How to Become a Hairstylist: A Career Guide

Are you ready to find a new career? Choosing a career path is difficult if you don’t have a job-friendly passion. Luckily for you, if your passion is beauty, becoming a hairstylist is a great choice.

The path isn’t always clear, but the end result is worth it. You’ll be helping people look their best!

We want to help you learn how to become a hairstylist so you can start your path toward your new dream job. Read on to learn more.

Look Into Hairstylist and Cosmetologist Schools

Before you even touch anyone’s hair with a pair of scissors, you’re going to need to get an education. Education requirements vary, but most of the time, a complete hairstylist or cosmetologist school is necessary.

Many people think that beauty school is a waste of time. You already believe that you have the skills, so why bother?

These schools will teach you all about how to cut, style, dye, and more. They’ll teach you how to work with all types of clients and hairstyles as well as how to handle picky clients.

Cosmetology school tends to be more well-rounded, including things like makeup and nails alongside hair. Hairstylist school focuses on hair alone. If you only want to style hair, that’s the better option.

But how do you pick your school?

Is the School Accredited?

Accreditation is important for schools of all types. Are the programs that you’re looking at accredited?

Accredited schools have been evaluated by professionals. This means that the school offers programs that are sure to teach students the most effective ways to cut and style hair. These schools also have better reputations.

Is Their Portfolio Impressive?

Most hairstylist schools have either their own portfolios, the portfolios of their instructors, or the portfolios of their students on display somewhere. You can also find social media platforms of students and teachers if that’s helpful for you.

You want to make sure that you actually like what you see. If a teacher doesn’t have a strong portfolio, why would you want to learn from them?

It’s also helpful to learn from someone who has a diverse portfolio. Do they know how to style hair for people of color? What about curly hair? Do they know how to do alternative hair colors?

If these things are important for you, they’re a part of your decision.

Is the Cost Acceptable?

Affordability is important whenever you’re picking a school of any type. While price shopping shouldn’t result in you choosing the most affordable option, you need to be able to afford your entire program, so you don’t have to stop halfway through.

Programs can cost up to $20,000 when it’s all said and done. Many are more affordable than this, and the payoff can be good, but don’t forget that you shouldn’t bankrupt yourself for an education.

Can You Handle the Time Commitment?

How long are the programs that you’re looking into? Programs often go by hours, so you can expect anywhere between 1,000 and 1,500 on average. This can take more than two years.

Some programs are shorter and more accessible. If you’re working another job while you learn, or if you have a family, it may be better for you to choose a shorter program.

Do Your Training Hours

Your work isn’t over when you’re “done” with your education. You still need to put in time and effort during your training hours.

You’ll train at real salons. You’ll learn the basics of hands-on hairstyling as well as all of the “behind the scenes” work that goes into working in a salon. This includes tasks like cleaning, selling products, and customer service.

Different states require different training hours. You may be able to make money during your training hours, but this varies.

Complete License Requirements

After you’re done with training and school, you still need to get a license. This means that you’ll need to take an exam. Some states require written exams and practical exams, while others only require one or the other.

Not all states require a license for hairstyling, but it’s helpful to get one anyway. It gives you more credibility, and it will make it easier to transition to other salons.

Find the Right Salon

Now it’s time to get out into the real world. But how do you go about finding a job at the right salon?

If you’ve done your training at a salon that you like, consider talking to the owner about continuing your career there. Some may not be able to accept you, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

If you’re unsuccessful, look for local jobs for hair stylists. You’ll be sure to see several salons that have empty chairs (which means that they need new people).

Visit the salon and talk to the owner about your expertise. Always bring a portfolio with you. Some salons require an established list of clientele before they’ll hire a new stylist, so be prepared for rejection.

Alternatively: Start Your Own Business

You do have the option of starting your own salon, but this is a more difficult job. Many people think that owning a salon is glamorous, but in reality, it’s hard work.

You’ll need to get insurance, find other stylists, buy all of your products and materials, handle money, and more. It’s expensive, especially for a newcomer who doesn’t have preexisting clients.

You do have another option. You could be a mobile hairstylist. These hairstylists often work before weddings, birthday parties, and other events. They may also do charitable work at nursing homes or for communities of people who are experiencing homelessness.

This is a great way to build a list of clients and a strong portfolio. If you do good work, people will recommend you to their friends.

Market Yourself

Marketing is everything as a hairstylist. Whether you work in a salon or on your own, you need to stay on top of your social media platforms so everything looks professional and your expertise is evident.

Stylists have to learn how to market themselves. One of the best platforms for self-marketing is Instagram. It allows you to create and show off your portfolio. You can tag your clients, add appropriate hashtags, tag your location, and more.

Aside from word-of-mouth marketing, social media marketing is the most helpful option for new stylists.

Never Stop Learning

As you progress through your career, don’t slack on learning. You should always strive to learn new things so you can keep up with modern practices and continue offering new and better services to your clients.

If you don’t know how to keep up with trending hairstyles, you’ll fall behind the times and limit yourself.

Consider taking extra classes. Research popular trends on the internet and practice them. If you don’t know how to do these things, you’ll lose business to stylists who do.

Build Strong Relationships

All good stylists are personable and great at building relationships with their clients. While not all clients are repeat clients (after all, many people choose to cut their own hair or only see a stylist for special occasions), you will have a multitude of clients who want to return to you time and time again.

But how do you make this happen?

Talk to your clients while they’re in the chair. Always respond to their requests and discuss them before you start working. Often, the best way to create happy clients is to listen to their needs.

Remember the names of your clients and consider adding them to email lists. Tell them about your social media and tag them in your portfolio posts if they’re comfortable with it (ask first). If they post your work on their own pages, share it to your stories to show that you see and appreciate them.

Don’t Under-Sell Yourself

When many stylists start, they offer rates that are too cheap. While this is fine for beginners who are still training, as well as simple trims, you should make sure that you’re charging what you’re worth.

Look at the prices that other local stylists charge. If the quality of your work is the same, price yourself accordingly. You deserve fair pay for your hard work.

That’s How to Become a Hairstylist

If you want to start a hairstylist career, why not start now? Your first step is to find the right school, and you can start your research right away.

With enough hard work, research, and training, you can be the best hairstylist in town. Are you ready to start your journey toward your dream job?

For more helpful articles all about how to become a hairstylist (and more), visit the rest of our site!