Hairdressing has been the one constant in my life, I remember smells from sitting on the salon floor chewing hairpins as my Mum worked on elaborate creations, telling a little white lie about my age to my aunt to get a Saturday job in her salons when I was only 12 and that sickly nervous excitement walking off the airplane in Heathrow to begin my time at Sassoon’s. Many decades later my career continues to be hair, developing products, designing education and yes still doing actual hair. The industry itself has one of the highest churn rates, even though for many countries the growth in Hairdressing is slightly above the national average when compared to other jobs. There is a relatively large number of Trainees at any given time with a high proportion not continuing within the industry or leaving within a couple of years of qualifying. As to why this is, that has never really been looked into but I suspect it can be anything from wrong job fit, wrong expectations, the workload, family commitments and salaries. So yes, on my journey I have often been asked about the Profession, so I thought it time in my blog to put down some of that advice I have shared over the years.
What makes a good Hairdresser?
It is going to sound a little cliché but people who are generally creative. Many a top Hairdresser will have several creative outlets not just hair. That creativity can be expressed through so many different ways from fashion, art, crafting, music or through the less obvious creative problem solvers. Hairdressing is so well suited to creative people because Creatives love to take responsibility for the design, the process and sensory impact of their work (visual, auditory etc). As a creative Hairdresser evolves in their career, they use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. They also like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer little routine.
Being a Hairdresser is not just about creativity, to succeed and make a viable career you can live off. You will need to be enterprising and like situations that involve using resources for personal or business economic gain. In other words, you will need an opportunistic frame of mind, you should be comfortable thinking commercially as many who stick with their career move on to become partners, self-employed or own a business.
Of course, you need to enjoy being social and even seek out personal contact with other people. As a social person you are motivated by an interest in different types of people and look for diversity in your work environment. You will not only need to socially interact with clients building a relationship but also with colleagues, managers, owners as well as a variety of different providers like suppliers, Educators and other Beauty Professionals. Being happy being social will make the days float by even when very busy.
If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life – Marc Anthony
What does a Hairdresser do all day?
It depends on the kind of Hairdresser you are and what your speciality is. The largest part of the industry is made up of Professionals who actively, tidy, clean, sterilise equipment, do laundry, organise schedules, retail products, receive clients, consult, advise, demonstrate, calculate, charge for services, stock take/order and that is before shampooing, condition/treat, colour, perm, straighten/relax, add extensions, braid, blowdry, set, style, dress and finish hair. That’s a lot and during the early part of my career I was into it all, only later did I find my calling in the world of hair colour.
You will find speciality Hairdressers working in Theatre, TV, video production, photography and film, just think about all those wigs, extensions, headdresses, prosthetics and hair transformations that change an actor/model into an alternative character.
Other specialities such as Barbers who focus on men’s services in addition to hair, offer shaves, trim beards and moustaches. A colour or bleaching specialist will spend a lot of time learning about the science behind colour, they will offer services that range from colour maintenance to total transformations. Then there are those that take on a medical qualification and become Trichologists specialising in hairloss, hair-replacement and scalp problems.
Some Hairdressers are drawn into Education either sharing their own expertise or working for a product manufacturer. When working for a product manufacturer there are also other opportunities to design education, work on product development, predict trends and create collections.
My final addition to the ever-expanding list is the celebrity Hairdresser. They have always been around, remember the amazing Vidal Sassoon, but with Social Media their audiences can expand beyond their national boundaries making more of us aware of the talent out there. Don’t be fooled by thinking these are just highly creative individuals, they are so much more, they have a strong entrepreneur spirit and work hard at developing and maintaining their brand.
What skills do I need to become a successful Hairdresser?
The skills I have mentioned here are often-overlooked as they are by many considered soft skills yet you need them just as much as you need hair know-how. A big part of what a hairdresser does is listen to a client, decipher what they are saying and translate that into a look they are trying to achieve. Active Listening is important and the ability to give full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. If you want to discover more click here for a simple introduction into Active Listening by LifeHack.
Critical Thinking and using your logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. The client presents a challenge, both in hair and lifestyle, you need to be able to work out the best solution. One anecdote I use with Trainees is about a client who wanted a high maintenance red hair colour on her long hair, totally achievable. But when we discussed the work that was involved with the upkeep and home maintenance, we opted for an equally beautiful rich red that came will a lot less effort. Although she did not get what she wanted she was extremely happy with her new look and delighted that even overtime it still looked great working for both the hair and the client’s lifestyle. That leads me nicely into my next point communication.
Communication is key and two ways. Many clients will come with an idea of what they want, others will come to you for your Professional advice while some can be very vague for many reasons and you will need to spent time listening and working out what they want. A client is not always right, I have consulted with many clients over the years whose expectations exceeded what was actually possible; in their time frame, for their budget, for their hair quality or even their own hair skills and effort in maintaining their hair. Conveying information effectively in a way that the client understands the options you are trying to communicate will be a very valuable skill to develop. If you want to dig deeper into different communication topics click here for more by LifeHack.
How to become a Hairdresser
There are different pathways into the career and it will depend on the part of the world you live in. The most common pathway is to become an apprentice in a salon. This is a great way to get a true understanding of what it takes to be a Hairdresser and you also receive a small salary while you train; earn and learn. When looking to enter an apprentice scheme (if available) you should register with the local authorities and check with different salons that you are interested in working for that they fully support apprentices and have programs in place for their development. That will mean doing some research before you start working; my advice is pick a salon that will support you through your learning no matter how big or small.
Government backed education programs. In some markets these co-exist with the apprenticeship schemes. They tend to be multi-staged or modular curriculums each stage/module needing to be fulfilled before moving onto the next. You may be in a salon as a Trainee and have to leave the salon a few days a week to attend classes at a college. Some larger salons and salon groups may have their own in-house government approved assessor or one that visits, these individuals are responsible for all the Trainees fulfilling the curriculum standards. More recently I have noticed a slight shift from the traditional classroom to a blended learning approach where Trainees have online activities as well as face to face. This I suspect will become more common place in the future, not because of Covid-19 but because it is a better way to reach and support Trainees effectively.
Some government backed courses also offer fulltime education in their colleges or beauty schools where individuals who have expressed an interest or want/need a more focused education can attend. Yes, the course curriculum is covered faster when compared to a salon apprenticeship but remember the salon experience still needs to be earned, a graduate will probably find themselves when joining a salon having to start at the beginning again. This can be frustrating but it is of great value in filling in a lot of know-how that is just not possible in a college situation.
In some markets like Germany or Japan there are higher-level government qualifications required of all Hairdressers that include an in-depth scientific look at hair the products and services as well as business skills, marketing and people skills. These qualifications would equate to an undergraduate degree.
Private academies have been around for a long time and again vary greatly. In the US they are regulated and need a state licence to operate. In the UK they are regulated and need to follow the NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) curriculum. Generally, the top academies irrespective of location tend to subscribe to local standards associations such as Hairdressing Federations or Intercoiffure, you may even find international standard bodies such as Habia, ITEC, City & Guilds represented too which means their certifications are recognised in several different countries. You can also find some familiar brands such as Sassoon Academy and Tony & Guy Academies far from their original roots in markets like China, India and beyond. They are all businesses and charge accordingly with many offering more education opportunities on top of the basic international requirements such as the guarantee of a job upon completion. Not all private academies are regulated and I have witnessed many fantastic centres in my travels as well as a few that were not good. The key is to do your research, ask for references from the academies’ past students and talk to them to discover what worked well and what did not. This is a big investment in money so make sure you have in-writing a commitment from the academy to deliver a specific level of education, this is after all the kick-start to your career and it should be a great one.
I really could not say which way is this best as I have witnessed amazing talent emerge from all pathways. It really is up to you on the amount of effort you put into your training and the willingness to learn and discover. As a Trainee don’t be surprised if you do a lot of things that are not hair or client related such as running errands, cleaning the salon, sterilizing equipment, laundry, organising retail stands and sweeping the floor. Although they may feel like you are not learning about hair, they are all the things that have to happen in the periphery to enable the art of hair to happen. Even a great painter has to clean brushes. When not busy never miss the opportunity to shadow different colleagues or students to see what they do, not just with the hair but also how to manage clients, this builds your interpersonal skills watching the different scenarios between experienced Professionals and their clients new and regular.
How to have a long and successful career
1) Look after yourself physically, this is a demanding job and like all physical roles you need to be aware of the risks. Skin irritations are common and can potentially stop your career, so wear gloves for all wet services; including shampooing. Keep a moisturiser handy and apply throughout the day and last thing at night. Your hands are the most important tool you have, so look after them. When I was in my 20s I did not feel 8-12hours workdays, but as the decades passed it definitely gets a little more difficult. I think of the great Annie Humphreys still applying perfect foils working beside me when she was in her 60s. Stay strong by incorporating an exercise activity that works and feels good for you e.g. I am a fan of Yoga and walking, both of which help my back and shoulders two areas renowned for causing problems for many a Hairdresser. Don’t lift heavy weights; let kids climb in and out of chairs, stock boxes empty where they are left and if someone needs assistance in their mobility make sure they have brought a helper with them. Manage the ergonomics of the job; don’t bend down to the client lift the client up to your working height, invest in a cutting stool which I use for longer technical services and if freelance invest in equipment that will help you work safely over baths and showers. Be aware, keep yourself strong and avoid situations that could potentially cause an injury.
2)Look after your mental health, any service role will test your mental strength and there will be days and clients that will test that strength. Throughout my career I have had moments where I wanted to pack it in and walk away. I was lucky that I had great people around me to talk to when things felt overwhelming or I was unsure and that is the key. Buddy up with a colleague and agree to help each other out by listening and adding additional perspective when you are feeling low. If possible, get yourself a mentor, someone who may or may not be in the same business who is more experienced and can offer support throughout your career. Whatever you do don’t endure energy vampires or toxic individuals address them head-on, remove yourself from the environment or get help from someone who can change the situation.
3)Look after your joy, when you meet up with a group of Hairdressers or attend a Hairdressing event, we are normally happy, loud and colourful individuals. Hairdressers generally love what they do which was confirmed in research carried out in the UK in 2005. You can read more about the research here in a BBC article. There are many reasons, from altruism, creativity, autonomy, challenges in trends to earning money. No matter where you find the joy, don’t lose it, remember it and reconnect when possible. Example, my own joy is learning, so I regularly seek out opportunities to learn everything from and around the beauty industry. It may seem odd but I plan time to learn and even more important time to put it into practice.
4)Look after your business, whether you are independent, working for someone else or contracting you are a Professional and with that you need to charge to survive and thrive. Value what you do, charge a fair price for the quality of your work, your expertise, the standard of the products you use and the service experience you are offering. Review you prices regularly in line with inflation and other price increases you have to absorb. At the end of the day you need to come away with good living that affords you a comfortable lifestyle. There are lots of different advisers you can reach out to during your career from your Bank’s financial advisor, to government free or subsidised business programs to hiring a business coach. Or my personal favourite at the moment are the free online business classes; if interested check out edX You will be amazed what you can learn for free.
My personal Top Tips
- Get a good education; learn the basics well, get the certifications and licences that will enable you to work where ever you want and practice practice practice!
- Keep learning and evolving; it is a fast-moving industry; trends, knowledge and regulations are regularly superseded.
- Look after yourself, your career is a marathon not a sprint.
- Make money! whether that is as an employee, self-employed, running your own business, contracting or specialising.
- If something doesn’t work then try something different, that might mean looking for new and different opportunities to earn and grow as a Professional or moving away from an arrangement that is not working.
- Love what you do, find what gives you joy and keep it alive in your career
- Finally – when you meet Professionals you admire or aspire to, ask them how they did it, you will be amazed at how different everyone’s story is but you can always takeaway something that will help you set a direction in your career.
Stay safe
Caroline
If you haven’t already check out my blogs on how the colour industry is changing for more insights into what is happening in the Beauty Industry.
