Things You Should Know About Your Stylist But Probably Don’t…

1. The Cost of Being a Stylist : Stylists are responsible for maintaining the tools necessary for completing a number of service types. Stylist shears are one of the most important tools in their kits, as they are specially designed and crafted to cut hair without damaging the strand. Stylists usually have anywhere from 3-5 different types of shears for different types of cutting, and these tools alone can range from the hundreds to the thousands of dollars. Additionally, they must have professional quality heat tools like flat irons, curling wands, and blow dryers. It isn’t uncommon for these to need replacement twice per year. Your stylist is regularly spending several hundred dollars from their own earnings to ensure their tools are the best quality, allowing them to provide quality results.

2. Continuing Education : While cosmetology school teaches the basics, continuing education is imperative to your stylist keeping up with the trends. As popular styles change, stylists must change their skill sets to be able to provide what their clients request, and this means learning how to perform many new techniques. Annually, professional brands will change their product formulations, which requires stylists to re-learn how to properly use them. Unfortunately, none of this education is free. Classes can range from $25 up to the thousands of dollars, and some even require travel.

3. Doubling as a Chemist : While color services seem straight forward for most clients, they are anything but. Unless you arrive to your appointment with a perfectly white canvas of hair, your stylist is going to have to custom-formulate your color using color wheels and chemistry to ensure your color comes out as close as possible to what is being requested. Imagine coloring a sheet of paper with a brown marker, then trying to color over it with a pink marker. The color you get at the end will not be pink, but a muddled mess of hues. This is the same approach your stylist must take to coloring your hair, considering the color of your hair canvas now and what you are asking for. Stylists are rarely given credit for the scientific nature of their roles.

4. Retail Sales : We pride ourselves on not being “pushy salespeople” when it comes to buying product, but we also want to help preserve the work we’ve put into your new look. Remember when we talked about the importance of continuing education for your stylist as well as their clients? Well one of the best ways for stylists to attain education without taking out a second mortgage is to sell retail products that earn them education incentives from professional brands. The more you support your stylist, the better quality of service they will be able to provide you. So, yes, it is ill-mannered to ask if you can take picture of the products your stylist recommended to go purchase later at Ulta.

5. Stylists as Entrepreneurs :  Even under the support of a salon, stylists are responsible for many aspects of their own success. Between client appointments, stylists must focus on marketing and promotion, budgeting, research, scheduling, event planning, sales skills, etc. Being a hairstylist is a full-time job even after finishing up behind the chair for the day. With the advent of social media, stylists are constantly responding to client requests and offering consultations through messages they receive. They must constantly flex their availability and work hours to accommodate what works for their clients, and that might sometimes mean beginning at 8am and finishing up at 10pm.

We work hard because we do what we love. You can help support your stylist by keeping these truths in mind!