Any Professional Hair People Here?

[Buddaphlyy]

Are there any professional hair people (licensed stylists, cosmetology students, hair models, product manufacturers, etc.) here? I'm sure there are, but I would just like to know who. What do you think of hair forums and the members who join them? Is the information and advice different from what you learned in a class? If so, how much so? Do you think forums are helping or hurting your work? Why or why not?

[chelssix]

I'm about to enroll in cosmetology school. Realizing how much I liked everything to do with hair (including forums) made me decide that that was what I wanted to do with my life.

[jera]

There may be a few hair models here but I'd be surprised to find any cosmotologists. LHCers tend to gravitate towards natural hair care and products with no blow dryers or other styling tools that could damage hair. Also people here do not trim or cut the way the rest of the world does. That's why you see all that awesome knee length hair. :D

[Heidi_234]

We have (at least) one hair stylist in our rows. :D

[LittleOrca]

Hair Stylists? Here? Where?!?!?!

*Gathers her hair and runs for safety.*

I'm just teasing. I don't know any personally, but I know there are some around here somewhere.

[Heidi_234]

Hair Stylists? Here? Where?!?!?!

*Gathers her hair and runs for safety.*

I'm just teasing. I don't know any personally, but I know there are some around here somewhere.
She's the good kind (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=100)
:scissors:

[florenonite]

She's the good kind (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=100)
:scissors:

I was just going to link this article; I think it's really good.

[Buddaphlyy]

Thanks for the article heidi 234.

I know that most forum members are DIYers who prefer more at home care and less commercialized product. And there are some hair professional who are this way too. But even without a license, I think some hair care advice is just universally good and everyone should have access to it. Sometimes I feel though that some (definitely not all) hair insiders feel as they are the exclusive authority on hair care and products. So that's why I want to hear from some of them, to get a more complete understanding of their view.

[amaiaisabella]

I don't think I'd technically be considered a professional, as I worked as a hairdresser's assistant for a year, and do not have my license. If you do want to ask any advice, take it for what it's worth ;)

[justmyself]

I am a licensed cosmetologist. I worked in a salon for a total of one month, but I had recommended coconut oil and other natural things one too many times and got fired. They told me it was because of the economy, though they hired another stylist. This was about two years ago, maybe more. I am now back in school to do something in non-profit/public interest. My current job is at a homeless shelter. I think, in the end, I just felt like the hair industry was so superficial. So, I am glad to be out. I fully intend to keep up my license and do friend's and family's hair, but that's about it. I think I learned a great deal about the science of hair in school, which is good. I also developed an eye for color and some of the intricacies of hair that I would not have otherwise, even from this amazing board. The things I learned on this board add to what I learned in school and help me to see how to really take care of hair and make it healthier. I don't the the industry ideas really help to make hair healthier because there is this idea that it's dead already, and so forth. I think maybe I was just an odd stylist, because more than once ladies said (well 2 times that I can remember) that I didn't take enough off. My theory was that once it's gone it's gone and I can't put it back on.

[Kina]

I went to school for it, although I didn't finish due to family issues. I was always taught when cutting that it was better to take LESS because you could always cut more if you needed to.

I was cutting hair for twins who both had tailbone length hair, and didn't realize that the hair on the nape of the neck was not cut, and would up starting the cut from there. I realized my mistake when I went for the next layer and was mortified.

That was the last time I cut hair for anybody who wasn't family.

When you're in cosmetology school, you work on each other. It becomes common place to have at least every treatment that you do to others on your own head, maybe it de-sensitizes you?

I've always had at least BSL and have had a couple of experiences where I went in for a trim with waist length hair and wound up with BSL. I was searching for a blunt hemline, which I've accepted I won't have. My hair fairytales no matter what. C'est la vie.

The person I most recently went to, in May last year, was very respectful and only cut off as much as I wanted her to. She had the rep in the salon as the person whose clients all had long hair, with very good reason. She never cuts off more than you ask for.

She is however very expensive.

[Buddaphlyy]

I don't think I'd technically be considered a professional, as I worked as a hairdresser's assistant for a year, and do not have my license. If you do want to ask any advice, take it for what it's worth ;)

Lol, I used to sweep up the cut hair at a salon for services learning hours when I was in HS. So I'd say be an assistant would be a huge upgrade. Did you pursue that job or was it just something that happened to be available, if you don't mind me asking.


I am a licensed cosmetologist. I worked in a salon for a total of one month, but I had recommended coconut oil and other natural things one too many times and got fired. They told me it was because of the economy, though they hired another stylist. This was about two years ago, maybe more. I am now back in school to do something in non-profit/public interest. My current job is at a homeless shelter. I think, in the end, I just felt like the hair industry was so superficial. So, I am glad to be out. I fully intend to keep up my license and do friend's and family's hair, but that's about it. I think I learned a great deal about the science of hair in school, which is good. I also developed an eye for color and some of the intricacies of hair that I would not have otherwise, even from this amazing board. The things I learned on this board add to what I learned in school and help me to see how to really take care of hair and make it healthier. I don't the the industry ideas really help to make hair healthier because there is this idea that it's dead already, and so forth. I think maybe I was just an odd stylist, because more than once ladies said (well 2 times that I can remember) that I didn't take enough off. My theory was that once it's gone it's gone and I can't put it back on.

That's terrible that you lost your job because they considered you "odd" for providing alternatives for commercial hair products and not wanting to cut a lot of hair off. But at least you kept your license and can get access to "professionals only" products.

[justmyself]

That's terrible that you lost your job because they considered you "odd" for providing alternatives for commercial hair products and not wanting to cut a lot of hair off. But at least you kept your license and can get access to "professionals only" products.

Well, I think they felt that having me as a stylist meant that I would bring in very little revenue for the salon owners in terms of retail sales. I would have been a bad investment. It's probably true, since I really like the natural stuff so much better. I don't think my skin and hair would be nearly so healthy if hadn't found this site and realized that the professional stuff is not very good.

I would love to see some active stylists post, though, because it would be nice to see another perspective on this issue. I suspect lots of stylists on here are fairly open to the idea of natural haircare, though.

[Morningglory]

:waving: I am a licensed Cosmetologist.

I was different from the rest in my school. I promised my self no cutting or coloring my hair while I was in school. I had long virgin hair. I loved hair that is why I went to school. I love everyones hair, I love to work with it. I wanted to be the one to undo all of the damage other stylist had done. Many people trusted only me with their hair!

Yes, information here is different!:D

I am a stay home mommy now. I am trying to type while holding my sleeping one.
I worked as a stylist in the salon for five years until I was put on bedrest when I was pregnant. I have been home now for three years. I will return to work again in the salon.

[rymorg2]

Oh wow, thanks Heidi and Florenonite for that link and the kudos! :grouphug:

Yes, I'm a cosmetologist, though I don't work behind the chair anymore usually. I am now an artistic director for my company. That means I am an educator. I LOVE my career. Yes, the info here is different than what I learned in hairschool. When I became an artistic director, I had a pretty large clientelle built up, simply because I cared about them and their hair and their wants and needs, not my own. Not everyone wants color, not everyone wants layers.....everyones desires and needs for their hair are different. In the end it's the CLIENT who should make the decisions.

Btw, that point of view, that the client is always right, is part of what got me to where I am today. It got me from stylist to managing a store very quickly and then to artistic director. So not all of us are chopaholics. :eyebrows:

[amaiaisabella]

Lol, I used to sweep up the cut hair at a salon for services learning hours when I was in HS. So I'd say be an assistant would be a huge upgrade. Did you pursue that job or was it just something that happened to be available, if you don't mind me asking.

At the time, I was in my last semester of undergrad, and just wanted some spare money, so I took the job on a lark :) It was definitely fun, but not something I'd want to pursue full-time! I am just not that much of a people person.

[Julesn]

I have been a hairstylist for 14 years. I love my job & couldn't imagine doing anything else. So...to answer your ?'s........

(Are there any professional hair people (licensed stylists, cosmetology students, hair models, product manufacturers, etc.) here? I'm sure there are, but I would just like to know who. What do you think of hair forums and the members who join them? Is the information and advice different from what you learned in a class? If so, how much so? Do you think forums are helping or hurting your work? Why or why not?)

I think that hair forums can be a great tool for people to get educated on how to care of their hair. This forum in particular has a GREAT group of people who give great advice on healthy haircare :)

A lot of the info is different from what we were taught in school...although, that was some time ago for me. Schools don't really teach natural haircare b/c a good portion of the industry is centered around retail products.

On a color note, I do know that once the hair has been henna'd, it cannot be bleached or permed (or at least it shouldn't be~ha!). The chemicals don't react well together and can cause a lot of damage & breakage to the hair.

Obviously, we are not taught that blowdryers or flat irons are bad for the hair. I use them everyday at work on people who have beautiful, healthy hair. That being said though, some people are just genetically blessed with really good hair and/or cast iron hair that can take a lot. Then there are people who are not so lucky.

Here are some of my personal opinions:

~I think that blowdrying everyday is not a good idea. I tell most of my clients to take the weekends off from the blow dryer if they typically use it everyday. I say the same thing regarding the use of a flat iron. I also make sure that they are using a very good heat protectant product with moisture & protein to help combat the harmful effects of the blowdryer. Also, not all blowdryers & flat irons are created equal. There are DEFINITELY a couple of brands out there that are not as damaging as most of them are. If someone is going to heat style, it is imperative that they have great tools to do it.

~Chemical processing is not always bad as long as it is done by someone WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING. Most hair damage that is done by hairstylists is due to lack of education or sheer laziness.

~Obviously, if someone wants to grow very long & very healthy hair, I would probably advise against coloring with ammonia, peroxide, and bleach. I would also advise against using heat tools very often. Get a trim only when it's needed & when the ends start to look "chewy" or rough.

~I'd say that forums like these don't really help or hurt my job :)

HTH!

Julie :)

[florenonite]

Obviously, we are not taught that blowdryers or flat irons are bad for the hair. I use them everyday at work on people who have beautiful, healthy hair. That being said though, some people are just genetically blessed with really good hair and/or cast iron hair that can take a lot. Then there are people who are not so lucky.


However, there's a difference between your using them on clients and people using them regularly. My hairdresser knows that I never heat-style myself, but once in a while when I go to get a cut she'll straighten my hair for me for a change.

It probably isn't damaging to use them on your clients because it's not happening very often, unless they're the sort who actually do their 4-6 week trims; does anyone actually do that? I never have.

[Heidi_234]

However, there's a difference between your using them on clients and people using them regularly. My hairdresser knows that I never heat-style myself, but once in a while when I go to get a cut she'll straighten my hair for me for a change.

It probably isn't damaging to use them on your clients because it's not happening very often, unless they're the sort who actually do their 4-6 week trims; does anyone actually do that? I never have.
I had one girl at work who regularly went to the hair salon to have her hair washed and blow fried. She didn't wash at home anymore due to that, so my guess it was 1-2 times a week of blow frying :eek::scared:
And everybody kept telling her that her curls look good on her. Her straightened hair looked just not natural and unhealthy.

[Chanterelle]

I am a licensed cosmetologist. I worked in a salon for a total of one month, but I had recommended coconut oil and other natural things one too many times and got fired.
That's sad. :(

My stylist who knows I'm growing my hair is always recommending me some natural treatments. She keeps saying chemical stuff is not enough for really long hair. She's an awesome professional and has incredible hip-long hair herself.

[amaiaisabella]

I had one girl at work who regularly went to the hair salon to have her hair washed and blow fried. She didn't wash at home anymore due to that, so my guess it was 1-2 times a week of blow frying :eek::scared:
And everybody kept telling her that her curls look good on her. Her straightened hair looked just not natural and unhealthy.

We had clients that would do this once a week. Their hair was so dry that they could go a week without washing, and holding the blow-out. One client's hair was more damaged than the other, certainly, but it really depends on the strength and structure of your hair. As a finey, I know the damage I sustain would be more apparent, but my mom, with thick hair, straightens once a week, and her hair grows like a weed, and is picture-perfect healthy. Not a split end among them- I'm so jealous :p