Hi I'm Ms. Ehrin and in this article we are going to talk about some things you should know before going to "beauty school". We will talk about things that pertain to the beauty industry in general and it's standards then I will speak to Washington state specifically.
For clarity when I say beauty school I mean for cosmetology, esthetics, barbering and manicuring. The first thing you should know is…
Beauty Schools are a business in business with the state not the public.
Next thing you should know is…
The job of the beauty school is to prepare candidates for licensure and entry level employment.
- Not self - employment
- Not booth/suite rental
- Not platform artistry
- Not salon managers
- Not Color Specialists
- Not Wig Makers
The last time I checked, the best entry level people weren't necessarily good but they were knowledgeable and technically skilled enough. Everyone should graduate a generalist. Yes some people come to school with knowledge of more advanced techniques but everyone should leave feeling confident with all hair types, textures and densities.
Licensure requirements are dictated by individual state legislation. These requirements decide what the beauty school must teach and how much they teach on it, the number of hours required to spend on each topic.
The beauty school must abide by the legislation set in place by the state. The school charges a tuition fee to educate students according to what the state requires. The school is not in business with the public, meaning clients who are visiting salons that the students hope to work at. They are in business with the state. It's not the school's job to make students "good" that's their own job. Ask any stylist who is "good".
Now variables do exist in this
1.) Beauty school instructors typically are required to have a certain number of years working in the industry before being allowed to teach. Instructors bring their lived experiences to the classroom. Conversations come up advice is given etc so this creates small variations in the education students receive.
Fact: You cannot help someone master something you yourself haven’t mastered.
That said curly hair in the 3-4 type range does not get the attention it deserves in most schools because of a lack of mastery in that area. This is something that schools need to look at and invest in so their instructors can send candidates out into the workforce truly entry level ready.
Curly hair isn’t advanced just because it’s curly.
2.) Each state sets it's own requirements so where you go to school will heavily dictate what you are required to learn. Also what hair types and textures are available in the communities where the beauty schools are located . The beauty schools again are a business and one of the ways they make money is to provide the opportunity for the students to work on live models and paying clients. These clients are people who typically live close to the school. If there is a low percentage of 3-4 hair type people then those student are less likely to have those experiences. Yes there are mannequins but we both know it’s different on a real person.
A license is a key. It open's the back door to the beauty industry and leads you into a hallway with many more doors each with various opportunities behind them. However the licensee is responsible for using the key to open the doors.
The public can have a huge impact on what beauty schools are required to teach by attending their State Boards of Cosmetology meetings, Cosmetology advisory boards and speaking up about the things you think are important for all students to learn while in school.
Let's give a basic outline of a "good" stylist
- Customer service is on point
- Pricing is consistent and transparent
- Their clients consistently feel heard, valued and are satisfied with their services.
These three basic things take about two years to perfect once you get your license and you are working consistently. Notice that no technical skills are listed. That's because technical skill is only a small portion of the client stylist relationship.
This career is about serving others
This business is not for everyone, as a matter of fact I'd say it's not for most. Only about 20% “make it”. By make it I mean are doing this for 5+ years and able to support themselves with this career. You give a lot or yourself and take a lot of abuse also it's a lot more 6N retouches than you'd think. None of your artistic vision and creativity matter if you have a sucky attitude. This is a luxury business and people are much more aware of where they spend their money these days.
You loving to do hair will only take you so far if you can't or won't put the feelings and needs of others ahead of yourself. Also if you leave beauty school and you think you've learned all you need to know. You're sunk. Here, you grow and continue to grow or you will die of burn out.
Beauty school gives students a foundation and a frame for their "career house". Each individual student has the responsibility of finishing the house, but they get to do it however they want to. This is done with continued education classes and working with people who are where you want to be in their career. This is how the industry works. Not just in WA but everywhere.
In Washington State "beauty schools" cater to 7 different license.
- Cosmetology
- Hair Design
- Esthetics
- Master Esthetics
- Barbering
- Manicuring
- Instructor
This is important to know so that you choose the correct program when you find a school you vibe with.
Hair Design is what it sounds like it's all the hair stuff, while cosmetology is all of that plus natural nail care and makeup. hair design requires 1400 hours of training and cosmetology requires 1600
Esthetics is skin and master esthetics is all of that plus laser theory and medspa training. Esthetics requires 950 hours of training and master esthetics requires 1200 hours
Barbering is hair cutting and straight razor shaves it requires 600 hours of training
Manicuring is both natural nail and artificial nail care and requires 600 hours of training.
As of right now WA tests through NIC for both their practical and written exams. The practical exam is the hands on portion and the written is a multiple choice test administered at a monitored testing facility.
This is an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling career choice. But it’s not for everyone and it for certain ain’t easy.
If you are interested in becoming a personal care professional or you’re licensed and want to polish your technical skills email me or leave a comment below. I would love to chat with you and maybe help you with your career plan.
Thanks for reading until the end!
Ms.Ehrin
