IMO its better to get certification first then you could work in an academy as a trainee to gain experience. i think there's also some courses which require you to do some practicals before awarding the cert. my mom opens a hair salon and build up her skills through experience. a cousin of mine is a beauty specialist and she's got a wall of certs. both both of them are doing well so in the end its down to having the better technique and the confidence of your customers. certification does help you to command a better salary/high payment if you're going to open your own salon. but first, it's important to know which aspects of beauty care you're more interested in eg facial, hair, cosmetics, nail, body slimming, massage etc etc...