Calling all hair stylists!

[ALYSSA]

i am very passionate about hair(color,cuts.health,length.style..ect). i am going to be graduationg highschool soon woohoo. I gave it much thought and i want to become a hairstylist,it is my dream. I know its some thing im good at..As for my own hair i am focused on health. anyways, i wanted to hear hair stylists opinions on their jobs. if they like it? dont like it? if they reccomend it? pros and cons. also what school would you reccomend?(Ilive in California) i would love to go to Paul Mithcell but i am also very interested in Marinello.i am aware more people at LCH dont go to a hair dresser for cuts/color but i know there are members here who are stylists:) I want to know this i should look out for..or look foward to. ALL your opinions are greatly appreciated!

[kwaniesiam]

i am very passionate about hair(color,cuts.health,length.style..ect). i am going to be graduationg highschool soon woohoo. I gave it much thought and i want to become a hairstylist,it is my dream. I know its some thing im good at..As for my own hair i am focused on health. anyways, i wanted to hear hair stylists opinions on their jobs. if they like it? dont like it? if they reccomend it? pros and cons. also what school would you reccomend?(Ilive in California) i would love to go to Paul Mithcell but i am also very interested in Marinello.i am aware more people at LCH dont go to a hair dresser for cuts/color but i know there are members here who are stylists:) I want to know this i should look out for..or look foward to. ALL your opinions are greatly appreciated!

Good for you for wanting to follow your dream and learn to do hair! I wasted a year in college before I realized I wanted to go to beauty school instead.

Paul Mitchell has a great name and does teach good techniques *but* I do not like how they push the use of Paul Mitchell products exclusively. That was the deciding factor for me when I chose between a Paul Mitchell school and Empire, where I ended up going. I wanted to have a wide range of product knowledge to be more versatile when I graduated. Visit the schools, and get your hair done by one of the students there, just a simple wash and blowout can give you a good idea of the technique they teach.

Pros about doing hair: If you enjoy it, you'll probably love your job. You'll always be able to find a job, people are never going to stop getting their hair done and salons will remain busy. It's one industry that has suffered little in the recession. Work environments vary greatly, you can find an alternative salon to suit your appearance if that is your style or there are plenty of more conservative places as well.

Cons: You may be pressured in to having a trendy or a short hairstyle and some form of color. Some salons value image over skill, if you don't look/act/dress the part of a cosmetologist, they won't hire you. The chemicals can get to you after a while, I'm sensitive to fragrances but by the end of school I found that I had built up a tolerance to most of it.

Some tips: Don't let your LHC knowledge get in the way of anything you may learn in school. Keep your own hair goals separate from those of your clients, accept that some love the look of and really do want short, bleached, heat styled, and sprayed within an inch of it's life hair. That doesn't make it bad, it's just different. Always listen to your clients, make helpful suggestions but don't be pushy, and you'll find yourself having loyal customers for years to come. Also, don't go crazy during school with your hair! Most students end up experimenting on each other, you may end up regretting some of the things you try. I started beauty school with nearly BSL hair and ended up with a bleached white pixie and eventually shaved my head :lol:

Hope that helps and feel free to PM me if you have any more questions!

[ALYSSA]

thank you! yes hair something i am so very passionate abpiut and i cant wait to get started!
yes i aree with you about Paul mitchell using only their products. my highschool qwas fortunate enought to have different students and teachers from beausty school come talk to students interested in hair/beauty. i jumped to the idea! i let they style my hair andvisited the school i really enjoyed it bu tMarinello does use a variety of products. im not sure witch school i will chose. thank you so much you helped me alot! i am not worri3ed about changing my hair up to look a certain way to be able to work at a solon because i love new styles. the only problem is i dont want my hair ever shorter than waist do you think most
salons may have a problem with that?
I was afraid i would let things i learned at LHC get in my way but you are right i will keep them seperate. haha i wont go crazy during school either i have a few friends in beuaty school and their hair is different every week ! haha im so excited you really just inspired me even more! thank you!

[kwaniesiam]

You're welcome :)

Some salons may care about your hair, some may not. What most won't want to see is a bun or a braid every day, some staples of LHC styles. If you're open to the idea, long layers and side swept bangs can help keep your hair up to date looking while still allowing you to grow it long.

[UltraBella]

As the owner of two salons, I encourage you to see what each school offers and consider the pros and cons carefully. Some schools offer more than others when it comes to the business aspect of salons, booth rentals, finances, etc. As much business knowledge as you can learn will serve you well. We have two beauty schools where I live and the local area is drowning in cosmetologists. There are many many struggling hair dressers who can't make ends meet, the ones who make smart business moves have the most chances of succeeding. It's not just about doing hair, the financial aspect is very important.
Good luck !

[|Xei]

I am also very passionate about hair, and wish to become a hairdresser. So as someone with the same career goal, I wish you the best of luck!

[ALYSSA]

@ ultra bella
thank you so much! i am aware the financial aspect is importnant too is there this i should watch out or look for in schools? i want to be a successfiul hair stylist . you are very lucky to own 2 salons

[ALYSSA]

@ Xei
Good luck too you as well!! hopefully we can both become LHC friendly very successful styylist (: