Hair Stylist Credentials: Is It Important?

When it comes to the people styling our hair, does it really matter where they learned their trade? Well for those who say ‘No’ to this question, the only statement left to say is ‘would you trust someone to operate on you knowing nothing about the person? Hair is an important part of us and is vital in our outward appearance and when it is ruined, it has negative effects like a loss in confidence. That is why it is very important to know about the person styling your hair including where this person got their education and experience. For example, no one wants a hairstylist who has never cut and styled a bob to give us one or someone who has never colored hair to give us highlights. It is rare to have a natural talent with little training who can look at someone’s hair and figure out right away what will work the best. That is why many hairstylists attend more classes during their career to learn new techniques and refresh on older ones. The two credentials all clients should look at are education and experience.

All stylists need a license in cosmetology or hairstyling before working in a salon which usually requires at least 2000 hours of class and hours of real work as well. There are numerous schools all over the country ranging from small ones with less of a name to the branded ones of big brands like Tony & Guy and Vidal Sassoon. Each school will vary in course structure from cutting on mannequins to real people but usually the more popular academies require more extensive training in techniques. This is not to say that there are not good small hairstyling schools but the more advanced ones are much better at teaching techniques and requiring students follow specific guidelines.

Hairstylists get their training from the teachers at these academies and some of the smaller ones are able to land an outstanding teacher with lots of experience in the field. Others are not so lucky and end up with minimal knowledge at best. For the branded academies, usually the instructors our very knowledgeable in different techniques like different methods of cutting, coloring, and other processes. Clients should check and ask their hairstylists about their previous education and any continuing one as well. A good hairstylist will not only attend school that one time but will learn more skills as they become more experienced and have a desire to improve. Those that don’t should be avoided for major hair projects.

Experience is the other key component to a hairstylist’s credentials and many salons have stylist who start with minimal experience and are there to learn. For clients it is not a major problem to get a haircut from these individual as long as there is a strong, experienced backbone that these new hairstylist are learning from. Clients should look not only at one staff member but at all of them to see the number of years worked, the different salons, and the schools attended by the hairstylists. This provides an idea at the kind of work these hairstylists will produce. Clients can also ask for examples of work like before and after pictures or ask around for reviews of the salon.

Experience and example pictures can be misleading though. A hairstylist can work a number of years with the same clientele without improving their skills and although they may be proficient, they might not be the best person for the job. Example pictures can deceive because a hairstylist may know how to work a certain face shape or hair type but when it comes to others, may not understand what works best. Clients need to check out the hairstylists’ mixture of work and many talented stylists will have clients who are more than happy to show off their look and share their opinions.
In conclusion, the hairstylist’s credentials are very important especially for a new haircut or hair coloring. Not only is education important but ongoing training and experience are as well.