing hair, including manipulations, massage, cleansing, and rinsing. You will also prove your knowledge in shampoo hair chemistry, pH levels of hair, pH levels of shampoos and rinses, identifying hair and scalp conditions and proper product application.

Hair Cutting/Shaping

The main part of your job as a cosmetologist is hair cutting and shaping. In this section of the exam, you must prove your knowledge about proper selection of haircutting implements and methods including angles, and sections, cutting and shaping hair using clippers/guard, cutting and shaping hair including thinning, layering, shingle, and blunt cutting, texturizing using thinning shears and channel shears, cutting or shaping wigs and hairpieces, and trimming beard and mustache using clippers and scissors.

Hair Styling

Hair styling is a major portion of your job as a cosmetologist, and rightfully so also on the Florida cosmetology license exam. You will prove your knowledge about finger waves, pin curls, molding hair using wrapping, setting hair using rollers and clips, styling hair after the set, styling hair using thermal irons, marcel irons, hot rollers, electric hot combs, hairdryers, pressing combs, and heat lamps, and styling hair using freehand techniques including braiding, platting, roping, and chignon.

Final Thoughts

Graduating from a cosmetology diploma program prepares you to take the Florida cosmetology license exam. And you need the license to practice as a hairstylist in Florida. So, take the first step and learn more about a cosmetology diploma program. After you invest time into your career, you will look back on it as the best investment you have ever made.

Do you need to complete the cosmetology diploma program to prepare you for the cosmetology license exam? Earning your diploma in Cosmetology may be the next step in your career. Meridian College offers a Cosmetology training program in Florida that prepares you to deliver high–quality beauty and hair services to both men and women. Meridian College offers a hands–on Cosmetology training program giving you the skills you need to start an exciting career and become a leader in the beauty industry.

Contact Meridian College today to learn more about becoming a cosmetologist.

The post What is Included in a Florida Cosmetology License? appeared first on Meridian College.