Hair Design Jobs

Hair Design Jobs: Everyday Tasks

When you work as a hair design artist, each day brings something new. You'll rarely see any client more than once a month, so you'll enjoy constant variety in the people you see and the types of hair you work on. Whether you're styling a model for a photo shoot or preparing a bride for her wedding, there's always an exciting challenge ahead of you.

Work settings vary, but most hair design artists work in a beauty salon or spa. You may own your own business, work as an employee, or rent a booth. Hopefully you'll be lucky enough to work with people you like. In many hair salons and spas, there's a strong sense of community. You'll spend your days making people beautiful while chatting with clients.

Hair design artists rarely work early in the morning. It's common to start in late morning and work into the evening in order to accommodate client schedules. Working on the weekends is also common. In fact, Saturdays are the busiest day of the week for most hair stylists.

Everyday Tasks of a Hair Design Artist

Hair design artists typically spend most of their working hours seeing clients and take care of other responsibilities in between appointments. Common daily tasks include:

• Consulting with clients to decide what cut, color or style best suits their needs
• Washing, cutting and styling hair
• Coloring hair, including highlights, touch-up color and all-over color
• Applying chemical perms to hair, including relaxers, curls, and waves
• Setting and styling clients' hair for special occasions
• Advising clients on hair and scalp problems, such as dandruff or thinning hair
• Cleaning and sanitizing your work space and instruments
• Educating yourself on the latest products and techniques
• Making reminder calls to your next-day clients

Learn about different hair styling career options.

Skills Needed for Hair Design Jobs

Excellent Communication Skills – Making clients feel relaxed and comfortable is the number one key to success as a hair stylist. You'll need to be able to establish a rapport with all different types of people, even some who are abrasive or rude. You also need to be able to ask the right questions and listen closely to the answers in order to give your clients styles that look fabulous on them. Sometimes that means being able to gently recommend an alternative when clients want something that isn't going to work with their hair or features.

Technical Ability – From cutting and coloring hair to recognizing skin disease, you'll use all the basic skills you learn in cosmetology school on an almost daily basis. But that's just the beginning. Your training as a hair design artist never ends. There are always new products, new techniques, and new fashions to learn. Staying up-to-date is the best way to keep your clients happy and stay competitive.

Vision & Style – The best hair stylists have a knack for knowing what will look great on their clients. When someone says, "I need a change," they know exactly what to recommend. This is the one hair design skill that can't really be taught, but you can certainly cultivate your own inner style guru by learning everything you can about fashion and historical trends in hair design.

Business Savvy – Building a loyal clientele and maximizing your income requires marketing and sales skills. You'll also need to know how to track your earnings and expenses for tax purposes, and how to stay compliant with business laws and regulations. If you're interested in opening your own salon or spa, you'll need additional business skills to create a budget, manage operational expenses, and coordinate employees.

Physical Fitness – On your feet all day and constantly moving, the work of a hair design artist can be physically exhausting. You'll need to be in good physical health, with the strength and stamina to make it through a long busy day. It's also useful to learn some basic ergonomics, so you know the right way to stand and hold your body in order to reduce strain and prevent injury.

Is a Hair Design Career Right for You?

If "playing" with hair all day sounds like the best job in the world – and you're willing to commit to the rigor of a cosmetology school education – hair design may be the perfect career for you. Job opportunities are excellent in the booming salon and spa industry, and according to a 2003 report from National Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (NACCAS), the average salon income is between $30,000 and $50,000 a year, including tips.

Learn more about the hair arts of today.

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