So I've just finished my first week of Cosmetology school at PCI Academy. So far I'm loving it! The instructors are so nice and welcoming. They seem very knowledgeable about the industry. They're great at keeping students engaged and even though they're our mentors, they seem like close friends too. I feel so comfortable at school! My class is only 6 people including me! I love that it's a small class because we get the individual attention that really helps us excel. We are getting pretty close too. I love my classmates!
If you're looking for a school and aren't sure what to be looking for or asking, here's some helpful tips.
First of all, the cost is very important. School is not cheap and you want to make sure they aren't taking advantage of you. School will roughly cost anywhere from 15,000 to 18,000. It shouldn't be any more than that. They should include supplies and books. Pay attention to their curriculum. They should include something about business management. Most people go into hair because they're passionate about it, but also because some day they'd like to be their own boss! If the school isn't going to prepare you to run your business, then who is? Try to stay away from schools that have their own salons. Chances are you'll only work with their products and learn their techniques. This will not help you if you want to branch off at some point. Empire schools, Aveda Institute, or Toni and Guy are all examples of this. If you are not familiar with mainstream products like Redken, Goldwell, or Pureology you'll be in trouble! In the end what you want is a well rounded education. The schools that are selling you the program cannot be immediately trusted. At PCI, they encouraged me to shop around and offered names of different schools they thought I should check out. That's dedication! I've heard terrible things about Regis from instructors and students. Unfortunately, not every school is interested in your education, rather they just want your check. I visited Empire and totally hated it there. The salon floor was dirty and unorganized. The students were dressed sloppy and the whole image was pretty ghetto. I was not impressed. These things sound superficial, but think about it. If you walk into a school that is dirty and sloppy, that means they are not teaching these students the proper ways to clean and sanitize. And even if they are, they're not enforcing it. When I went there the wax pot was left open, this can lead to unsanitary conditions and you can pass on skin problems. The beauty industry is so personal, I mean you're touching people on a daily basis. It is important to learn proper sanitization and be clean and diligent about keeping clean. About the students dressing sloppy- this industry is all about image. When you walk into a salon and you're trusting someone with your hair would you pick the stylist that is clean, nice makeup, great hairstyle, and looks professional, or are you going to pick the one with their hair thrown in a ponytail, dirty clothes, wrinkled, and flip flops on looking a mess? To me this meant that Empire was not a professional school which meant they weren't going to teach me anything about how to market myself. They spend a lot of money on promotional things. They give you this giant look book when you sign up for a tour which looks like it must have been expensive to print. That's where the tuition money is going. On flashy things to lure students in. Beware of that!! If it looks like they've spent more money on advertising than on equipment and tools in the salon...that's a problem. So anyway. If you have any questions please let me know! I've researched A LOT and I've visited many schools. My mom is a hairdresser and educator..I have the info you need!
Friday, October 21, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Fusion Hair Extensions
Alright so I've had the extensions for about a week and so far so good. I have to brush my hair a lot to make sure it doesn't knot, but it's not a big deal. I have to becareful when I wash it. Let me talk a little about hair extension care:
When brushing:
Start at the ends with a wide tooth comb or a brush with natural bristles. Work your way up to the roots and avoid the bonds. Be as gentle as possible and get all the knots out. Tie in a braid for bedtime to keep it from tangling.
When washing:
tilt head back do not wash with head upside down. Gently massage your scalp getting around the bonds. Do not massage in circles, the hair will knot, and it'll be difficult to untangle. Apply conditioner from below the bonds and to the ends of hair. Avoid putting ocnditioner on the bonds. It's not a big deal if you get some on them but they'll last longer if you don't.
When styling:
You can treat the extensions like your own hair and use hot styling tools. However, try to avoid keeping the hot tool from sitting on the bonds. The amount of heat used to melt th ebond is less than typical styling tools so they will melt and that'll be a real mess!
What it's like at first:
When you first get the extensions it hurts like hell. Take advil a half hour before you get them done to avoid the soreness you'll feel throughout the application. Then take advil before bedtime to avoid the pain you're going to feel when you lay your head down. It HURTS! It just feels really tight. It reminds me of when you get acrylic nails for the first time. The tight sore feeling.
There's tons of blogs and websites that talk about care and have a whole list of warnings. Honestly, it's common sense, don't be too worried about if you're washing it right. The bonds are strong and they will not just fall out because you scrubbed a little too hard. You'll know just how to wash it and brush it. Don't worry. Extensions are fun and can be affordable if you find the right person to do them. Once I get my license I will be offering them as well. I want to try to make them really affordable so that everyone can have full bouncy hair!
What I love most is styling my hair. It is so pretty! My color turned out really great! It reminds me of Traci DiMarco or Kim Kardashian. I style it similar to how they do. Most of all, I feel really pretty. I will say this: if you are lazy about doing your hair, do not get extensions. You have to wahs your hair, brush it, and really take care of it. You can't just through it in a pony tail and leave it ratty, it looks gross. Just make sure you find someone who knows what they're doing.
When brushing:
Start at the ends with a wide tooth comb or a brush with natural bristles. Work your way up to the roots and avoid the bonds. Be as gentle as possible and get all the knots out. Tie in a braid for bedtime to keep it from tangling.
When washing:
tilt head back do not wash with head upside down. Gently massage your scalp getting around the bonds. Do not massage in circles, the hair will knot, and it'll be difficult to untangle. Apply conditioner from below the bonds and to the ends of hair. Avoid putting ocnditioner on the bonds. It's not a big deal if you get some on them but they'll last longer if you don't.
When styling:
You can treat the extensions like your own hair and use hot styling tools. However, try to avoid keeping the hot tool from sitting on the bonds. The amount of heat used to melt th ebond is less than typical styling tools so they will melt and that'll be a real mess!
What it's like at first:
When you first get the extensions it hurts like hell. Take advil a half hour before you get them done to avoid the soreness you'll feel throughout the application. Then take advil before bedtime to avoid the pain you're going to feel when you lay your head down. It HURTS! It just feels really tight. It reminds me of when you get acrylic nails for the first time. The tight sore feeling.
There's tons of blogs and websites that talk about care and have a whole list of warnings. Honestly, it's common sense, don't be too worried about if you're washing it right. The bonds are strong and they will not just fall out because you scrubbed a little too hard. You'll know just how to wash it and brush it. Don't worry. Extensions are fun and can be affordable if you find the right person to do them. Once I get my license I will be offering them as well. I want to try to make them really affordable so that everyone can have full bouncy hair!
What I love most is styling my hair. It is so pretty! My color turned out really great! It reminds me of Traci DiMarco or Kim Kardashian. I style it similar to how they do. Most of all, I feel really pretty. I will say this: if you are lazy about doing your hair, do not get extensions. You have to wahs your hair, brush it, and really take care of it. You can't just through it in a pony tail and leave it ratty, it looks gross. Just make sure you find someone who knows what they're doing.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Fusion Hair Extensions
So let me tell you what I just went through to get these extensions! So I found someone on craigslist that offered extension placement for a really good price. I had a gut feeling that something was up, but after talking to her it seemed like she had a grasp of what she was doing. So she tells me to go buy the hair which is pretty standard. Some people will order it for you. She told me what kind and what place and I pick the hair up. It ended up being just shy of $200 and I later found out that I could get better quality hair for a little less than that! So we schedule it for Thursday at noon and then she texts me a while later saying she wants to do it earlier so she can squeeze another person in that day. So I say ok and bump it up to 10. Then Thursday morning she texts me saying both her kids have pink eye and she doesn't want my son to get it (I was going to bring him). I agree I don't want to bring my son and I say that I'll call my sitter not a problem. My sitter is on her way to my house and she texts back saying oh I thought you meant 10 am tomorrow. So I tell her no we never discussed tomorrow and today is the only day I can do it. She tells me to come at 3 pm so I call my sitter send her back home and tell her to show up at 2:30. THEN she texts me saying she just can't do it she doesn't have anyone to watch her kids and maybe another day. Let me just say that I know that kids get sick and you can't control it. However when you have a client that's going to be paying you money to do something, you should be a little more organized and diligent about rescheduling. It shouldn't be back and forth and up in the air. It's very unprofessional. Her kids being sick is not MY problem, it's hers and she needs to handle it. So I start calling around and find an actualy legit hairstylist who can do it for the same price. I tell her what kind of hair I have and she tells me it's the worst hair on the market. The bonds aren't 100% keratin which is what makes the bond strong. The place I got them from doesn't do returns only exchanges and it was such a sketchy place I didn't want to get anything else from there. I agree to just get these done and live and learn. Through conversation I come to find out that the original girl that was going to do them used to come to this hairdresser and that she didn't have a clue about hair. She also told me that she wouldn't trust her with her hair and that she got extensions with her and probably just saw what she was doing and then decided she could do it on other people. God was looking out for me!! I'm so mad at myself for being so gullible. Anyway word to the wise, just go to a salon or a proper stylist. It's usually cheaper if the stylist does it out of her home. Now I know to go buy hair that is 100% Remy or Indian virgin hair and that the tip is 100% keratin. I still have to go get it colored tomorrow to make it match my hair and then also get a proper cut to help it blend better. The stylist did some cutting after she put them in, but I think it needs a full blown cut to make it work. I had short shoulder length hair before I started so it's pretty bulky on top and a little thin on bottom. If you guys have any questions let me know. I'll do another post after I get my hair done tomorrow. Ciao!
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