Professional Hairstyling E-Book

Georgina Fowler

• Herausgeber: IMM Lifestyle Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Seitenzahl: 163

Beschreibung

This illustrated instructional guide, by an author who teaches an accredited college course on the subject, is ideal both for beginners and experienced hairdressers eager to acquire new skills. Introducing today's state-of-the-art tools and equipment, it covers cuts, colors, perms, formal styling, and men's hair, along with business and legal issues such as staffing, décor, and safety.

Leseprobe

contents

introduction

the philosophy

the tools

getting the right results

down to the roots

the male

formal invite

salon genius

business checklist

glossary

index

acknowledgements

introduction

The purpose of this book is to prepare you for working in the hairdressing industry and to help develop your skills by providing essential knowledge in all areas of hairdressing. It guides you through easy to understand sections about the different skills you need, with straightforward step-by-step instructions and photographs.

The book starts with the philosophy of hairdressing – a look at the hairdresser’s world and how we are often perceived by others, the hard work, the competition and the importance of customer service. By facing the facts, it will help to build your confidence and prepare you for the hardworking world of hairdressing.

The Tools section looks at some of the essential items which are needed to deliver hairdressing to a good standard, with explanations of how and when to use them. The tools and equipment that a hairdresser might need could fill a book by themselves, but I have listed some of the more important items that a hairstylist may need on a day-to-day basis. The tools section also includes tips and some trade secrets that will give you some extra guidance.

Getting the Right Results focuses on the importance of consultation. This will help you to maximize the information you can get regarding a client and their hair, directing you through how to consult and the questions to ask. This should help you to obtain the perfect end results that a client will be pleased with.

Down to the Roots covers the four main sections of hairdressing: shampooing, cutting, colouring and perming. These form the backbone of hairstyling, and are vital skills to master. First we cover simple techniques to guide you through a perfect shampoo, then cover how to apply conditioners and treatments correctly. This section also includes head massage techniques to treat your clients to.

Step-by-step photographs and text take you through four basic cutting techniques, with a fifth section on personalizing cuts using techniques such as slicing, thinning and giving texture to hair. From this you will be able to recreate the looks on anybody’s hair.

The section on colouring hair looks at hair chemistry and goes back to basics with how colours are made up, the pigments in natural hair and how to diagnose them, and gives you an insight into all the hair colouring products available on the market, how long they last and why. Step-by-step instructions and photographs will help you to apply the colours perfectly. The actual selection of colour is also very important. We’ll help you to make it easy to achieve great results that keep your clients happy, with tips and trade secrets and finally a guide on some new and exciting applications for different colouring looks, which can be used on either men’s or women’s hair.

Even though perming is gradually falling out of favour, it is still vital for any hairdresser to understand the chemical process and know how to do it. The perming guide will equip you with all the latest knowledge on this application, teaching you about the structural build of the hair bonds and how perming on the hair works. It also instructs you on what wind technique to use and why, which lotions to use, and gives you pointers on how to deal with the aftercare, correcting any problems and what advice to give to a client.

The Male looks at men’s hair cuts – also a big part of the hairdressing world. This short section on men’s hairstyling should help to give you inspiration and guidance on cutting men’s hair, including a step-by-step guide on short cut clipper work and why cutting men’s hair is really no different to cutting women’s.

Formal Invite has easy to follow instructions that will enable you to create three perfect looks for a client to attend a special event. Whether it’s for a wedding or a cocktail party, we will take you through putting up hair and the accessories and equipment needed to finish an elegant look for any occasion.

Salon Genius offers some helpful pointers on how to start your own business, make money and maximize the potential. Some guidelines to help you find the right premises and on the look you want to create for it should also help, along with notes on customer service, dealing with complaints and different ways of getting started.

Business Checklist follows on from this, and looks at the different businesses you can become involved with, how to finance them, your legal obligations and costs, staffing, equipment, and finding the perfect location. Top tips and great advice should give you the headstart you need to succeed in the competitive world of hairstyling.

All of the essential information in this book should help you on your way to becoming a hairdresser with great potential. With plenty of practice and the help of this book, you can acquire great basic knowledge and skills and some firm foundations for your hairdressing career.

the philosophy

Over the years I have heard all the jokes – that hairdressers don’t know the meaning of hard work, that we sit around talking all day about the weather and holidays and drinking coffee. The reality is quite the opposite – a lot of people don’t see the real hard work that is required, standing for most of the day and often having very short lunch breaks, having to eat quickly or in between clients.

You will find that many people think hairdressers are unintelligent, but you will soon realize that hairdressing is not only a highly-trained skill, but a profession, as well. It might only take two to three years to become fully qualified, but it takes many years of experience to become a real professional. In this sense it is a little like learning to drive – qualifying doesn’t take long, but the more practice you get, the better you become and, in the case of hairdressing, the better your reputation will be. Hairdressing might not require the same intelligence as for becoming a doctor or a lawyer, but it is still a profession that requires skills in maths, science, language, communication skills and art, not to mention common sense.

If you are thinking about a career in hairdressing, be warned that the hours are often long and the pay is not brilliant to start with. Having said that, however, the rewards increase as you progress if you own a business or are just really great at what you do, as people will pay a lot of money for good hairstyling. Tips can be an excellent bonus of the job and are common, and the majority of managers offer commission incentives to their staff. These can earn you good money, although you have to work hard for it.

Perhaps the hardest part of hairdressing is the customer service. Dealing with the public in most jobs is demanding, but physically changing the way someone looks is particularly risky. It is also surprisingly hard to talk to people all day; people with whom you often have nothing in common. The reason hairdressers often talk about the weather or holidays is not because they are dull – it’s just sometimes the easiest way to open up a conversation with someone you know nothing about. And it works – people tell you all sorts of things when they are comfortable with you, and you can often lend a sympathetic ear as part of the service.

You are constantly being educated in hairdressing, and gaining a qualification alone is not enough. Styles, fashions and techniques change rapidly, with new technology and new ways to cut or do technical things such as colouring. It is vital, therefore, to keep educating yourself with new courses and product knowledge.

In summary, hairdressing can be as exciting or as boring as you make it. If you’re motivated and inspired you will learn much and go far, and can earn a good living from it. If you just want to plod along then that’s fine too, if less rewarding. The huge advantage of a skill such as hairdressing is that it goes with you anywhere you go, and is a skill that requires very little but a pair of scissors and a comb as the bare essentials.

Georgina Fowler

“ The very best hairdressers have passion for their job, and without it you won’t last long.”

combs

In hairdressing, combs and brushes are essential tools of the trade. Without them it’s almost impossible to create some of the looks we illustrate in this book. Combs range hugely in size, shape and the material in which they are made. Below are a selection of combs available, but certainly not the only combs you will see in the industry.

Cutting comb

Used mainly for cutting and sometimes for combing out wet hair, cutting combs often have two different rows of teeth from one end to the other. One end has finer, closer teeth; the other has slightly wider-set teeth for thicker hair. The comb is also often wider at one end and thinner at the other. The actual comb size also varies, which is for the comfort of the person using it. Be aware that some cheaper combs can be made of cheaper material, so can bend when combing thicker hair, or even snap, as they are not strong.

Tail comb

A tail comb is used mainly for colouring, perming, setting and putting up hair, as the prong is useful for separating and weaving out strands or sections of hair. The other end is like a regular comb and is used for combing knots out of the weaved or separated strands. When used for setting, a tail comb is good for taking sections of hair.

Tail combs vary in size and the material they are made of. There are both plastic-ended and metal-ended tail combs – personally I prefer the metal-ended type, as a plastic-ended tail is often too thick to take a fine weave. It is also much wider than the fine end of a metal-ended tail comb.

Wide-tooth comb

A wide array of combs fit into this category, but generally they are good for use prior to cutting or when the hair is wet, perhaps with conditioner on. As the name suggests, wide-tooth means that the teeth are set wide apart, so enabling you to comb out knots and snags from the hair easily. Again, this comb comes in many shapes and sizes.

brushes

Brushes also come in all shapes, sizes and materials. It is worth investing in a variety, as all of them will come in useful at some point in your hairdressing career.

Circular brushes

There are a great many different sizes of circular brush, from the smallest round brush the size of a packet of sweets, to very large round brushes with the circumference of a mug. The barrel of a circular brush comes in several different materials, the two most common being metal and nylon. The main difference between the two is that the metal barrel heats up when you dry with it, so it helps to set the hair into place rather better. However, a nylon or wooden barrel is a lot softer on long hair and can be left in the hair like a roller while you carry on blow-drying the next section with another brush.

Circular brushes are used on all lengths of hair, and it does not necessarily follow that you have to use the smallest one on short hair – small circular brushes can be good to get into the roots of long, curly hair when a client wants you to dry their hair straight.

Denman and vent brushes

Denman brushes don’t seem to be used as much these days, but if you ever need to do a set, they are good for brushing out the heavy set curls that leave lines in a client’s scalp. They are now more commonly used by nonprofessionals as an everyday brush, but they are still great brushes for dressing out hair that has been blow dried.

A vent brush has very wide-spread prongs with gaps in between them, and is always made of a heavy, strong plastic. It is a very good hair-drying brush. By contrast, a Denman brush has a solid rubber spine which the more condensed prongs come through. The prongs are a lot closer together, which makes it a lot stronger for brushing out hair.

PADDLE BRUSHES

Paddle brushes have been used for hundreds of years and have recently become popular again. They are made by many different companies and come in many sizes, but they are generally flat, hence the name. They are quite soft to the touch, as often their bristles are made of a softer material. They are mostly used for helping to dry hair straight, as they are easier for someone to use themselves, as opposed to using a circular brush which can get tangled up in your hair. They may take a while to get used to, however, as they are not used like most brushes which are twisted around whilst drying.

SOFT BRUSHES

These brushes are excellent when doing put-ups or dressing hair after back-combing. They smooth over the top of hair and don’t brush right down to the scalp if used correctly. They come in many shapes and sizes, but often the bristles are very soft and flexible, bending and moving slightly.

SNAPPER BRUSH

Snapper brushes have become very popular recently, and look like two flat brushes or paddle brushes facing each other and attached at one end. They are easy to control and look much like straightening irons with bristles – and are used in much the same way. To use, you ‘snap’ a section of hair at the root inside the brush, put your blow-dryer on it and pull it down the hair to the end. The bristles of the brushes are cut very short – if they were too long, the brush would not snap together as well.

dryers and attachments

Along with scissors, hairdryers and attachments are a vital tool of the trade, especially with the old hood dryers disappearing quickly. Having the right dryer and attachments can make a huge difference to your finished look.

Hairdryers

Hairdryers have come on in leaps and bounds since they were first invented, when they were large, unwieldy contraptions made of metal and wood. These days we have super-light versions with any number of speed and power settings: ultra light turbo, super turbo, 1,600 watts, 1,800 watts and even 2,100 watts, boosting the power you have and the speed at which the hair dries. They come in many different colours, makes and every shape and size to suit the user.

There is a difference between professional dryers and regular dryers. It used to be the shape, as you could always tell a professional dryer from its long neck, whereas regular hairdryers were short and stubby. Now even the regular dryers have followed suit, but they don’t have the same power. Check the wattage, which will tell you how strong it is – professional dryers are usually 1,800 watts and above.

Professional hairdryers just used personally at home will last for many years, but of course in a salon using them day in and day out, blow-dry after blow-dry, you will find that the lifespan is not as long. From my personal experience I would say that they last about one to two years before they burn out.

To prolong a hairdryer’s life, it helps if you clean the filter regularly and try not to drop it too often! Also have the wiring checked every now and again – in a salon, the salon owner should by law have all electrical equipment tested regularly, at least once a year.

Attachments

NOZZLES

Most professional stylists like to use a nozzle on their dryer. Some don’t, and the choice is yours, but bear in mind that with a nozzle you can direct the air from the dryer into certain places on a brush or on to hair for more precise drying.

DIFFUSERS

This is a large, circular disk that attaches to the end of the hairdryer. It softens the airflow, so when directed at the hair it does not blow it everywhere. It is mainly used for curly hair, as it allows the curl to dry almost naturally.

heated equipment

Heated appliances are extremely popular these days, particularly straighteners and curling tongs, depending on whether the fashion is for poker-straight hair or soft waves. There are also other heated tools that will finish a style after blow-drying.

Heated rollers

Often used after a blow-dry or before a put-up, heated rollers help to boost the hair’s volume and give bouncy curl. They are normally purchased in a box that heats up by plugging into the mains. The rollers stand on rows of metal sticks and heat from the inside out. Some more expensive brands have a temperature gauge and will automatically light up when ready to use; more old-fashioned rollers have a little dot on the top that changes colour when hot.

The rollers are pinned into the hair with a special pin-type prong that slides over the roller to hold it in place. Some versions have different clips to hold them, such as snapper clips.

As with all heated equipment, treat with caution and make sure the wiring is tested on a regular basis.

Straightening irons

Straighteners have enjoyed a surge of popularity in recent years, and they are used extensively both in salons and in homes. Don’t allow their popularity to prevent you from learning how to dry hair correctly, however – it is still vital for a professional to learn this skill. To use, slide them down the already blow-dried hair from root to tip – you are essentially ironing the hair with intense heat.

Always remember that straighteners can heat up to very high temperatures and can be dangerous if left unattended. Make sure that they are tested regularly and always turn them off after use.

Tongs

These are a similar tool to the straightening irons but create curl instead of straightness. They are used for many things, from finishing short blow-dries to curling lengths of long hair into spirals, or even to finish a put-up. They can can get extremely hot and need to be used with care.

To use, take a small section of hair and put the end of the hair in between the snapping piece of metal and the tong itself. Wind the hair around the tong until just close enough to the scalp without burning and leave for a few seconds before unwinding. A good tip is to slide a comb under the tong, in between the tong and the scalp, in order to prevent you from burning the head.

Rollers

VELCRO ROLLERS

These rollers stick very easily to the hair on their own, with no clips required. They come in different sizes and are coloured according to size. The main drawback with Velcro rollers is that they don’t make a clean, crisp curl, as when removed they tend to pull odd strands of hair with the roller. However, they are very quick and easy to use, and they are versatile – they can be used on wet or dry hair and can be put in day-old hair to help revamp it.

BENDY ROLLERS