20-Year Prospect
As mentioned earlier, not even the 2008 financial crisis much slowed business in beauty salons. Beauticians and cosmetologists aren't going anywhere anytime soon, and the profession is in fact projected to grow by ten percent over the coming decade (source). That's great news, but the real twenty-year-question is whether you'll be able to get by on the salary.
It costs money to get your certifications and you'll have to take a risk to rent out a chair in a salon (without a client base to start) for $1,000 per month. Once you build that client list, things still won't be easy, so you'll need to catch some lucky breaks along the way if you're going to turn this into a profitable career.
All that said, if you can get by on the salary and love being the person who helps others look their best, you should be able to find work in cosmetology for decades to come.