Esthetician Schools in Hawaii

Hawaii uses "beauty operators" for cosmetologists, nail technicians, hairdressers, and estheticians. You can get your Hawaii beauty operator license specifically in esthetics or any of these other fields.

Browse our directory of esthetician schools in Hawaii, or skip ahead to learn about the state's esthetician licensing requirements and job outlook.

How to Become a Esthetician in Hawaii

To become a Hawaii esthetician, you need to earn a Beauty Operator license by training in an esthetician school or via apprenticeship, passing a test, and meeting general requirements.

More specifically, Hawaii Beauty Operator – Esthetician licensees must:

• Be at least 16.
• Have a high school diploma or the equivalent.
• Complete 600 hours in esthetician school, 1,200 hours in an apprenticeship, or a combination.
• Pass a licensing exam.
• Be a U.S. citizen, national, or legal resident.
• Turn in a written application to the board and pay relevant fees.
• Be totally honest with the board and not engage in career-related misconduct

You may also need to prove you're up to date on child support, have little to no criminal record, and pass a medical exam.

What to Expect From an Esthetician School Program in Hawaii

Hawaii esthetician school takes 600 hours to complete and includes coursework on using cosmetic tools and products to cleanse, treat, and beautify skin. Your school should cover theory, practical, and business skills. These could include, but may not be limited to:

Esthetician Theory

• Anatomy and physiology
• Bacteriology
• Chemistry
• Product knowledge
• Sanitation and sterilization
• Skin, scalp, and hair disorders

Esthetician Practical Skills

• Basic skin, scalp, and hair disorder treatment
• Facials
• Hair removal (except electrology) for people of all genders
• Makeup
• Massage of the face and upper body

Esthetician Business Skills

• Client interaction
• Hawaii laws and rules
• Salon management

If you take a break from your esthetician studies and want your earlier classes to count toward your license, you can't wait more than three years to return. After three years, you have to start from the beginning.

What to Look for in a Hawaii Esthetician School

Hawaii esthetician schools must meet facilities, equipment, faculty, and curriculum standards. Before enrolling, the first thing to do is verify that a program is up to par.

The basic requirements are:

• Having no more than 25 students per teacher, with a minimum of two teachers (one of whom can be the principal)
• Making sure all students are 16+ and have completed high school or its equivalent
• Holding classes away from customers—if salons double as classrooms, they can't have clients and courses at the same time
• Offering a curriculum meeting Hawaii's standards
• Halting student and teacher work at eight hours per day and 40 hours per week
• Ensuring the total number of students, patrons, and workers doesn't exceed building capacity
• Employing educators with no or acceptable criminal histories

Those things may be hard to see when you first enter an esthetician school. But, you can look at the equipment. Make sure any esthetician school you consider has the following:

• 3 shampoo bowls per 25 students
• 3 driers per 25 students
• 1 chair and mirrored styling station (aka "dresserette") per student
• 1 mannequin with high-quality hair per student
• Reasonable number of reclining chairs for facials
• Relevant electrical appliances
• Enough space in wet sterilizers for each student to access them easily
• 3 manicure tables
• Enough lockers for students to feel safe putting belongings in them
• Well-stocked library
• Signs making it clear students are providing services

All equipment needs to be in good working order. If you're unsure if there's enough of an item, like reclining chairs, ask teachers how they use them. This kind of question can help you get a closer look into any esthetics program you consider.

Can You Take Esthetics Programs Online in Hawaii?

Hawaii allows esthetician schools to teach up to 25% of theory classes online. Any practical work completed remotely can't be done on a real person. Combining esthetician school and apprenticeships may be useful if you want to take online classes.

Can I Apprentice as an Esthetician in Hawaii?

Yes, you can earn your esthetician license by apprenticeship in Hawaii. You must submit an application and pay a $57 fee to the state board to get an apprentice license before you begin.

Hawaii's esthetician apprentices must learn the topics taught in schools. They must also attend their programs no fewer than 20 hours per week. During that time, they need to keep track of their hours spent on different subjects using the Hawaii Board of Barbering and Cosmetology's Apprenticeship Progress Report.

Licensed beauty operators who want to take on apprentices need to register with the board and can train one apprentice at a time.

Combining Esthetician School and Apprenticeship Hours in Hawaii

Unlike in most other states, you could earn your esthetician license in Hawaii by combining schoolwork and an apprenticeship. Two apprenticeship hours count as one esthetician school hour.

For example, suppose you spend 100 hours in an esthetician school. In that case, you need to complete 1,000 hours (the equivalent of 500 school hours) in an apprenticeship to finish training.

You may not be allowed to undergo apprenticeship and school hours simultaneously. Talk to the state board before trying to do so.

Hawaii Esthetician Licensing Requirements

After completing your training, you only need to take a theory (written) esthetician test to get your Hawaii license. You don't have to take a practical exam.

The closed-book esthetician test, done on a computer at a testing location, takes about two hours and includes 100 questions. Questions break down into these sections:

General Concepts – 15%

• Business Management
• Client Protection/Consultation
• EPA and OSHA Requirements
• Establishment Safety
• Infection Control/Bacteriology
• Professional Ethics and Appearance

Applied Anatomy and Physiology – 25%

• Analysis of the Skin
• Circulatory System, Nervous System, and Muscular/Skeletal System
• Conditions, Disorders, and Diseases
• Growth and Regeneration
• Nutrition
• Structure, Composition, and/or Function

Chemical Concepts – 15%

• EPA and OSHA Requirements
• Ingredients and Usage of Materials
• Product Knowledge

Physical Concepts – 35%

• Facials
  • Benefits
  • Analysis
  • Massage
  • Purpose and Results
  • Supplies, Implements, and Equipment
  • Procedures
  • Safety Measures/Contraindications
• Hair Removal
  • Waxing
  • Tweezing
  • Depilatories
  • Purpose and Results
  • Supplies, Implements, and Equipment
  • Procedures
  • Safety Measures/Contraindications
• Makeup
  • Purpose and Results
  • Supplies, Implements, and Equipment
  • Procedures
  • Safety Measures/Contraindications

State Laws and Regulations – 10%

The test is offered continuously, but there are application and exam date deadlines to meet. Once you apply to take your test, you have about six weeks to do so. If you miss that six-week deadline, you need to apply and pay the $90 exam fee again.

Temporary permits are available for qualified test applicants. These allow you to practice while you wait to take your test. However, not everyone can get one, so contact the testing provider directly for more details.

You do need to register for a specific test date. If no dates work for you for religious reasons, contact the provider to see what can be done. The Oahu testing center offers walk-in testing, but it's a good idea to call ahead to ensure it's open and be ready to pay an added $60 fee.

After registering for an exam, you can use the Candidate Information Booklet to help you prepare for the test.

Once the Hawaii esthetician test day arrives, be sure to:

• Let them film or otherwise record your exam
• Put away all study materials
• Leave all personal belongings, including watches and hats, at the door
• Not bring guests, including children, as they can't enter the testing area

If you have to leave the testing area and don't have an ADA accommodation allowing you to do so, you must sign in and out and lose that test time. During breaks, you can't use any electronics, including your phone.

You need to earn at least 75% on the test to pass. The test is multiple choice, and the examiners suggest answering every question—even with a guess—because blank responses count against you as much as a wrong answer would. A guess giving you a one in four chance of getting the answer right is better than skipping a question and getting a guaranteed zero!

If you don't pass, expect a retake registration form with your score report, mailed about 10 business days after your test. Unlike some states, you won't find out if you passed or failed on the test day.

A positive testing experience is Prometric's top priority. Additionally, it follows accommodations laws. If you have a disability that may affect your testing success, contact Prometric directly for an accommodation request form. You need to provide documentation of your disability with your test application with at least 30 days' notice so the exam center can be ready.

Applicants take the test on a computer. So, accommodations like those you've gotten for computer-based tests in the past would generally be considered reasonable. However, the state doesn't accommodate language differences and only tests in English. If English isn't your first language, you can still succeed on the Hawaii esthetician exam. However, you may need to spend additional time studying and working on your skills. Look for schools that mention support and resources for multilingual learners, too.

Hawaii Esthetician License Reciprocity

Hawaii doesn't offer reciprocation for esthetician licenses from other states. But, you may be able to waive your exam and avoid additional study with some documentation.

Your previous coursework needs to be at least as stringent as Hawaii's, and you must have taken a NIC examination to get a test waiver. As of 2023, licensees from over 30 states may be eligible for Hawaii esthetician test waivers.

Spouses of military members may also waive the exams if they're ordered to be in Hawaii for at least one year. After that, the license is valid for as long as any other esthetician license.

Esthetician Dual Licenses in Hawaii

You can be licensed in more than one beauty area in Hawaii. Unless crossing over to or from barbering, this is called "additional classification."

Additional classifications are extra beauty operator licenses. For instance, if you're an esthetician who wants to work in manicuring and pedicuring, that nail tech license would be your additional classification.

To get your additional classification, you must already have a beauty operator license and submit an application to take a new exam and pay a fee of $20. You may need to attend more classes or apprenticeship hours in the new field, though your esthetician hours may save you some time and money. The state makes the call in the end.

You may also consider other licenses that aren't considered dual licenses, as they're managed by other state boards. Even with that potential challenge, these licenses are relevant to your current field and expand the treatments you can offer. Electrology and massage are two of the popular options.

Electrology licensure is handled by Hawaii Professional & Vocational Licensing Division programs. In addition, Hawaii has a board for massage therapists.

Esthetician Specialties in Hawaii

Esthetician licenses in Hawaii allow pros to do a lot of things. Still, esthetician programs don't necessarily provide training in all possible specialties. Some popular esthetician specialties are advanced makeup artistry, eyelash extensions, and medical esthetics.

Advanced makeup artistry includes, but isn't limited to, special events and special effects makeup. You may not need official extra training for this. However, if you plan to work with prosthetic makeup or other materials not typically found in an esthetician kit, classes may be worthwhile.

Eyelash extensions are semi-permanent faux eyelashes applied bit by bit to actual lashes, not to the skin. This requires extra training, as you don't want to make a misstep around someone's eyes!

Medical esthetics isn't a separate license but generally needs additional training that allows you to work with higher-risk clients. These people may have skin disorders, be in recovery from burns or medical treatments, or need other more intensive procedures.

For all three of these, you need an esthetics, cosmetology, or similar license to officially practice in Hawaii. If these are of major interest to you, you can look for an esthetician school offering relevant classes in addition to the traditional esthetics coursework.

You don't necessarily have to attend esthetician school to get this additional training. Instead, you may be able to find courses online, through independent companies, or on the job, depending on your situation.

Esthetician License Renewal in Hawaii

No matter when you get your Hawaii esthetician license, you need to renew it by December 31 of every odd-numbered year. Renewal is fairly straightforward; you only need to submit a form and pay $171.

If you don't renew your license by December 31, you're considered unlicensed and can't practice until you fix the problem. Late renewals cost an added $37. If you wait over three years to restore your license, you have additional hoops to jump through.

An eHawaii account through MyPVL is likely to be your lifeline during the renewal process. This site lets you print your pocket ID, check your renewal status, and, probably most importantly, apply for your renewal. You can complete your Hawaii esthetician license renewal via snail mail, but processing takes longer.

Hawaii doesn't require estheticians to take continuing education to renew licenses. But these classes are usually a good idea because they let you learn new, in-demand techniques and add certifications.

Esthetician Salary and Projected Job Growth in Hawaii

Hawaii estheticians earn an average of $54,150 annually ($26.03 per hour). The number of jobs is expected to grow by 47% by 2030. This state's esthetician salary is above than the national average, and the 47% anticipated growth rate is way higher than the expected 17% across the country.

Estheticians in Hawaii may earn the most money in urban Honolulu, with a median salary of $49,010. But, Honolulu's cost of living is very high compared to the rest of the country and even most of the state. So, if you want to get the most bang for your buck, other places in Hawaii may be better.

Contact the Hawaii State Board of Esthetics

Resources for Estheticians in Hawaii

Hawaii Estheticians Facebook Page
NCEA-run page for Hawaii estheticians

Honolulu Community College Library
Information about starting your own beauty business in Hawaii; intended for students at this school, but most of the site is open to non-students as well

Prometric Candidate Information Bulletin
Exam information, including vocabulary list and sample questions