Ever Get Your Hair Done At A Beauty School?
Posted by: Leonora Epstein
Filed in:
style
1:00PM, Sunday November 8th 2009
Have you ever gotten your cut or color done at a beauty school or through a salon training program? You hear such mixed things about this. If you happen to get in with a fancy salon during a hair model day, you can walk away with a magazine-worthy ‘do ... or a disastrous look. Try out your local beauty school and maybe the cut is just as good but one quarter the price of what you normally pay.
Here’s a story that really made us think twice about going the student route. One woman on the blog Brokelyn posted a story about how she decided to try out a $10 haircut at her neighborhood beauty school. She brought a photo with her, which showed a basic bob. Things didn’t go well from the get-go.
“The school offers the public $10 practice cuts by pupils with little and possibly no experience, which was evident when I checked in for my appointment and was randomly assigned to a student who stared at me with a look of fear,” she writes. “That probably should have been my first clue that things weren’t going to go well.”
The rest seriously sounds like real nightmares we’ve had: “One side was at least two inches shorter than the other and the ends stood out, making my head look like a triangle block. My bangs looked weird too, suddenly stretching around half my head and clumping together in a strange way. My student-hairdresser looked confused at the way my hair had turned out and suggested that she flat-iron it as though that would fix my strange cut.”
Whoa. That really sucks and seems not at all worth the risk. Click through the link to see the woman’s before and after photos. (We didn’t have the heart to re-post beauty shame.) The end result isn’t a complete disaster because, apparently, the head teacher took over, but still, she looked way better than before. What do you think—have you had bad experiences at beauty schools? Or is it your best-kept secret? [Brokelyn.com]
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Shelbs305
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 01:46 pm: [report]
ive had my hair done at a hair school, actally more appropriately called a beauty school; and it turned out beautiful. It really depends if your flexible and the pupil who is doing your is comfortably. One rule of thumb is to always be polite and understanding because not matter what theyre the ones holding the shears…
meredith
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 01:58 pm: [report]
You have to be clear and assertive when you’re getting your hair done at a school. You can’t just sit there and let someone hack away - you have to live with your hair. I got my hair cut at the Gene Juarez school for $7 (plus tip) and though it took a long time, she was very careful to make sure I was pleased and her instructor came by to check in a couple times. Because that is the point. They’re supposed to learn how to cut hair well and have happy clients.
AnitaBath
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 02:07 pm: [report]
Most of the time I hear people get mediocre or good hair cuts there, it does just take a while like meredith said. However, my friend had a pretty bad experience there.
She made an appointment for her prom updo with a girl there who was well known for her hair-styling abilities. Prom rolls around and she goes in to get it done. They ask her who her appointment’s with and she tells them, and they just give her this blank stare. “She graduated already,” is what they said.
It seems like they should’ve known when she was graduating when my friend made the appointment, or maybe should’ve called to tell my friend that she wasn’t there anymore and reschedule. Instead, my friend was told just a few hours before prom started (pretty big deal for girls) that she was pretty much screwed.
spatula
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 02:15 pm: [report]
I have, all the time. My best friend just graduated from beauty school last week, and for the past several months while she was in school, I’ve gone in and had her or another friend do my hair, or had my bff do it at my apartment. It’s turned out absolutely great everytime. When my friend was first in school, she would only color my hair, since I have a lot of layers and she didn’t feel comfortable cutting it. So one of the teachers did the cutting for her. But after a few months of school, she (and I!) felt comfortable doing the cutting, and it’s always been perfect.
Al D
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 02:21 pm: [report]
I go to the Aveda school all the time for cuts. I have *never* had a problem and the cut have been better than ones I’ve gotten at cheap chains. Like that disaster Fantastic Sams gave me in 10th grade.
kellayuh
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 02:36 pm: [report]
I’ve only ever had my hair cut at a beauty school. As long as the instructor checks your cut then you will be fine. I have never had any problem and the cut grew out very well!
alpikann
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 02:37 pm: [report]
what the F frisky!
your site keeps refreshing on me and erasing my comments.
point of my story is that make sure you explain your hair to both the teacher and the student because sometimes the teacher jumps in and gives someone with fine hair that can’t handle layers some seriously long layers that make her look foolish. the student was very good at listening to what works and doesn’t on my hair and i didn’t know how to fix what the teacher did after she chopped into my hair like that so i had to let her finish. it’s not like my hair is long enough i could have had that bit chopped off entirely.
Anaxa
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 02:42 pm: [report]
I didn’t think she looked bad in the after photo. My worst beauty school story was from when I had an updo done for a formal and came out with bobby pins literally in my scalp. They didn’t come out easy, either. I’ve never gone back there and will happily pay the extra bucks to keep my hair from getting matted down by my own blood.
lewomack
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 03:06 pm: [report]
Always always always go to the Aveda! I used to go to the same lady who cuts my mom’s hair, but she mostly caters to older women, so I usually left with a terrible hair cut. But yeah, the Aveda does a pretty awesome job with hair cuts and pedicures
chipclip
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 03:19 pm: [report]
Not all beauty schools are the same. I go to the Aveda Institute in Michigan, which puts out top notch cosmetologists. The price is somewhere between $9 cuts and a real salon but the girls have to pass exams before they can cut hair for the public, which takes three months I think. Their instructor is always hovering over their shoulder too.
I could get an even cheaper cut elsewhere, but I feel that a place like this is closer to salon quality. Also, the girls who train are always doing it because they want to cut fresh and trendy styles, so I like their perspective.
Again, not all beauty schools are the same.
melissaann
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 03:27 pm: [report]
@alpikann, I am having the same problems.
When my girl friend was in school, I went to her for a haircut. She was doing a great job until her teacher came over and hack 1/2 of my swoop bang to a half inch baby bang that only looks good on petite girls with tiny foreheads (you know the type?). It was terrible. Since then I have let my friend cut my hair in the safety of my own bathroom.
Miss V
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 04:24 pm: [report]
When my brother was studying at the Paul Mitchell school I was basically his guinnea pig. I let him try pretty much anything within reason on my hair, and for the most part it came out great. The only thing is that he sometimes forgets that I’m low maintenance (i.e. lazy) so he can’t do anything too elaborate cut wise. He’s really a color whiz, and since I was so good to him during his training, I get $12 cuts and colors at his salon when they’re usually 5x that.
pinkwhiskey
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 04:26 pm: [report]
I would say that any precision cut, like a bob, is probably a bad idea for a beginner. That being said, her hair doesn’t look bad at all. A bit uneven, but no one on the street is going to notice or point and snigger behind her back.
If money is an issue, you can’t be picky. If your vanity is one area that you are over critical, perhaps you need to budget that in,
mcosita
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 05:15 pm: [report]
I had one of my best haircuts ever at a beauty school. Unfortunately, it’s unrepeatable. My girl left abruptly in the middle of my cut, and 3 minutes later another student came up to me (sitting there in the chair with my hair sopping wet and in clips) and told me Britney had gotten sick, and she was going to do second half of my cut.
It was awesome, though neither of the girls seemed to sure of what they were going. I never went back though… I guess I figured I shouldn’t push my luck. Plus I got a job a week afterwards.
Angieliz
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 05:21 pm: [report]
I let my sister, who attends a local beauty program, cut my hair a week before my university graduation. I’ve done stupid things as an undergraduate, but I believe that qualified as the stupidest. It was an unmitigated disaster. My mom actually bribed me with a pricey haircut once it gets longer not to let my sister touch it again.
LoveMN
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 06:54 pm: [report]
No way! My best friend is currently in hair school and she just recently did my hair. Cuts= FREE and Color= 8 bucks! Super cheap. She did a great job cutting about 2 inches off my hair and with all of my layers. She helped me pick out a color, I kind of left it up to her, as she was the one in school. It turned out perfect! She did a way better job then any other place (everywhere I’ve gone the last 2-3 years I’ve almost left in tears because it was so terrible.)And I’m sorry, but I am NOT one of those girls who puts $80-$120 every six weeks to have my hair colored and cut. Absolutely not. I stay far away from salons. I’d rather go shopping with that money
lanceypantsy
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 09:06 pm: [report]
When i was in high school, i let my friend who had one and a half years experience in cosmetology give me my first high lights ever followed by a cut. Later on in the week, a hair dresser family friend complimented on my highlights. versus my sister’s done by a professional. My sister’s cost $100+, mine costs $5
Antiquity
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 09:08 pm: [report]
All the time! My besty is in beauty school right now. I get super cheap cuts and colors done exactly the way I like them. Plus it’s good time to catch up on how life is going since we are both super busy lately.
Olivia Allin
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 09:11 pm: [report]
Oh no, I had an experience far more horrific at the Vidal Sassoon Academy in London. I asked for a trim and a Japanese student (who spoke no English) started cutting from behind and about ten minutes in, I realized he was cutting off a two inch thick band in between the top and bottom of my hair (it’s super thick) and it was too late to stop him by that point. I was near tears the entire rest of the cut…and when that underside started growing out, it poked through the top layers and took 2 years and lots of awkward explanations to hairdressers for it to grow back!
Anniushka
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 10:23 pm: [report]
@melissaann and alpikann: me too! Fix it, the Frisky!
I got my last haircut at a beauty school. I came in with a picture of a haircut that had a couple layers with a few shorter bits in front to frame my face. The girl ended up giving me a very chunky top layer that actually got slightly longer in front, but which was still too short to tie or braid back fully. It wasn’t a disaster, but it’s only just now starting to grow out enough to not be annoying. (I got the haircut, oh, two months ago.) Oh well. It was free. It would have been $15, I think, but since I was going from butt-length to shoulder-length and donating to Locks of Love, they didn’t charge me a thing. That made me happy. It also made me happy to just get rid of all that hair—what a headache! :-p
JuneEliza
wrote on November 8 2009 @ 11:54 pm: [report]
Some people here have said that Aveda offers great cuts for a cheap price. DON’T BE LULLED INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY! I went there for 2 years (Ann Arbor, MI) thinking the same thing, but this last summer I had the worst cut of my life! An idiot student didn’t know how to do basic layers. Instead of taking a few inches off of my hair that was down my back, she cut the top part of my hair down to 4 inches from my scalp, leaving me with a 4in bowl shaped layer around my head. She did this in 3 snips. The instructor tried for over an hour to fix it and didn’t charge me, but I still walked out of there with a mullet. I ended up having to cut off all of my hair to make it look somewhat normal. Months later, I still have this freakish layer and it will take years for my slow growing hair to get back to that length. Just know that it is ALWAYS a gamble with students.
SaucyBrunette
wrote on November 9 2009 @ 12:24 am: [report]
Be nice, people! It’s how ALL future stylists learn. I’ve been doing hair for a few years now, and even though I cringe thinking about beauty school and it’s trial and errors, I’m grateful for the learning opportunities I’ve been given.
SaucyBrunette
wrote on November 9 2009 @ 12:27 am: [report]
I also want to add, that it’s who you go to, not where you go!
Lynn
wrote on November 9 2009 @ 11:00 am: [report]
I went to a beginner once, and while it wasn’t awful (I had a pretty hard-to-mess-up one-length hairstyle then) it wasn’t good enough for me to keep going back there. Now the girl I go to is still a student (well, I’ve only been to her once but I’m definitely planning on sticking with her), but I’m pretty sure she’s near the end of her course so she’s actually really good. Honestly I’ve had the most luck with the near-the-end-of-school girls. They seem more willing to bring up and try new techniques and talk to me about things before they do them - maybe because they haven’t been doing this long enough to get bored with it yet!
txninmn
wrote on November 9 2009 @ 02:17 pm: [report]
I know a lot of people have had great experiences, but I’m terrified of the idea of going to a training center for cut or color. I wouldn’t go to a mechanic’s school to get my car worked on, I’d go to a licensed & experienced mechanic. : )
lauren49
wrote on November 9 2009 @ 02:30 pm: [report]
I went to Georgia Career Institute once to get a haircut and it was an awful experience!! The girl couldn’t get my hair even so she went back and forth trying to make things even. I was so upset by how short it was. It was only $8 but it’s not worth taking the chance.
amanda lynn
wrote on November 10 2009 @ 09:26 am: [report]
i was a hair model for a friend of mine that went there; he gave great cuts & style; i had the best hair of my life when i was there. he’s since moved away and i’ve yet to find anyone that knows my hair as well as he did.
spatula
wrote on November 10 2009 @ 09:31 am: [report]
@txn: I would TOTALLY go to a mechanic’s school to get my car fixed. Mechanics are ridiculously expensive.
Jenn27549
wrote on November 10 2009 @ 09:38 am: [report]
I got a good cut, but the color was so-so. I think she was scared when doing the coloring. BUT I also went to a well-established school where they are basically all trained by the time they let them work on people alone, so I wasn’t nervous. Just check on the school and see what their policies are, and how much actual experience the person doing your hair will have by that time.
Netty
wrote on November 10 2009 @ 09:22 pm: [report]
Her after picture is not all that horrifying.
MusiqalYo
wrote on November 11 2009 @ 01:11 am: [report]
Well I got makeup done at a beauty school and I thought it was awesome. The guy had only been the 8 weeks (of the 16) and his head teacher stayed with us the whole time and was very in couraging. She only stepped in if he seemed a little unsure which was not often so I felt very confortable with him. I don’t wear makeup ever (just did this for my birthday) so they made me look really pretty and natural at the same time so it wouldn’t feel caked on. I guess it depends on the beauty school and how long the student has been there but according to the one I went to (Marinello Beauty School in El Cajon, CA) they only let the experienced students do work on customers so you’re not stuck getting your hair cut or make up done by someone that’s only been there a week.
indianagirl
wrote on November 11 2009 @ 08:35 am: [report]
I went to beauty school, Here is the tip of the day, ask for a senior if you are getting a cut way diffrent from what you already have, they are more equiped to not jack your hair up. If you are getting a trim or a SLIGHT deviation from your current style, it wont be so bad, they are trained on dummies before they get live people, and are taught basic cuts, its the “tweaking” they have a problem with. All the dummies have straight nice hair also. If you have curly/coarse/thick hair, they might have a moment to freak out because its not as uniform as the dummie’s hair. All and all its a gamble but a senior is where I would start.
high heels
wrote on November 11 2009 @ 11:04 pm: [report]
I went to the Aveda Institute and it was the worst hair experience of my life. Hands-down. (Even worse than when I would try to trim my own bangs in junior high school… and that was bad.) The cosmetology student who cut it was supposedly graduating from the institute the next week, but she made such a mess of my layers that she had to keep cutting it shorter and shorter to even it out. By the end, the “healthy trim” I asked for ended up being more than 6” off my hair, and I had a bowlish, soccer-mom-who-wears-sensible-shoes kind of hair cut.
No more beauty school cuts for me!
high heels
wrote on November 11 2009 @ 11:06 pm: [report]
@JuneEliza: I think we got the same student at Aveda in A2!! :-(
belongsomewhere
wrote on November 15 2009 @ 10:21 am: [report]
I go to the Jean Madeline/Aveda Institute in Philadelphia, and I’ve found that it really varies student to student. I had a really confidant student the first time, and she did a fantastic job with my hair, though it did take FOREVER. The next time, the girl was nervous and she cut my bangs too short, but not badly enough that I wouldn’t go again. The third time, the girl who cut my hair was cautious and went a little slow, but the end product was exactly what I had asked for. I would never have any hair coloring done there, though.
My mom and boyfriend have also gone. My mom had a bit of a bad experience with a really inexperienced girl, and the teacher ended up having to do it for her. My boyfriend got along well with the girl and she cut down quite a bit of his unruly mass of curls, which is exactly what he was there for.
I Go To 11
wrote on November 16 2009 @ 03:30 pm: [report]
A beauty school is actually where I met the stylist I’ve been going to for the past 4 years. My sister was a big fan of going to the local beauty college, so I went with her and that’s how I met my go-to hair guy. I managed to follow him after he graduated, and now he has his own shop. I am so paranoid about my hair that even though I’ve moved out of state, I’ll only go to him for my haircuts (I suck it up until I’m able to go home for a visit).
As I mentioned, my sister loved going there and was happy with her results. However, the last time she went was the last time she’s gone to get her hair done. She wanted a cut, color and eyebrow waxing, and it was like an hour and a half before closing or so. She asked the stylist if she was sure there’d be enough time to do it, and she said yes. So she sits in the chair and the girl gets to work. Time passes, and the instructor comes around and says, “OK, we’re closing, everyone out!” My sis still had dye in her hair, which hadn’t even been cut, and her eyebrows hadn’t been touched yet. The instructor made her leave with wet, half-dyed hair, and refused to give her a refund (they make you pay up front). She left that place in tears and hasn’t been back since.
lilliest
wrote on November 17 2009 @ 12:19 pm: [report]
I got awful Betty Page bangs when I went in “for a trim” ($3). It took $75 at an actual studio to fix/blend/ cut off all my length for balance. FYI, I guess bangs are the hardest thing to cut- have it done by people who know what they are doing.
develange
wrote on November 18 2009 @ 08:17 pm: [report]
OK, seriously? I was envisioning a hack job. It looks pretty good to me. Why are some people so picky about their hair?