Here’s a question from one of my readers:

“I’ve heard that you can go to beauty schools and get your hair cut and colored at really low prices. Do you recommend doing this or do you think it’s too risky?”

As someone who attended beauty school twice, once for manicuring and once for esthetics, I don’t think getting your hair done by students is any more risky than going to a any stylist for the first time. I had my hair done (cut, colored, highlighted, and styled) by students MANY times while I was there, and I was always happy with the results.

The students who work on clients in the “clinic” are experienced. They have to complete many hours of training and pass many tests in their theory and practical classes before they are permitted to work on the public. As far as skill goes, there is not much difference between going to a senior student and going to a fresh-out-of beauty school stylist, but there are advantages and disadvantages.

The Advantages:

- The students are eager to learn and are excited about what they’re doing. They are more involved in the process in general. They are not working for money, so their payoff is a happy customer. They will listen to you and do their best to please you. Your stylist wants to please you as well, but their motivation is to get you to come back to them.

- The students are not at work. They are not trying to fit in as many people as possible. They will take more time and they are very thorough.

- The students have their teachers, who are experts in their field, to assist them. If something is not working for them, or they are not sure about something, they will not try to fake their way through to look more professional. Students are not too proud to ask for help, and in my experience, the beauty school teachers are as good, if not better than any experienced stylist. Not only do they have a higher education than most stylists, but they have a daily reminder of the dos and don’ts. Many of them are also still active in the field as well.

- The products are the same quality products that are used in salons.

The Disadvantages:

- Most beauty schools only have clinic hours during the weekdays, although some (SHBA*) do have limited evening hours.

- The students are not in that “get them in and out as quickly as possible” mind-frame, so it’s likely that your services will take a little bit longer

- You are acknowledging, by patronizing the beauty school, that you are being worked on my students, and therefore accept the consequences of that. In the rare occasion that they make a mistake, it is not their responsibility to fix it. Although, in my experience, the teachers will not let you walk out of there looking a mess. It may not end up being exactly what you asked for, but they will take over if necessary.

Most beauty schools also offer nail and skin care services at discounted prices as well. I believe when I was at SHBA* for manicuring the price of a mani was $8 and a pedi was less than $15, and when I was in school for esthetics a facial was like $15… even Pamper Parties Pittsburgh can’t beat those prices! We also had waxing services and body treatments available.

Here’s a link to South Hills Beauty Academy’s (SHBA*) clinic price list.

http://shnhbeauty.com/clinic.html

My hair stylist, manicurist, and skin care therapist friends are going to be mad at me for sharing this best kept secret of the beauty industry, but I’m more concerned with keeping you looking great and keeping your wallet full! They’ll forgive me!!!

Send your beauty questions to [email protected] and I’ll answer them in my next blog.

Don’t forget to stop by tomorrow for another dose of my beauty blog.

Thanks,

Bethany