Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Sa.
[00:00:28] Speaker B: Thank you for having me again. So I'm Kate Holohan from Hair Therapy. I have been in the hair industry for 25 years, been in education for 20 years, and just before the pandemic I decided to learn trichology as well. So I am now a qualified trichologist with the Institute of Trichology. So I have learned in depth all about hair loss, hair and scalp health and just that little bit more. So that all those clients that were coming to me with issues and problems or people wanting more information, I now have the answers for them as well.
Yeah, definitely. So I've been in education for around 20 years and I've taught in colleges, I've taught apprenticeships, I have also taught for independent companies and there's lots and lots of education out there. I would definitely say that you do need to get some kind of formal qualification. It's really, really important. So if you think that you can go to like a wholesalers and do a one day blow drying course and that you'll be able to be insured and work on people's hair, unfortunately it's not quite as simple as that. So there are various ways that you can do shorter courses to see whether it's something you're really interested in. But ultimately really you would want to get a proper MVQ or VRQ or some kind of qualification that's going to give you comprehensive education in all areas, including things like health and safety, so you're not passing on any kind of contagious diseases or parasites to people and keeping everyone safe, making sure that you've got the underpinning knowledge to do what you want to do and also making sure that you can actually get insurance so that you are working safely and professionally.
For me, I've always felt that an apprenticeship or getting some kind of support or mentorship in a salon is really important.
So even if you're looking to go down the college route, I would definitely say that it's worth trying to find a hair professional that could help guide you and mentor you. So even if that means volunteering on a Saturday morning on your day off, or you know, just pairing up with someone else that you know, like a local hairdresser, if you can get some actual time in the salon, you're really going to enhance your learning. And I think it's all going to fall together a lot more quickly because for some people they pick up practical skills well, but for other people it can be quite frustrating, especially if you try to do something and you know you're not quite getting it right all the time, but just remember that with hairdressing, it is really creative and practical.
So it is all about practice and the more you can do and the more you can watch, the easier it's going to be for you to learn.
Yeah, and I think it's a really good point that there is quite a lot of academic work as well, because I think there is this kind of preconception that hairdressing is easy or you're just going to be sat around doing your mate's hair all day. But you do need to remember that, you know, there was quite a lot of scientific background behind it. So we use quite a lot of chemicals, which can be very dangerous in the wrong hands. So it's really important to learn about hair and skin, the structure, the makeup, how the products that you use affect the hair and skin, what damage you could use if you do something wrong, and again, just have that underpinning knowledge. But for me, I found even the subjects I wasn't that interested in or amazing at school took on a whole new meaning when they became relevant in my job role.
So things like maths, some people might struggle with, but unfortunately, you still do need to know. You need to know how to mix up a certain amount of product and developer, or, you know, if your client wants to leave you a 10% tip, you need to be able to work out what that is, otherwise you're going to miss out.
If you put a color on, you'll need to know, you know, how long is it going to be in 30 minutes? When do I need to take it off?
So. And the same with science, really. I found when I was in school, learning about plant biology, I wasn't really that interested, but learning about the makeup of the hair shaft and the hair root and the skin really kind of made me be a little bit more interested in the subject. So it is hard work, but I think when you go to a salon, you want to see a knowledgeable professional as well, so. And the one really amazing thing about hair is the industry is always evolving, there's always new things to learn. So you can always keep learning, you can always keep improving, updating your skills, and it really helps to keep you passionate about your career. It's definitely not a boring industry to get into.
Yeah, definitely. So for people who aren't aware, CPD means continual professional development. And in a lot of careers, especially professional careers, it is mandatory.
So if you're in hairdressing education, which is a great career pathway to take once you've been in the industry for a while, you would be required to do a certain amount of hours as a trichologist. I'm required to do, I think it's 10 hours a year. Continual professional development in order to stay current and relevant and up to date with hairdressing. There is no requirement to do this.
But I think if you don't, what you'll find as well is you will feel that you're being left behind and that's when you start to not have the confidence to tackle things. So when a client comes in and says, oh, I've seen this new face framing colour technique or balayage technique or, you know, this new haircut, it's really not very nice feeling to have to say, oh, I don't think I can do that, I've never been trained, I'm not very confident. And it's also not a really great idea to say, oh, well, you know, I've never done it before, but I'll give it a go. Our clients aren't kind of experiments, so we really need to know what we're doing. So you will find that if you don't keep up to date with the latest techniques, it's going to limit what you're able to offer your clients and who you can accept through your door. And I don't think anyone in business likes to turn people away or not be able to do things. So ultimately you'll probably find your niche and your area that you really love, whether that is balayage hair, extensions, wedding hair, you know, cutting, whatever it is.
But the more you can expand your repertoire and the more that you know, firstly, again, it helps build your confidence and it helps just your general ability in hairdressing, but also it is going to bring new clients and it's going to help you grow your client base.
So one thing I would say is definitely make sure that your sources are reliable because unfortunately, everybody these days thinks that they can teach hairdressing or that they can educate. So don't believe everything you see on YouTube or TikTok just because someone else is telling you, oh, it's okay to do this or mix that or use a different product with a different product. That doesn't necessarily mean that it is correct information. So look for reputable education sources. So maybe brand, you know, if you're with a brand like Weller, they do education.
If you go to wholesalers like Capital, for example, they do education.
Some education should be accredited, really, in order for it to be worth, worth doing. Not just Dave the Barber who's decided to do a course and make a certificate.
So it's really important to make sure that where you're getting your sources from is correct.
And it's also really important to just, like I said, practice. I'm sure if you put the word out for models or, you know, for reduced rate people to, to work on, I'm sure you'd have people lining up to do it. So don't be scared to try new techniques and don't be scared to kind of give things a go and work with clients as well. And I think it's really important as well to follow up with people. So if you do a cloak for the first time or, or you're not too sure, get people in that you can get feedback from as well.
So don't be scared to get feedback and constructive criticism from your models or your clients because that's the only way that you're going to be able to improve. So it's horrible to ask people sometimes, oh, what could I have maybe done better?
But if you don't, then you're never going to get that chance to grow and improve. So like I said before, I think having someone in the industry that can mentor or support you is really, really useful and making sure that any sources that you do use are credible and reliable.
And then also there's many other ways that you can grow and learn and meet people as well. So we have Salon International that you can go to. There's also Hair Con now in Manchester that you can go to. That's really fun. There's lots of kind of events and different things that you can do. If you're not really a fan of going on courses or watching webinars, there's still lots of ways that you can connect with other people in the industry and expand and just be a sponge basically.
[00:12:30] Speaker A: SA.
[00:13:18] Speaker B: Yeah, definitely. And I think sometimes you don't really know where it's going to take you either.
So there are many, many opportunities out there and it's really exciting to be able to explore that. So don't think, oh, there's only one key way to do this.
I'm going to learn hairdressing and then I'm going to work in a salon and then I'm going to be a manager or I'm going to do this. As I said, you can get into education, you could get into hair loss, industry trichology, hair extensions, you could do session styling, session work, work on catwalks, magazines, you know, get into TV maybe. There's loads of really Exciting things. You could even go and work on a cruise ship and travel the world doing hair. So don't kind of limit yourself or think that you can expand into one different kind of area because again, I think you never know where it's going to take you. So don't be scared to kind of try those new things. And I think, again, if you're following people on Instagram and Tick tock that do are doing the things you know, they're. They're at where you want to be, basically follow those people and look at what they've done and you're right. You know, any hairdresser, you ask any hairdresser, even hairdressers that have won British Hairdresser of the Year three times and are in the hall of fame will have a nightmare horror story that they can tell you where they cut someone's fringe too short or, you know, they bleach someone's hair too high or something. So we've all been there. Everyone was a beginner once.
So, you know, you have to start from where you're at and just keep going.
Again, there's quite a few podcasts now, now that are out.
There are a lot of Facebook groups, but again, I would be wary of Facebook groups and some of the advice that you can get on them because they vary hugely in professionalism and accuracy.
There are quite a lot of salon coaches and mentors now as well. So again, depending on what you want to learn, there are people that run courses or run memberships that you can go on so you can get advice in different areas, such as running a business, self promotion. There's people like Maddie Cook who do webinars and she does a mentorship. I think there's a lot of people out there that will be willing to support you if you really want to. You could find a membership to join or you could find a group to join and that would kind of be a great place to ask questions or kind of get support as well. Make sure if you're getting things like training heads and equipment that you are not buying things from Amazon.
I cannot stress enough how many students I've had turn up to training courses with what they've been told is 100% human hair training head and it turns out to be plastic. So, you know, if you want decent resources, then I'm afraid you have to buy them from the correct channels. But again, there's many, many things out there. You can get tons of training materials and things to practice. If you can't get clients, then get yourself a training head and practice on there and just, well, like I said, just keep going. There's even a lady called Belinda Mindset who does motivational cards to help with things like training. You can follow all the awarding bodies as well. So VTCT do seminars and webinars and events.
So I think if you start to follow that path and you find a few relevant people, that connection will then lead you on to other people that you can follow and, and find. So there are definitely people out there and tools out there that can help.
I just would like to say that I am a little bit concerned now with the latest budget checks that this is going to have an impact on apprentices.
And I feel that it's a real shame because I know it's going to make it more difficult for people to be employed as an apprentice within the industry now that the minimum wage has gone up. And it is going to make things a little bit more difficult to go down that route.
So it's really important to, if you want to do an apprenticeship, to try and find a salon that will nurture you and look after you and will take you on. But like I said before, if that's not possible, then it may be that you might have to consider doing a little bit of volunteering.
So I know it's very, very difficult when you're training and you're not bringing a lot of money in, but I think sometimes doing a few things, you know, in exchange for work or for going and doing something where you're not being paid, sometimes the amount that you can gain from that is really worth doing.
Yeah, well, that's a good point. I think when you're first learning in hair, it's very hard to put those boundaries in. And because you want to earn money, you kind of end up saying yes to everything.
So it's a really good idea again to find a pricing calculator. So don't just pluck your prices out of thin air or find out what everyone else is charging and just charge that work out how much each service is going to cost you and then price accordingly. And if you set your working hours, then I'm afraid sometimes you are going to have to get good at saying, no, sorry, I can't do. I can't do Sundays, I'm already working Saturday day. Because otherwise you may end up getting into burnout. But hopefully you can find that balance and have a really fun and successful career anytime.
