Hairdresser-stylist: features and training

For the average person, the difference between an ordinary hairdresser and a hairdresser-stylist or hairdresser-fashion designer is not so obvious. For a simple visitor, this sometimes seems to be nothing more than a self-presentation of the specialist in whose chair he sits. But this is not so: only one who meets his criteria can appropriate a new professional name.

Stylist - a person who is engaged in creating the image of a man or woman. Hair stylist does this with the help of hair styling. At the same time, such an expert may additionally have the skills of a makeup artist, and some pros study further and can pick up a full bow of a client. This master not only gives the client a new hairstyle, but can also apply professional makeup and even choose a basic wardrobe. Of course, there are not very many such high-class professionals, although not a few position themselves as such.

And yet, if you are interested in the profession of hairdresser-stylist, you need to start with the basics. You should have a basic education that gives the basic skills of a hairdresser: cutting, dyeing, styling and much more. Someone, acquiring these skills, decides to become a hairdresser-fashion designer, that is, a specialist goes into the field of complex hairstyles, exhibition works. Another hairdresser chooses dyeing as his specialization, and becomes a colorist.

A hairdresser-stylist is a professional worker who not only does a hairstyle at the request of a client, but also gives him a full consultation. After all, many people come to the hairdresser or beauty salon to get out of there a new person.But the specialists working there may disappoint the client - they do the usual haircut, standard dyeing, regardless of the individual characteristics of the client.

There are male hairdressers, stylists, there are women, and there are generalists. If a person does not just declare himself a stylist, but really knows how to do what is prescribed for this profession, he will be in demand. And this will distinguish him from a huge army of colleagues, will highlight and attract new customers to him. In a competitive environment, the beauty industry is a great opportunity to grow professionally.

Like any other job, this profession has its advantages and disadvantages.

Better to start with the merits:

• creative field of activity - such work is difficult to compare with the conveyor, because every day a new client sits in the barber’s chair with his requests and expectations;
• quick and noticeable result one can see one’s own activity every day and several times, and this is inspiring;
• the opportunity to participate in professional competitions - keeps in good shape, develops, makes it possible to express yourself at the highest level;
• continuous self-development - hairdressing is developing literally every day, new technologies, drugs, tools appear, and the master must learn this;
• easy to enter an educational institution - since they study at a hairdresser in colleges (at least the beginning of a professional path is there), there is no high competition among applicants;
• demand for a profession - hairdressers and beauty salons open, expand, require young professionals with a new vision, so getting a job is not so difficult;
• the opportunity to develop your career through social networks - if you start a page on a popular social platform, a large number of people will see examples of your work, it is more difficult for an accountant and a lawyer to make it.

Disadvantages of the profession:

• standing all day - and there’s no way to leave this, the profession requires certain physical strength, endurance, endurance, and so that by the age of 30-40 you will not get professional “sores”, light gymnastics, improvised massagers at the workplace will help you;
• human factor - you have to work not with documents, not with technology, but with people, and they have different characters, temperaments, mores and requirements, and sometimes contact at the workplace becomes a conflict;
• work with chemicals - most dyes are not environmentally friendly, and working with them is certainly not good for the respiratory system, skin, eyes;
• high competition - In most cases, you need to win your client, grow, improve, attract a personal approach, tact, friendliness and, of course, an excellent work result.

By comparing the pros and cons, you can better understand your own intentions. The romantic flair of the profession can be dispelled if a person clearly imagines physical activity, the number of communications per day, and rivalry.

There are a lot of them, cutting and dyeing - this is only the first step of the career ladder. The stylist knows how not only to cut well, to make styling, but also to give the client’s appearance relevance. All major fashion trends should be known to the specialist.

What else will be in the list of duties of the hairdresser-stylist:

• assistance to the client in choosing the optimal hair length, hairstyle shape, shade;
• assistance to the visitor in choosing a painting technique;
• the choice of styling, which is created for a particular occasion (celebration, corporate event);
• the choice of haircuts for the client, depending on the type of hair;
• the ability to create hairstyles organized for demonstration on the stage or catwalk;
• modeling hairstyles using overhead strands;
• performance of any modern haircut;
• performing different types of curling;
• knowledge of current technologies of therapy and hair restoration;
• conducting full, informative consultations for the client;
• attending professional seminars and trainings, conferences, festivals;
• maintenance of cleanliness and comfort of the working area, knowledge of sanitary standards.

Universal hairdresser rarely becomes a stylist. Nevertheless, the trend of the professional environment today is such that narrow specialists gain value. For example, a stylist for stage hairstyles.

Each beauty salon is looking for a master "for themselves." This should be a specialist who corresponds to the concept of his company, its target audience.

Usually they have to be indicated in the resume. You need to write concisely, succinctly. Too long a list of skills makes the employer think that the applicant is exaggerating his abilities, wants to impress.

What skills are inherent in a hairdresser-stylist:

• possession of modern tools (a list of what a specialist really owns, for example, a trimmer, a machine);
• the ability to select, develop and carry out different types of hairstyles - from everyday to evening;
• the ability to create the catwalk of the model, the implementation of artistic images for media products, advertising, banners and more;
• analysis of the condition of the client’s scalp and hair structure;
• direct sales experience is a good bonus to basic skills;
• product knowledge - a listing of the brands the hairdresser worked with;
• the ability to look for original solutions is creativity, it is especially appreciated today;
• the performance of staining - should list the techniques that a specialist owns;
• communication skills.

Of course, each employer will look at the line “work experience” in the resume. And if the master has not yet acquired such, you need to demonstrate other attractive professional aspects.

If you create a conditional psychological portrait of a hairdresser-stylist, You can get informative instructions about those personal skills, qualities that will help to gain a foothold in the profession.

• Willingness to learn. Being curious, ready to receive new knowledge and process it in the profession is the most important quality of a modern hairdresser-stylist. And the acquired knowledge should be systematic, orderly, obtained from competent sources.
• Sociability. The basic point that ensures the good work of the master and the client is trust. It is built using communication tactics. To be able to win over to yourself, to be able to listen - this is a true professional acquisition of the master. To “open” a client means to understand not only his desire to become externally more attractive, but also to hear a real individual request.
• Stress resistance. If a person becomes depressed after one unsuccessful haircut, he has no place in the profession. To analyze the work done, draw conclusions, work out the "weak" places - this is what needs to be done in case of professional failure. This is the correct reflection, but there is simply no time to feel sorry for yourself.
• Perfectionism. Not all hair stylists are perfectionists, but the most successful of them, as a rule, possess this quality. The ability to bring things to perfection, to work out the smallest details is a very important quality for a person from the beauty industry.
• Developed intuition. Together with professional knowledge and skills, it helps to predict the result in advance.The client has not yet had time to sit in a chair, and the master already knows what will suit him and how to make that very perfect hairstyle.
• Organization. If it is, you can create your own schedule so that it is both productive and exhausting for you. If the hairdresser is organized, his workplace, glider, and even goals for the year will most likely be achieved.

A developing specialist does not confine himself exclusively to his profession. In order to develop artistic taste, you need to visit museums, study architecture (at least in your native city), and purchase art albums. This develops a “watchfulness” that helps to hone a sense of harmony.

You can study at a hairdresser in a vocational school. As a rule, these are colleges in which for 2-4 years (depending on whether a person enters after grades 9 or 11), you can acquire the profession of a hairdresser with a specialization. Learning is based on a lot of practice, which can be an excellent platform for professional experience. You need to collect a portfolio from your student years: this way you can quickly get on your feet in terms of profession.

Higher education can reinforce a basic diploma. And this is not always the profile direction. Some hairdressers study at graphic art faculties, at art history, believing that it is these skills and knowledge that help them in their profession.

Extra education is especially important for the hairdresser.. In large cities, there are many different beauty schools and educational institutions that provide educational content in academic hours. The higher the status of the school, the more valuable the certificate obtained after studying in it.