hairdressers in USA
 

Dear all,

I would like your input in relation to hairdressing in the US. I am Spanish but I have lived in the UK for the last 11 years. I have worked in hairdressing on and off a total of 16 years in Spain and England. For the past 6 years I have been working as a Style Director for Toni & Guy, meaning that I especialise in cutting, styling and hair up. I have done no colour whatsoever in years and I have really lost interest on it, as I really enjoy cutting (you get to see results straight away!). My husband in American and I am about to move to Colorado.. this is where I need your help! I was wondering if I'll be able to work as a hair stylist just cutting or if I'll be expected to do colour too. In England and Spain usually high end salons have especialised staff; stylist and technicians (colorists?) and smaller salons have hairdressers that do a bit of everything.

I wonder wether my experience will count when looking for a job or if I'll need to get the relevant qualifications to practice Colorado (but I don't expect you to know this ; ) ) I find that there are major differences on how things work in Europe and the US and I really don't know what to expect working in the US, though I am certainly very excited about it!

Looking forward to hearing from you soon and thanking you in advance for your help.

Kind regards,

Ana

Re: hairdressers in USA
 

You will have to go to school to get a license before you can work.
Not sure how long for, a friend of mine trained in London when she came here she had to go to go back to school.
Good luck

Re: hairdressers in USA
 

Do you remember if you friend was able to work in hairdressing while training?

Re: hairdressers in USA
 

From my experience, I think they have a special person to do the coloring, but it depends which salon you go to. I've noticed that in the US when you go somewhere for a service, like a hospital or a dentist they have three or four people responsible for different things coming and going, unlike in England where one person is responsible for everything. I was at the dentist the other day and I had to go two days running. I saw 10 different people in 2 days...all doing different things. One is responsible for paperwork, one for the initial check up, one to do x-rays, one to do the dental work, one to fit the crown.....it made me dizzy! It's a bit like that in hairdressers too...one for shampooing, one for cutting, one for coloring.

Good luck!

Re: hairdressers in USA
 

She lives in Florida, but no she could not work until she got her license.Don't know if every state is the same.
Is there a Tony & Guy in Colorado that you could call and ask about how to get your license ????

Re: hairdressers in USA
 

My wife favoured the Tono and Guy in Chobham, and her friend here ran a Salon.

Most stylists seems to be self employed and rent space from the Salon. So its getting a clientel that is the big step.

BUT, how do you propose to move to the US, if you have no Visa etc to work in the US everthing else is irrelevant.

PS: just drove past a new Salon in Longmont, all the signs were in Spanish so Spanish would definitely help.

Re: hairdressers in USA
 

Sounds like it's going to take me a while to get used to things

Re: hairdressers in USA
 

Call Tony & Guy in Colorado ask them about your license

Re: hairdressers in USA
 

Great idea!

Re: hairdressers in USA
 

I presumed she mean't her hub IS american.. but maybe not ..

Re: hairdressers in USA
 

Good luck

Re: hairdressers in USA
 

Yeah, but which one held the coveted responsibility of ballsing everything up? :)

Re: hairdressers in USA
 

I wrote that I am about to move instead of "we" because my husband is already there. It's a long story but I'll make it short: He had a job to go to and we thought we'd be able to go together and get my green card sorted once there. We had a consultation with an immigration attorney and we were advised to get my green card through the consulate in London before going to US, as I had already started to apply here back in September 2005! My husband had to go and start work and we have been apart now for almost 2 months :( I am waiting to get am appointment for my interview, and really hoping that it won't take much longer..

Re: hairdressers in USA
 

I have absolutely NO IDEA about licensing requirements... HOWEVER, if the numerous places in the US where I have had my hair cut (badly!) are anything to go by, there is a dire need for someone like you who, presumably, knows what she is doing!

(At the moment my hair is in a right old mess - I've been 'saving myself' for my next trip to London so I can go to my old hairdresser friend in Kensington High Street and have it done properly...)

As someone else said, most hairdressers here seem to be self-employed and rent space in a salon. So you might have to get used to shampooing and being your own receptionist - at least until you are inundated with customers ;) and can hire someone for these menial tasks!

Good luck! :)

Re: hairdressers in USA
 

Are they really that bad? Now that I think about it when I've been to Colorado on holidays I have had many people approaching me just to ask where I have my hair done.. and as it happens I am always experimenting with my own hair and I tend to colour and cut it myself... it's just fun!! Maybe people like my style? I am starting to get a really good feeling about working in hairdressing there. I am really passionate about it. I loved working in hairdressing when I first started, ages ago, but now I love it even more. I just find it really rewarding; it's very sociable and creative.