Career
May 11th Deadline for P&G Salon Professional Student Competition!
The deadline for P&G Salon Professional Student Competition at Premiere Orlando on June 6th is almost here—May 11th to be exact! See the steps you need to take in order to enter!
Tools of the Trade
You may think you know all about tools from beauty school, but shears, brushes and irons are just as unique as the hair you style. Your professional selection, wider than ever before, is described by buzzwords like ionic, ceramic and ergonomic. How to determine the tools for you? You’ll know you’ve found the right ones when they fit perfectly in your hand and never let you down, client after client. But to save you some homework (and legwork), First Chair has rounded up the best beauty tool essentials for any budding stylist to put on their shortlist. As you already know, the right tools are the mark of a true pro. So start building your best toolbox now.
Digital Scheduling
With Mindbody Salon Software, you can ditch your old appointment book and simplify your life, boost your revenues and focus better on your clients. The software allows users to digitally check schedules from any computer or mobile device, and it lets clients book online with “Smart Booking,” a feature that remembers a client’s typical appointment length and styling preferences. Users can also send auto-confirm appointments, via e-mail or text, and print working tickets. The single service provider rate is $45/month with free set-up and unlimited software training. For more information, visit mindbodyonline.com.
Thinning Hair Market
As a professional stylist, your clients will often look to you to answer questions about hair loss or thinning. Knowing how to appropriately address thinning hair questions will not only help you take advantage of the thinning hair market, but it will also increase client satisfaction, retail sales and retention. Divi International’s HairCheck device is a tool that actually gauges hair thinning, hair breakage and hair re-growth. The technology in this tool gives a precise scientific measurement of how much hair is present in any area of the scalp, measuring both the hair density and hair diameter within that area. If your clients are wondering what degree of hair loss they will have in 10-15 years, this tool can help. For more information, visit haircheck.com.
Permanent Cosmetics
In addition to your standard training as a licensed cosmetologist, esthetician or nail technician, further education in applying permanent make-up can be a wonderful addition to your beauty knowledge.
Listen, and Customize!
The number one reason a client chooses to leave her regular salon is because she gets bored, and is seeking change. A great way to get your client—and her friends!—back at your nail station is to keep her excited about coming back.
Brushing Up on Make-Up
Renowned Make-up Artist Sonia Kashuk says taking care of your brushes and your case is critical. Here, she offers up some tips on how to properly care for your make-up supplies.
Say “Yes” to Your Future
How well you can do hair, nails, and skin care may be at the bottom of the list of importance for potential employers. They want to know if you’re willing to say “yes.” When they ask you to come in on your day off to clean up the dispensary, or stay late to help with the models for a fashion show, or participate in a salon fundraising event, will you say “yes?”
Eco-Friendly Colorist
How many strips of aluminum foil do you use per client? How about every day ... or every month? Before you know it, the amount you’re counting up in your head right now probably will all end up in a landfill. If you want to practice being more eco-friendly, consider Biolights Color, it creates dimensional highlights by using 100-percent biodegradable cotton pads in place of conventional aluminum. According to Rick Wellman, co-owner of Patrick Melville Salon Spa in New York City, the pads allow for fast and easy application, no swelling or bleeding and they reduce the risk of over processing. Your color application will stay in place while the material conforms and bends to your client’s head. For more info, visit biolightscolor.com.
Salon Apprenticeship Programs
When you’re ready to start applying to salons, consider those with apprentice programs. These programs can be beneficial to your career for many reasons. Not only will you learn new techniques, get hands-on experience, and learn directly from professionals working in the salon, you will also get a feel for that particular salon’s culture. Apprenticeships also allow you to earn some extra money while learning, and they can help you transition from school life to the workforce.
How to Stay Connected to Your Clients
In the clients’ eyes, what sets you apart from another hairdresser is more than just the quality of the cut you give them. How you connect with them personally and on a business level also come into a customer’s consideration whether or not they will want your services again.
Phone Blouze
At Dario Salon in La Jolla, California, color pro Jessica Barrett couldn’t keep clients off the phone when color was processing. “They either put the phone on speaker and the whole salon could hear their conversation or they would answer their calls and then wipe their phones on our capes and towels—permanently damaging them,” she says. Then, she discovered Phone Blouze, a clear, disposable sleeve that fits most cell phones. Just offer one to your client, so she can slip it on and tell everyone where she is. For the client who prefers to read while revving up her red, Eyeglass Saverz slide onto the temples, to keep color from staining them.
Different Color for Different Face Shapes
Color Chameleon. We talked about face shape on page 16 and what hair designs complement certain features, but what about hair color? Color placement plays a key role in the hair’s movement and balance, and determines which features are accentuated and which are camouflaged, explains Redken’s Art of Consultation guide to color placement. Redken’s tips to follow:
Shampoo Selection
As a salon professional, retail sales not only help your client maintain the look you created, but they are one of the easiest ways to increase your tickets and grow your profitability. But, with the abundance of shampoo variations available for retail, it can be challenging to recommend the proper shampoo to clients. If you’re familiar with the different types of shampoo, it can be easier to ensure which will bring the best results to your individual clients. Familiarize yourself with the chart below, courtesy of Pivot Point International, to understand the differences.
Healthcare/Cosmetology Parallel
Remember: No matter how busy you are, or how late you’re running, a clean, disinfected salon station is a necessity. Medical professionals touch, on average, five strangers a day—and are required to wear personal protective equipment or at the very least gloves. Plus, they always ask about the patient’s medical history. Yet, as a hair stylist, you may touch up to 15-20 strangers a day, and it’s not appropriate to ask about medical history and you don’t always wear gloves or protective equipment.
Razor Cutting
Many professional stylists will tell you that cutting with a razor is a creative way to achieve multi-textured looks— but the razor can be very intimidating for a newbie. Washi Scissor offers up tips for new professionals on how to make your razor work for you. For more tips and tricks, visit washiscissor.com.
Student Day at America's Beauty Show in Chicago, March 14! See you there!
As an editor in the beauty industry, I very much believe in, support and acknowledge the power of the future generation of hairdressers—the students. As an actual cosmetology student, I crave, need and very much want information that will help future professionals to succeed in this booming industry!America’s Beauty Show, produced and owned by Cosmetologists Chicago, gets it too. That’s why Monday, March 14, of America’s Beauty Show is dedicated to students—full of education, seminars, panels and assemblies specifically for future hairdressers!