Cosmetic procedures are generally done in a well-ventilated, sterile preparation room. Mortuary cosmetologists generally are not left alone with the deceased; a member of the funeral home staff will generally greet the cosmetologist and be present throughout the services if the cosmetologist desires. Mortuary cosmetologists are not expected to perform cosmetic procedures to a body on a table; rather, the body of the deceased is generally dressed and placed in the casket by the time the mortuary cosmetologist arrives to provide services.
Morticians, of course, work all hours. Their work depends basically on a person's time of death. Mortuary cosmetologists, on the other hand, may take an occasional call at an odd hour, but generally perform their services at their earliest convenience. A cosmetologist usually has only a day's notice of services needed at a mortuary, but can perform cosmetic services during day or evening hours, whatever is convenient.
Sanitation is of the utmost importance in funeral homes. Many of the extra steps funeral personnel take in preparation of the body and cleanup of the work area are for sanitary purposes, and mortuary cosmetologists must follow the same standards. Basic equipment provided by the funeral home may include a hair dryer, curling iron, and combs or brushes. This equipment is used only on the deceased and is thoroughly sterilized in a solution provided by the funeral home. On occasion the cosmetologist has to bring special equipment, such as a small curling iron or a bottle of temporary color. This equipment must be sterilized before it is removed from the funeral home. By the time mortuary cosmetology services are performed, the body has been embalmed, cleaned, and treated with chemical preservatives. Because of these chemicals and for sanitary purposes, mortuary cosmetologists always wear disposable gloves when they are performing cosmetic services.
Some widely held beliefs about bodies of the deceased may concern mortuary cosmetologists, who soon learn that such beliefs are unfounded, or at any rate, have little to do with their services. One commonly held belief is that the hair and nails continue to grow after death. Actually, the skin around the hair follicles and nail cuticles begins to shrink because of dehydration caused by death and the embalming process. Thus the embedded portions of the hair and nails are exposed, giving the impression that they have grown. Another belief—that the deceased move—is not a myth. Rather, it is a rarity that some health care or morgue professionals have witnessed as the body is being handled. Morticians may also notice a rare movement, usually a small twitch, as the body is being prepared with chemicals—generally muscular responses as the chemicals used to preserve tissues are absorbed. The nature of the procedures mortuary cosmetologists perform means that they should not see such movement.