My Reasons to Justify Leaving the Hair Industry

Correction

I deleted an article last week because I stated that Paul Mitchell had removed the panthenol from their Extra Body hairspray, but I was wrong.  Paul Mitchell actually added more panthenol to this spray but also added more dimethicone according to the revised ingredient list.  Regardless, the formula of the hairspray has been altered under the same name within the last three years.  I have tried to get away from hair products with heavy dimethicone in its ingredients.  I find them to eventually cause dryness to the hair.

So as you can guess that one of my biggest reasons for wanting to leave the hair industry is that the hair products keep changing on us.  

We as hairstylists can not deliver consistent final finishes to our clients when the products that we use are being altered without our knowledge.

Other Product changes

Sebastian changed its Cellophanes Semi-permanent hair colors a year ago.  Thank God that they really made the hairstylists aware of the new changes, but the new formula does NOT give the same coverage that the old formula provided. 

 I have tried about five other product lines trying to get the coverage that Sebastian Cellophanes used to deliver, and I have not found a replacement yet.  It is so frustrating to have to constantly look for product alternatives because "something stopped working."  We as hairstylists can not control these product changes.  The manufacturers just shove the changes down our throats, and we are forced to try other product lines.   I have seen unannounced formula changes in shampoos, conditioners, sculpting foams, hairspray, semi-permanent hair colors and more.

Paraben-Free is NOT "Going Green!"

Paraben-Free products definitely have cause some landfill waste.  While "no preservatives" sound healthy for the hair, the shelf life is so short that I am scared to buy paraben free products now because I have no idea when they were manufactured.  After a year, paraben-free products seem to start to lose their effectiveness. 

Expiring in the Warehouse

In addition, with the hair trends changing, some products don't move as often and are getting old in the warehouses before they are even shipped out to the stores for retail sale.  Expiration dates really need to be placed on all beauty products.  I suppose if everyone started calling the companies to find out the manufacture dates based the batch codes listed on the products, then they would began to provide more disclosure in the age of the products.  Even old relaxers and other chemicals are just sitting on shelves waiting for the uninformed consumer to buy.

Yeah, someone is thinking: "I will just sue whomever for selling me old product."  But do you know how long it takes to get a court hearing?  Unless there is a class action, your one bad experience may not get much exposure.

We as Product Police

So between ingredient changes and old products floating around, we as hairstylists are now having to police everything we purchase so that no one is surprised at the final results.

Now, in addition to the "Product Policing," we have to be cautious of new trends that are damaging to the hair.

Trends to be Caution of:

1. Ammonia-free haircolor - some people believe the ammonia-free alternative chemical used can be just as damaging as real ammonia because it is harder to shampoo out of the hair.
2. No-lye relaxers - all relaxers have some sort of lye derivative or alternative chemical that is just as potentially damaging to the hair and/or scalp as real sodium hydroxide.  Sometimes these derivatives leave "byproducts" lingering in the hair that have to be clarified out later.
3. Flat Irons - these tools delivered shine and movement to the hair that seemed "too good to be true."  Guess what?  It was  too good to be true.  The ionic flat irons were actually compromising the internal integrity of the hair resulting in a lot of breakage months or years later.
4. Keratin or Smoothing Treatments - these keratin treatments were designed to help balance all of the flat iron breakage, but they required flat ironing the hair to infuse the treatments into the hair.  The heat applied to the keratin solutions in some brands caused formaldehyde gas to form endangering everyone's respiratory system.

Should I even go on?  You get the idea . . . everything new is not always good for everyone.

License Renewal

Now, let me also mention that I just renewed my Georgia Master Cosmetologist license and guess what? I have to pay an extra fee to get a hard copy of my license to display.  What the heck?

Product value

And I forgot to mention that product pricing is increasing as the ingredients are getting cheaper and the sizes are getting smaller.

Value of the hair profession?

In addition, women will spend $1000.00 on a handbag that they can get more long-term compliments versus a hairstyle that is disposable. 

Then there are many people who do not view hairstylists as state board certified professionals in the same league as physicians, attorneys, dentists - so paying someone huge bucks in a profession where it is not required to have a Bachelors, Masters, or Doctorate degree is not embraced.  However, physicians, attorneys, dentists, and other celebrities rely on "hair professionals" to keep their money making image complete.

The corporate ladder

In the hairstyling field, I have not seem a corporate ladder to climb.  Hairstylists have to network and continue to re-invent themselves to attract new clients and retain the existing clients.  It is always a hustle. I know that Corporate America has its own set of politics, and the "pink slip" can be waving around an unsuspected corner, but vacation pay, insurance benefits, and sick time can provide relief from the constant hustle to keep a steady revenue flow when the nature of most businesses are "feast or famine."

While I do not have definite plans for leaving the hair industry, it is a thought.  I have salary requirements.  I respect ownership and submission.  I believe in team effort.  I believe in advancing a company's bigger picture.

What do I see for the future of the hair industy?  Traditional salons will be coming back.  Those styling studio suites are a dead-end without building a team that can make you money while you are absent. For those who have a full-time corporate career, the styling studio suites are a professional setting to bring a limited clientele to be serviced, but the weekly pricing for part-time usage may not be practical.

Teaching?

People have asked me about teaching cosmetology, and I admit that I know that I would be good at it, but I do not think that the teachers' pay in North Carolina coincides with my salary demands.

Hanging in there!

For now, I am NOT going anywhere.  I still have plenty of articles to write and post.  I also have a good clientele base. It is always good to take inventory of one's own "state of the union." 

2014 Hair Options for Working Out in the Gym

 Master Personal Trainer Nicole Chaplin mentioned two options for hair in her New Growth Hair magazine interview.  (May 2014 issue)  Those two options are 1) "Wash and go" styling or 2) (hair) extensions.

For those who do not have "wash and go" type of hair nor the budget for hair extensions, then I wanted to piggyback on Nicole Chaplin's suggestions.  A third option from my client feedback is the flat twists option.

I took these pictures from the Design Essential Natural Textures Styling Brochure.

Essentially, before any "intense workout," flat twist your relaxed hair. Two strand or Three strand twists both work fine.  As your hair gets wet from the workout, it wet sets the whole head.  Let it dry and then undo the twist set to achieve wavy hair.

My clients that participate in Bikram yoga, hot yoga, and other intense workouts have found the flat twists the best long-term styling option for active workouts.  The final wavy look can be twisted into an updo or a ponytail with a textured look.

In regards to Nicole Chaplin's extensions suggestion as a workout hair option, please remember that according to Chris Rock's Good Hair movie, some guys view hair extensions as high maintenance and limiting as far as riding in a convertible as well as participating in outdoor activities.  Therefore the flat twists may look a little masculine for workout purposes, but they deliver a very feminine finish.

My Baby Picture: A head full of hair!

I had my parents to bring my High School Senior yearbook into town.  My baby picture was posted in there along with other classmates.

I look adorable.  LOL! I had a teeny weany afro, and a head full of hair!  I also had a big forehead.  LOL! Some things never change.

I purposely covered my family member names from the photo ad to protect their privacy.  On a separate note, I think it is refreshing to reflect on what type of hair that we were born with.

Cosmoprof Carries Expired Paul Mitchell Relaxers

 Cosmoprof is a national beauty supplier to the professional licensed cosmetologists and other licensed beauty professionals.  They are the exclusive supplier for the Paul Mitchell relaxers in my territory.

I went to purchase a Paul Mitchell relaxer today, and I literally found that most of the relaxers were expired.  I learned a few months back how to read the Paul Mitchell batch codes.  I also had to return expired relaxer back to the store a few months back.  I have called the Cosmoprof toll-free number twice since then in order to get the Cosmoprof headquarters to eliminate expired chemicals from all of their stores.  I have not seen any progress.

I am hoping that no one else buys the expired Paul Mitchell relaxers. On a separate note, Paul Mitchell headquarters said that they discontinued making mild and super strengths, yet Cosmoprof still keeps the expired mild and super strengths stocked on their shelves.

I assume that the Cosmoprof warehouse keeps shipping expired products into its stores to replenish their ordering counts. I am still waiting to hear from Cosmoprof headquarters with an update on removing expired Paul Mitchell relaxers from all their stores and their warehouses.

Anyone purchasing the Paul Mitchell relaxers from Cosmoprof should call Paul Mitchell headquarters to confirm the freshness of the relaxer.  If the batch code starts with a "9" then it means the relaxer was manufactured in 2009 which makes it approaching five years old.  Our clients deserve fresh products!

Expired shampoo is one thing, but expired chemicals cause huge liability issues.

Hair Styling: Acheiving Memory plus Movement

Photo credit:  www.blackpeopledoread.com

Do you know the difference between a good hairdresser and a great hairstylist?

A great hairstylist learns to deliver memory as well as movement in the hair.  Many good hairdressers can deliver movement in the hair, but as soon as a "good wind" hits the style or after a long day at work, the style is shot and short-lived.

So how does a good hairdresser become a great hairstylist? 

Add a styling spray, holding spray, hairspray, spritz or finishing spray before ironing the hair.  The sprays and spritz have different hold levels.  If you want the client to have maximum movement along with maximum memory, then you should be as generous as you want with the "right" hairspray. Determining the "right" hairspray may require some trial and error.

I have found the Paul Mitchell Extra Body hairsprays allow me to deliver hair that can be combed through, but stays in the style even after the wind blows through it.  The finish is very natural and humidity resistant.

I must admit that the other hairstylists from the charity event inspired me to move to the next level of finishing my own clients' hair.  I was so impressed with the hairstyles lasting for hours and hours without dropping. However, I was unimpressed with the usage of the ionic flat irons, but sometimes you have to take the good with the bad. Receive the message that is for you and let the rest go.

I have a feeling that the rest of this year is just going to be wonderfully blessed!  I envision a waiting list for every week.   It is hard to believe that something so simple as a "hairspray" making the style last without being stiff can be a six figure money maker.  I suppose it does make perfectly good sense that when people spend time and money then they want healthy hair and their style to last.  Well, I am excited about the remainder of 2014!  It's looking awesome!