Hairdressing Tips

Providing service to clients

The very first thing you learn in hairdressing is receiving and greeting clients in a professional, friendly manner. The initial greeting the clients receive at the reception area will influence the whole salon’s wellbeing. First impressions last forever.
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Styling Different Types of Hair

No two people have exactly the same kind of hair, but there are basic kinds of hair: fine, medium and coarse.  Each one of these kinds of hair can also be wavy, curly or straight.  When you take these six features and create a matrix, you get many different combinations a hairdresser could possibly be asked to style when a customer walks in the door.

Learning how to style hair takes training and practice.  A hairdresser who has completed a training program learns about the different types of hair from several perspectives.   For example, cutting and styling hair is much different than cutting and styling coarse hair.  But the stylist must also understand how to style the particular hair based on the shape of the face.

A well-trained stylist will understand how to use hair styling to bring out the best features of the face.  For example, if a client has a long face then the style should add width.  If the face is round the style will add length.  There are hundreds of different ways a hairdresser can bring out a customer’s best features while minimizing certain facial characteristics or features.

Cutting a Deal

Successfully learning how to style different types of hair is one of the most important lessons taught in hairdressing school.  Course hair can be thinned and thin hair cut in a way that volume is added.  But the hair cut must accommodate the natural wave or lack of wave in the hair.   Hair is also described as thin, medium and thick.

The various kinds of face shapes include long, round, oval and heart shaped.  A hair stylist learns many different techniques for creating the ideal hair style.  Curly hair can be styled in a way that either heightens or discourages curling.  Straight hair can be cut to add volume and form.  Hair that is wavy, and neither curly nor straight, can be styled to maximize the hair feature the client likes the best.  A great stylist knows how to bring out the client’s best facial and hair features.

Styling with Products

Today there are products on the market for every kind of hair.  There are products to hold, stiffen and sculpt hair.  These products are used to enhance the hairdresser’s cut.  For example, mousse or foam products can stiffen hair that has been cut to add volume.  Gel can be used on curly hair cuts to tighten curls or on wavy hair for scrunching.  But the only way the products work properly is if the hairdresser has maximized the appearance of the hair through careful cut selection.

A trained hairdresser has an arsenal of techniques and products which can be used to highlight the best features of someone’s hair and face.  When clients visit the stylist, he or she will first analyze the condition of the hair.  The stylish learns to listen to the preferences of the client first and then works with the client to determine which style will best meet the request while enhancing the facial features.

Satisfying Hair Care Clients

Satisfying hair care clients is much different today than it was 20 years ago.  The hairdressing business involves so much more than just styling or colouring hair.  Customers have become quite discriminating about the services they expect to find in a salon and meeting their expectations is how you build a successful business.

First and foremost there must be a level of incomparable quality.  Hairdressing customers expect to find a salon with trained hairdressers current on modern styling techniques. These styles include the latest trends and new looks that require special cuts.   But hairdressers should also be ready to satisfy traditional styling requests also.

A mistake some hairdressers make is insisting a client try a new style when the customer has requested the style which meets their personal needs.  A good hairdressing program will teach hair styling in a way the beautician is able to cut a traditional or new style to that it complements the customer’s appearance.  This requires in-depth training that instructs in face and head shapes in addition to the styles suitable for various hair types.

Stylish Services

Hair care clients today expect to be able to access a wide range of services.  That means keeping them satisfied requires having well trained hair technicians that can work on all kinds of hair and provide many different services far beyond just cut and styling.  For example, stylists should be current on colouring techniques and the use of hair extensions.  To satisfy customers, hair stylists will also have to offer specialty services such as hair straightening, eyebrow shaping and damaged hair treatments.

Of course there is no question that a hairdresser must be familiar with many different hair care products.  There are hundreds of specialty products on the market designed to address issues with hair.  There are deep treatments, aging hair products and special colouring and highlighting products.  Only stylists that have been trained in how to stay current in the hairdressing industry are able to completely satisfy all kinds of hair care clients through proper product selection.

Of course, cosmetologists must also be able to manage their time and schedule their customer appointments.   Customers expect to get quality time with a hairdresser who focuses on them during the scheduled appointment.  This means that scheduling conflicts and miscalculated appointment times must be avoided.  Stylists that obtain quality training learn how to manage their time in a way that insures customers are offered the service level they demand.

Stylish Satisfaction

Satisfying hair care clients is the key to success in the hairdressing business.   The demand for skilled beauticians is high.  That means there are many employment opportunities for anyone who obtains certification at a good school that teaches international and advanced styling and hair care techniques.

The world of hairdressing has expanded and grown over the years.  Customers are much more sophisticated and ask for a level of service that was once reserved only for celebrities.  But technology, equipment, new products and comprehensive training services has made even the most sophisticated styles and hair care treatments available.

If you want to satisfy hair care clients, you need to be ready to work in this new world of style and fashion!

Salon Management

Salon management requires more knowledge than knowing how to be a hairdresser.  A salon is a styling palace, beauty therapy and relaxation centre rolled into one business.  Speaking of business….the salon is also a business that requires management and organizational skills.

Learning how to manage a salon requires taking a series of courses that teach about both sides of the business.  The two sides are the hairdressing and/or beauty therapy side, and the business management side.  A skilful salon manager is as adept at performing their skills for customers as he or she is at ordering supplies and managing finances.  Even if you don’t own the salon you are working at you must still practice business skills in the day-to-day operation of your personal hairdressing business.

A Little Bit of Everything

Salons today have been redesigned to meet customer needs.  Salon clients make it clear they want to be able to go to the salon of their choice and find a variety of services being offered.  This means salon management requires directing a variety of people with different skills in a way that promotes the ambiance and theme of the salon while providing excellent customer service.

In salons you may find hairdressers, manicurists and pedicurists and beauty therapists skilled in message techniques and the use of stress reduction aromatherapy.  Salons also promote and sell products and hold beauty seminars to attract new clients.  The range of activities makes it necessary that a salon manager have excellent organizational skills in order to coordinate the operation of a set of mini-businesses within one roof.

Styling and Promoting

Striving to become a salon manager is an excellent career choice.  It is a business that enables you to use the skills you have developed in beauty management while also offering plenty of opportunity to use your creativity.  For example, as the owner/manager you are able to develop “client appreciation” programs, create special events for women and their friends, and offer ancillary programs such as make-up application.

In other words, salon management business skills require the ability to implement a promotional program that brings new business on a regular basis.  Being able to differentiate the salon based on its unique characteristics and offerings is critical to salon success.  When you train for a career in hairdressing and beauty therapy, you will take management courses that prepare you for success in the industry.

This preparation will make the difference between being able to manage a thriving and professional salon and struggling in a competitive industry.  Even if you choose to work for yourself in an existing salon, the salon management skills will be used everyday as you build and retain your clientele.

In the Atmosphere

Salon management requires the right craft and management skills.  But it also needs a sense of atmosphere.  When clients enter a salon, they are “escaping” for one or more hours from hectic lives.  In the salon a client wants to feel as if they are the centre of their own world for a short relaxing time.  A salon manager must be adept at creating the right atmosphere sought by clients based on an understanding of their needs.

If you now believe salon management requires extensive skills and training, you would be correct.  An excellent training program prepares a manager for the world of hairdressing and beauty therapy which also means having the right business and management skills.  In the world of salon management you will find a diverse clientele just waiting for your attention.

Tips On Becoming A Hairdresser

For many people, working with hair is more than simply giving a haircut. It is about increasing another person’s confidence, creating a moving piece of art, and it is about self-expression. If are interested in a career in hair design, the following tips will give you an idea on how to get started:

• FIND A GOOD HAIRDRESSING PROGRAM – While there are many hairdressing programs, finding the best one to suit your needs can be frustrating. Make sure the school you apply to offer hands-on training, assessment testing, and hairdressing certification training.
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