Anyone here a hair stylist? Beautician? Cosmetologist? Stylist?

[Flaxbee]

My niece is struggling with college - says all she's really interested in is fashion/style, and is thinking about beauty school. While I looooove spas, etc., anything pampering, I don't really know anything about how to become a cosmetologist/stylist/etc., what to expect at school, if any schools/training programs are better than others, etc. She's asking me for advice and I have none - was hoping to tap into the collective knowledge base of the Lounge.

Also - do the programs teach you any business stuff? Like how to manage or own a salon?

Thanks for any input. If there are any links/web articles you can point me (and her) to, that'd be terrific.

[Canuckistanian]

1. I hear Stephen Hawking is a famous cosmetologist

No, wait, that's cosmologist.

Seriously, your niece needs to know that being a good stylist/cosmetologist is a combination of artist, technician and.... entertainer.

That's right. Personality is a big factor in determining the success of a great hair stylist, cosmetologist, etc.

And I know that from experience. If you're dull as ditch water, but a magician in the salon, you'll never make it.

[jeff30997]

3. Hi,fellow Canuckistanian !

Read my profile! :)

[Canuckistanian]

6. Hey, cool! So, like, let's get a 2-4 and chat, eh?

I'm in the Ottawa Valley (originally from TO, the Big Smoke, eh?)

It's my birthday, and I'm feeling like no pain, eh, know what I mean?

Where you from? Hope you ain't no hoser like those guys in the 416, eh?

[jeff30997]

7. Happy Birthday Dude!!!

:party: :toast::party:

[Canuckistanian]

8. Thanks, man

And snow for my birthday! How cool is that? Another day for the hangover and party time again!

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[jeff30997]

2. He,I'm a scalpologist!

In other words I collect scalps! Does that count? :)

[electricmonk]

4. I'm not but I know some

One friend of mine went to a local beauty school and she said that she planned on going to community college afterwards for business training to eventually open her own shop. So far she hasn't done that but she's making close to a thousand a week working where she's at now, so she's happy with just doing that for now. A couple other stylists that I know went through an intern type program at a local salon and they loved it.

Here's the local internship one. http://www.onyxhairstudio.com/intern.html There's probably something similar where your niece is at.

[Flaxbee]

9. not a bad salary, considering my

niece, when not avoiding her classes, is a hostess at Chili's... she's only 19 so is allowed to be lost, but thinks she might be able to get excited about beauty school/esthetician work/stylist work, so we're all trying to encourage her to do something she loves/likes rather than avoid her classes at college.

thanks for your input.

[electricmonk]

10. Your welcome

Yeah considering my friend barely spoke any English when she came here from Croatia a little over 6 years ago and she's not even 25 yet she's done very well. She and her family moved here and she finished high school then went straight to beauty school all while working in a factory, which is where I met her.

My niece sounds a bit like your's I think she's finally settled on nursing school after trying various things at community college. She's 19 also.

[philosophie_en_rose]

5. Well, I have a few friends that were theatre majors and then opened a salon.

They went to Gene Juarez, after graduation. In Washington, you have to get a license to be a cosmetologist.

I don't think Gene Juarez teaches business aspects, but I could ask for you. From what I hear, it's mainly an indentured servitude situation - where you get advanced training in exchange for working for Gene Juarez.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

11. I was (am?) a professional make-up artist.

My advice would be for her to know what types of things she wants to -- hair?, nails?, make-up?, spa treatments? If she only wants to do make-up, facials, and spa treatments she can become a esthetician, a certification she can get in less time/money than a cosmetician.

My other advice would be for her to look long and hard at any school she considers attending. Many beauty schools are an outright scam -- very expensive (I'm talking $5000+ for certification) and the courses are pretty feeble. A good school will offer her effective business ethics and management courses as part of the state certification process.

There is a program here in CA at a local Jr. college that is excellent and inexpensive -- I recommend you check it out to see what they offer to get an idea of what to look for. It is the Cosmetician/Esthetician program at Skyline College -- I'll try to dig up a link for you.

Found it: http://www.skylinecollege.edu/bus/cosm/cosm3.html

[Flaxbee]

13. thanks - my niece is in

Idaho, but might come live with me and hubby in NC (or Virginia, if we move there before next fall) while going to school. She's longing for something different, somewhere different... and what are aunties for? I'd love to have a good program to compare others to, though -- I've been doing some research online and see a LOT of schools, but can't tell which ones are good vs. which ones might be scams or not very good.

Thanks for your help! She likes hair and makeup, couldn't care less about nails... she also might be interested in physical therapy/massage therapy, perhaps where massage and beauty intersect... :shrug:


edited to fix "could care less" to "couldn't care less" !!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

14. As it so happens...

I am also a certified massage technician! :D I got my training in Shiatsu and Tui Na. Depending on the state, there can be different certifications for a massge technician and a massage therapist. I was able to get my CMT fairly quickly (150 hours) and inexpensively ($1200). If she has the chance, I would recommend starting with the CMT -- she would learn everythinbg she needs to get started working in a spa/salon. I would then recommend she also do continuing education in different modalities -- the more techniques/styles she has, the more she has to offer her clients.

A word of caution: massage work can be physically brutal, you have to have stamina and strength. I myself was never able to manage more than four clients per day, three days a week. I eventually developed carpal tunnel and had to stop.

[Flaxbee]

15. hmm... I've stumbled on a gold mine of information!

thanks! :D I'll have to discuss that with her - it sounds like a good way to go, getting one certification and then moving forward as you discover what you like / are interested in (all the while working). She's a tall young woman, 5'11" and an ace volleyball player, so she's definitely strong enough, but I know carpal tunnel can really be a bitch ... I'm sorry you have it.

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

12. I have a question: How much do you tip a hair stylist for just a normal $15-$20 haircut?

We usually do around 5, but what is the norm?

[Flaxbee]

16. that sounds like a good percentage...

but I don't really know, to be honest. I usually tack on 15-20%; you might be able to find general guidelines if you google the topic...