Are you ready to become a hair stylist and pursue an exciting career where no two days are the same? Are you excited about the idea of helping others feel confident? Do you enjoy working with your hands? If you answered yes to any of these questions, a hair stylist career can be a great fit.
Before you can get started though, you’ll need an education and the proper training. It’s easy to see why: You wouldn’t trust just anyone to cut or color your hair! Training is a very important part of this job industry, both for safety and for quality reasons. So what education and training is needed to become a hair stylist? And how do you know which cosmetology education program is right for you?
If you’re ready to become a hair stylist and start this rewarding journey, here are five steps you should take next:
- Research the hair styling industry to make sure it’s the right fit for you
- Complete your hairstylist education
- Get licensed
- Build your portfolio
- Stay up to date on trends in the industry
Begin your journey towards a hair stylist career with Dorsey College!
Step 1: Research about the Hair Styling Industry
When you picture a hair stylist, you probably imagine a professional cutting someone’s hair at a salon. Of course, this is one part of the job, but it’s not the only thing a hair stylist does. As you start your research, you may discover a hair stylist can play many roles when it comes to where they work and how they work with clients.
Most importantly, hair stylists play a major role in helping their clients look and feel their best. They do this through a unique combination of technical skills, creativity, and customer service. In addition to cutting hair, they also spend their day:
- Applying hair dye, highlights, and other coloring techniques to clients’ hair
- Creating styles for clients by using a variety of tools like blow dryers, flat irons, and curling irons
- Providing deep conditioning and other hair care services to improve client hair strength
- Styling hair for special occasions like weddings, school dances, and other events
- Treating conditions such as dandruff, brittle hair, and dry scalp
- Staying up to date on the latest trends and tools in the hair stylist industry
- Maintaining a clean and safe work environment through sanitation, sterilizing tools, and cleaning workstations
- Scheduling appointments and managing client records
As you research the industry and different careers, keep in mind there are some soft skills you’ll need, too. As a hair stylist or cosmetologist, active listening and compassion are very important. Hair can be a vulnerable topic for some people. Building trust as a hair stylist is important. People will come to you with a specific need or insecurity in mind. As a hair stylist, your job will be to really hear what they’re saying before you come up with a solution.
Another thing you’ll discover in your research is the wide variety of places where you can work as a hair stylist or cosmetologist, once licensed. In addition to the traditional salon, you could also work at:
- Spas and wellness centers
- Luxury hotels and resorts
- Film and TV sets
- Theater productions
- Beauty schools and cosmetology programs
- Hospitals and rehabilitation centers
- Private membership clubs
You can even start your own business and provide hair styling services out of the comfort of your own home! One reason many people choose this profession is because of the variety of workplace settings available to them after finishing cosmetology school and becoming licensed.
Step 2: Education needed to be a hairstylist
There are a lot of moving parts to keep track of when you become a hair stylist. Attention to detail and the ability to multitask are two skills you’ll need to have. When it comes to the other parts of the job, you can learn these skills through a quality cosmetology or beauty school program.
To become a hair stylist, you’ll first need to graduate from a beauty school or cosmetology program. Through the coursework, students learn hair care and styling techniques in addition to more general beauty techniques. Most programs take about a year to complete.
What you can learn in a formal education!
Once you’ve selected your program, it’s time to learn the skills you need for success! In your hair stylist education program, you should expect to learn:
- Fundamentals of haircutting
- Hair anatomy and physiology
- Advanced layering and texturizing techniques
- Proper use and sanitation of tools and equipment
- Color theory and dyeing techniques
- Blowouts, styling, and updo techniques
- Braiding and weaving techniques
You should expect to gain a well-rounded education that includes technique, theory, and styling. Part of the education needed to become a hairstylist also involves learning how to care for all hair types, from straight hair to curly hair, thin hair to thick hair. For example, the techniques you use on a customer with textured hair, braids, or locks will be very different than the techniques you use on a customer with fine, straight hair. In fact, there are dozens of varieties and types of hair to be aware of. It’s very important to learn the differences between ALL hair types, and what care each customer may need.
Step 3: Get Licensed
After you get the education needed to become a hair stylist, your next step is to get licensed! This ensures the quality of your work as well as your dedication to safe practices.
Make sure you understand what you need for licensure in your state. It sounds complicated but can be relatively easy to research. Each state in the U.S. has its own State Board of Cosmetology. You can look up your state and easily access the requirements you need.
Most state licensure exams will include a written exam and a practical exam. In the written section, you’ll be quizzed on your knowledge of hair styling techniques, safety regulations, and state laws. In the practical section, you’ll demonstrate your skills by showing different hair techniques in front of supervisors. Practice is the best way to prepare for your license, so take the time to work on the concepts you’ve learned, and you’ll be ready to take the licensing exam!
The importance of being licensed!
There are many reasons why it’s important to gain and maintain your license as a hair stylist. Among them are:
- Professionalism
- Quality
- Safety
- Protection
- It’s necessary for employment
Having a license as a hair stylist shows your customers you have the professional training and knowledge needed to help them look and feel their best. This is a dedication to professionalism and quality that you won’t find in someone operating without a license.
Your hair stylist license also proves to customers and others your dedication to health and safety. If you’re licensed, that shows you know proper sanitation measures and sterilization techniques to help prevent the spread of disease and sickness.
Step 4: Build a Strong Portfolio
Once you finish your cosmetology or beauty school program and get your license, you can start working! A key part of the beauty industry is building and maintaining a strong portfolio. How do you take this step?
- Take before and after photos of your clients (make sure they don’t mind, first!)
- Gather reviews from happy customers to share with others
- Share your content with others through social media, word of mouth, and other channels
Building your portfolio is something you can do throughout your career. As you spend more time working on different clients with different hair needs, you’ll be able to expand and grow your customer list.
Step 5: Stay Up to date with Trends and Techniques
Like fashion trends, hair trends change with time. Working as a hair stylist can feel a bit like constantly learning. There is always something new people want to try, or an old style that has come back around to be considered popular again. The best way a hair stylist can roll with these changes is to:
- Subscribe to voices in the industry (through email, following on social media, magazine subscriptions and more)
- Listen to your customers’ needs and don’t assume you know what they want
- Ask your colleagues about trends and ideas they’re seeing
Let Dorsey College help you launch your new career!
If becoming a hair stylist in Michigan is your career dream, Dorsey College offers an amazing cosmetology school program at their campuses in:
- Madison Heights (Main Campus)
- Roseville (A branch campus of Madison Heights)
In addition to experienced instructors and robust coursework, the college will pay the cost one time for graduates to challenge the state licensure exam, as long as you meet the exam preparation requirements. With Dorsey College your dream of becoming a hair stylist is closer than ever.
Dorsey College is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE). This applies to the Madison Heights campus (which serves as the main campus) and the Roseville campus (which serves as a branch campus of Madison Heights). Dorsey School of Beauty, a sister school of Dorsey College, located in Taylor, MI can also help you train for a new career in the beauty field. Dorsey School of Beauty is accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts & Sciences, Inc., (NACCAS).
*Dorsey College and Dorsey School of Beauty have determined that their program curriculum is sufficient to fulfill educational requirements for licensure in the State of Michigan only. No educational determinations have been made for any other state, district or US territory in regards to licensure requirements.
