Research on Skills and Expertise in Cosmetology

Cosmetology is one way to truly express oneself. It can be used as a form of art to show each person’s unique characteristics. Each stylist has their own distinct way of styling hair to how they believe it should look; however, when it comes to working in a salon the stylist has to style the customer’s hair their request. In order to pursue a career in cosmetology, one will have to attend cosmetology school. While going through beauty school, one will be taught valuable skills. Some of these skills may include, how to use your toolkit correctly, ensuring that one is following the rules of cosmetology presented through the state of Kansas, and the importance of having healthy hair and tips on how to keep it healthy.

In pursuance to become a cosmetologist, one would first have to go through a cosmetology school. There are tons of beauty schools to choose from. While viewing all of the beauty school options, make sure to check how many hours that program takes to complete. According to Sally Ganchy in her most recent book titled A Career as a Cosmetologist, she states, “The average cosmetology program in the United States takes less than 2,000 hours to complete” (12). While going through these 2,000 hours of cosmetology school, “You’ll study the natural life cycle of hair- how it grows and how it stops growing, falls out and is replaced by new hair. You will discover what makes straight hair lay flat and curly hair curl” (Ganchy 16). Prior to attending cosmetology school, one will need to obtain a cosmetology toolkit. The toolkit consists of “hairstyling tools, including combs, various styling brushes, smocks, shampoo cape, sectioning clips, styling shears, thinning shears, cutting shears, blow-dryer, rollers, curling iron, permanent wave rods, shaving razor, rubber gloves, and a mannequin head with real hair” (Ganchy 16). Each one of these items is used to create different styles of hair. Once learning what each item is made for doing to the hair, one will learn how to apply the item to the hair to achieve their desired style. “Taking a head of hair and cutting it into a new shape may sound like a daunting task”, states Ganchy, “That’s why you’ll learn how to use facial features as guides to keep your haircut symmetrical and balanced” (Ganchy 20). Besides being taught just how to cut and style the hair, “You will also be trained to spot medical conditions, such as dandruff and psoriasis, as well as infectious diseases and pests, such as head lice and scabies” (Ganchy 17). In most beauty schools, they will also teach how special treatments. One example of special treatment would be a permanent wave. A permanent wave or “perm” changes the hair from straight to curly (Ganchy 24). Consequently, most beauty schools also educate the students on how to accomplish a Brazilian blowout. The Brazilian blowout turns the curly hair to straight hair (Ganchy 24). In completion of achieving a perm or a Brazilian blowout, heat and chemicals will be required for both (Ganch 24). “Also covered in the curriculum of most beauty schools are braiding and adding extensions to your clients’ hair” (Ganchy 21).

When it comes to the rules of cosmetology for the state of Kansas, there are quite a few. One rule according to the Kansas Board of Cosmetology Law Book entitled Health and Sanitation Regulations states that “Every treatment table shall be covered with a clean sheet of an examination paper or clean linen before providing services to each customer” (pg. 4, par. 3). Another rule one has to follow is that “all surfaces that come into contact with a customer during a service such as, but not limited to, shampoo bowls, chairs and treatment tables shall be disinfected after each service” (Pg. 4, par.3). More rules are also found in the Kansas Board of Cosmetology book entitled Statutes, Rules, and Regulations that states “each licensee or apprentice shall use a sanitary neck strip or towel to keep the full-length protective covering from coming in direct contact with the neck of each consumer receiving cosmetology services” (pg. 25, par. 1). Another rule that is stated is “Each licensee or apprentice shall immediately dispose of any single-use material coming into contact with the blood or other bodily fluids. The contaminated material shall be double-bagged, sealed and disposed of. All needles and any other sharp items shall be disposed of in a sharps container” (pg. 25, par. 2). The rules that are stated are pretty much common sense; however, they are extremely vital in order to keep both the customer and the stylist safe from catching diseases or infections.

When applying any type of heat to the hair, take precautions and try not to damage it. According to Jackie Feilds in her article “Get Your Best Hair Ever!” from People’s Beauty, she states, “Always apply a thermal protectant, especially on your ends and the fragile pieces around your face” (83). Another heat style safety she states is, “use a tool with multiple temperature settings. The finer or the more damaged your hair, the less heat you need” (Feilds 83). The last heat style safety tip she gives is to “stick to 1-in. Sections when flat ironing or curling” (Feilds 83). In this article, she also gives tips on products to use for certain hair types. Make sure one is doing everything to avoid damaging the hair with heat. If one does end up damaging the hair, she says that “Products with keratin help strengthen” (Feilds 81). She also gives tips about different hair types. For dry hair, she says to “look for moisturizing argan oil (which smells amazing!)” (Feilds 81). For frizz-prone hair, “formulas with camellia and castor oils are smoothing” (Feilds 81). If one is looking for a tone correcter, she says to “apply this purple treatment once a week to brighten your blonde and neutralize brassiness” (Feilds 84). For sundried hair, do a weekly treatment “If the summer has left your hair feeling fried, reboot it with a heavy-hitting conditioner” (Feilds 81). All of these examples will help the hair become healthy. Some pro tips to maintain healthy hair can be found in Shalwah Evens’s article entitled “Hair Gods and Goddesses” from Essence, where she says to “Make sure you take care of your scalp. Brush your hair and scalp at least 200 strokes two to three nights a week. This creates blood flow, stimulation, and hydration in the hair” (102). When it comes to split ends, she says to “Keep your hair moisturized and scheduled regular salon trips; otherwise your hair will be dry and will continue to break with bad split ends” (Evens 103). One must make sure to moisturize the hair. “Moisturize as if your soul depends on it moisture is the key component of healthy hair regardless of texture, length, or density” (Evens 107). She also says “hands down the best pro tip that every woman could follow daily is very simple-sleeping with a satin or silk bonnet, scarf or pillowcase to help your hair maintain moisture at night and prevent breakage” (Evens 104). Last but not least, she says that conditioning is extremely important as well. “Conditioning regularly is the key to having the hair of your dreams. Being gentle when combing and being sure to treat every strand will keep your hair in tip-top shape” (Evens 107). In other words, make sure to brush, moisturize, and condition the hair for the sake of achieving the healthy hair one desires.

If one develops an interest in cosmetology, they first have to choose the perfect beauty school that best fits their personality and creativity. Then one will have to learn how to use the tools needed for cosmetology school, and make sure they are following all of the state rules. If one does end up damaging the hair make sure they know how to get the hair back to a healthy state. All of these skills are incredibly essential to know when talking about the hair world and how to fix problems that may occur with the hair. While learning about how to fix the clients hair to be a specific way, the profession of cosmetology will also require one to express their creativity and be very unique at times. Cosmetology is a great career field for artist to express themselves.