Hair Styling Certificate Courses

While it is recommended that you attend college and earn a degree, there is nothing wrong with just having a high school diploma. There are many things you can become by only having a diploma- and most of them offer huge advancement opportunities and high pay as long as you stay persistent. While there are thousands of career paths you could take, in this article we are only going to talk about one: a hair stylist.

A hair stylist is someone who is an expert in the fields of hairdressing, hairstyling, skin care, and nail care. On a typical day, you would be expected to cut, shape, and trip hair or hair pieces. You would also be responsible for bleaching, tinting, and even dying hair. Some cosmetologists even offer massages to help treat the scalp. This is great for both remedial and hygienic purposes.

A hair stylist is someone who takes care of every aspect of someone's hair and sometimes nails. Your duty would be to administer therapeutic lotions and medications which are design to great chronic scalp conditions. A cosmetologist would also be responsible for polishing, shaping, and cleaning fingernails. They would also be expected to maintain and update customer records.

GED Requirements

In order to become a hair stylist, you must attend a state-licensed cosmetology school and be at least 16 years old. To attend this training program, all that is required is that you have a high school diploma. Cosmetology school takes around nine months to complete and manicurist training takes an even shorter amount of time. In some cases, you may even end up earning an Associate's degree.

Other Requirements

If you are someone who works on appearances- hairstylists, cosmetologists, and hairdressers- then you need to become licensed before you are able to care for clients. Upon the completion of cosmetology school, you will be expected to take a licensing exam administered by the state. In most cases, a separate exam is given out for manicurists, skin specialists, and pedicurists.

Advancement Opportunities

As a hair stylist becomes more experienced and refers more customers, the potential earnings are bound to increase. While some hair stylists work for themselves, it isn't uncommon for someone to open up their own salon and become self-employed. However, it is recommended that you work under someone else before you take this step. It will provide you with the experience needed to make such a move. Finally, some cosmetologists end up teaching in cosmetology school to help others gain a foot hold in this career.

Overall, the projected amount of positions opening up for cosmetologist is expected to increase dramatically by the year 2018. Becoming hired really depends on where your area of expertise lies. For example, becoming a hair specialist could open up more doors than if you were a nail or skin specialist. Where you live and how much experience you have also plays a huge role.