Is Cosmetology All Just Hair?

Thanks to TV sitcoms and rom-com movies, you might be led to believe that cosmetologists spend all of their time putting clients under giant hair dryers and chatting away with other stylists. While we laugh at that funny stereotype, we know that hair isn’t the only skill that cosmetologists have. In fact, their skillset is quite diverse. Here are 3 things you might be surprised to learn that cosmetologists are taught in school.

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Esthetics

That’s right! Cosmetologists learn basic skincare treatments and skills in addition to hair techniques. Facials, waxing, and other spa services are taught during our cosmetology program so that our students are comfortable in a variety of salon and spa settings. While not every cosmetology program in the world will teach these skills, it is fairly common for them to be included in the curriculum.

Cosmetologists can, in fact, work in a spa or salon as an esthetician. They may also choose to pursue esthetics on the side, but that’s entirely up to them!

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Makeup Artistry

While makeup artistry is commonly bundled with the esthetics portion of the program, it can be separate, and this skill is definitely its own job! Makeup artists are in demand everywhere from TV to runways. Many cosmetologists pursue this fruitful career full time after graduation and some elect to add this to their service menu at the salon.

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Business Skills

Your mom’s friend who owned a salon? Yeah, she was probably a licensed, trained cosmetologist who was taught the value of being a great business owner in addition to being a talented stylist. Here at The Salon Professional Academy Shorewood, we believe in helping our students learn not only the practical and theoretical side to cosmetology but the business and marketing side, too. Our students can learn guest relations, mobile device business integration, and social media marketing.

Sound Interesting?

Not every beauty school offers all of these skills in their curriculum, but we do! If you’re interested in learning esthetics, makeup artistry, and business skills all while learning to become a hairstylist, check out our program! We offer both full time and part time classes for a more flexible schedule. In addition to our flexible schedule benefits, we also offer financial aid and scholarships to those that qualify. If you have any questions regarding our school or program, please, contact us!

Trim Hunger Cut-A-Thon Sept 27th

trim-hungerOn September 27th, Trim Hunger hopes to break the Guinness Book of World Records’ existing record for the most people cutting hair at the same time when over 20 Trim Hunger Cut-A-Thons will be held simultaneously at The Salon Professional Academies (TSPAs) across the nation. Additionally, a wide variety of events and fund-raisers will take place at individual participating TSPA franchise locations. To learn more about Trim Hunger, visit www.TrimHunger.com

In recognition of Hunger Awareness Month, Redken 5th Avenue NYC in collaboration with The Salon Professional Academy, will host the Trim Hunger™ Cut-A-Thon at the Redken Exchange in NYC on Thursday, September 10th from 10am– 3:30 pm to benefit City Harvest, a food rescue organization dedicated to helping feed the nearly 1.4 million New Yorkers facing hunger.

Top Redken stylists will be giving haircuts, blowouts and braids for a minimum donation of $25. Much like the way color specific ribbons are worn in support of causes, painting your thumbnail has taken on the same social identity. Essie, also a sponsor of the event, will be offering “orange thumbie” manicures in their Trim Hunger “Roarrrrange” shade as a symbol of support in the fight against hunger.

Trim Hunger is the most recent non-profit endeavor of Redken stylist Josif Wittnik, owner of Salon CTI and Day Spa and The Salon Professional Academy in Appleton, WI. Following a local project to help feed families in need in his community, Josif developed Trim Hunger to raise awareness for the cause and feed the hungry on a national level.

“It costs City Harvest just 25 cents to rescue and deliver one pound of food in New York City, and with more than 2.6 million New Yorkers struggling to afford food for themselves and their families, a little bit goes a long way,” says Leslie Marino, General Manager, Redken US. “Redken’s Trim Hunger Cut-A-Thon will bring together both stylists and members of the community to help make an immediate impact on the fight against hunger in New York City.”

Business Skills Contribute To Success In The Beauty Industry

By Denise Freese

Attending Cosmetology school isn’t just about learning to style hair, apply makeup, give manicures, or understand skin care.   A thorough curriculum will offer you courses that teach business skills as well, and will prepare you in many ways for your eventual entry into the professional beauty industry.

The beauty industry offers many flexible, fun, and creative career paths. But there are behind-the-scene tasks that are important to your business, whether you work for yourself, own a salon and manage other people, or work for someone else.

business womanCommunication is an important skill that will serve you well as you establish your business. Knowing how to listen to your clients, and understanding what they want and need, is crucial, and is what will keep them coming back to you. Offering personalized attention will help establish a terrific working relationship with your clients.

Knowledge of accounting and its related areas, including budgeting and inventory control, , is critical.   Having a realistic budget will help with planning for your business; generating revenue and controlling expenses will increase your net profit. Understanding inventory control and ordering processes will reduce waste, keep costs down, help with efficient ordering of supplies, and will help you know what to charge your clients.

Marketing is another key area that requires good business skills. Today’s market requires that a business owner be technologically savvy in order to make good use of social media; visual and verbal marketing techniques will also increase your visibility in the marketplace. Establishing and maintaining a professional image will increase your appeal and draw clients to you. According to www.entrepreneur.com, top entrepreneurs never stop investing in the most powerful, effective business and marketing tool at their immediate disposal – themselves.

For more information about communication and business skills you can develop in Cosmetology school, contact:

The Salon Professional Academy

Focus On Your Field Of Study: Save Time and Money!

By Denise Freese

Cosmetology is a wide-ranging field that includes a variety of paths to choose from. Whether you’re interested in hair cutting and styling, makeup artistry, manicures and pedicures, skin care, or massage therapy, you can find an area to pursue that will provide you with a fulfilling career.

If you need a flexible schedule in a creative field, cosmetology is a great choice. According to www.education-portal.com, all cosmetologists and specialists are required to complete training at a certified cosmetology school to be eligible for state licensing exams.   In general, cosmetology programs take 9-12 months or sometimes longer to complete, but specialist programs in certain states can be completed In about six months.

It’s important to know the license requirements for the state you live in, or the state you want to work in. According to www.beautyschoolsdirectory.com, the Illinois Board of Cosmetology License Requirements lists the following requirements: for cosmetology or barbering, 1,500 hours; esthetician (skin care specialist), 750 hours; nail technician, 350 hours; electrologist, 600 hours; and massage therapist, 500 hours.

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The amount of time you spend in cosmetology school will depend on several factors, including which beauty program you enroll in, the state’s required hours for that program, and whether you attend on a part-time or full-time basis.

By focusing on a specialty within the field of cosmetology, you can complete the licensing requirements much more quickly, saving both time and money.   You can be on your way to a new career in under a year.

For more information about a career in cosmetology or any of the specialties that fall under the beauty umbrella, contact The Salon Professional Academy. They can answer all of your questions and assist you in choosing your new career!

The Salon Professional Academy

Welcome to the Family: TSPA Georgetown

Please join us in welcoming TSPA Georgetown into The Salon Professional Academy Franchise family. As one of our newest locations, Shane & Tuesday Wilson anticipate TSPA Georgetown (a suburb north of Austin, TX) will open the end of this month.(September)

Shane and Tuesday are both native Texans who grew up in Southeast Texas. Shane graduated from Lamar University with a Kinesiology and Teaching degree. Tuesday graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Teaching degree. They have been married for 20 years with a sixteen year old daughter and a thirteen year old son.

Shane and Tuesday looked to leave teaching in public schools and open their own business. Shane started a home building business with a desire to own rental property. They happened upon opening a suite rental salon with the encouragement of Tuesday’s sister, who is a licensed cosmetologist. This gave them the rental property they wanted and it gave them an opportunity to empower individuals in the beauty industry to rent a small furnished suite without the huge overhead of being in business for themselves.

Tuesday saw the need for cosmetology in the local high school where she taught. After several unsuccessful attempts to get the school district to add the cosmetology program, Tuesday decided it was time to take matters into her own hands.   After some research, Tuesday discovered The Salon Professional Academy. The endorsement from the brand REDKEN was a large part of the attraction to TSPA, along with the integrity exhibited by the core group of SPEC [franchisor].   After traveling to an (sales event) in New York in 2010 and meeting the key professionals with TSPA, Shane and Tuesday were convinced that this was the right fit. The timing however was not right in 2010. Much prayer and waiting went into their decision to sign the franchise agreement in December 2013.

Shane and Tuesday are very excited to be in the position to help inspire and equip students with a skill that can open so many opportunities in their future.

NYC, Amazing Hair, and Beautiful Ninjas

2014 NSC WinnersNew York City played host to a once-in-a-lifetime event for the winners of the 2014 TSPA National Student Competition. In addition to a trip to NYC, the students and their sponsoring educators were treated to one-on-one training with REDKEN Artistic Director Chris Baran.

The training extended well beyond the classroom – all the way to the set of a professional photo shoot. The students worked hands-on behind the scenes with the models, photographer, and camera crew. The theme of the fantasy shoot was “ninja glamour” complete with elaborate wardrobe, fabulous makeup, and lots of amazing hair. This experience exposed students to just how limitless a career in the cosmetology field can be; with multiple avenues to pursue with the training they are receiving at TSPA. Continue reading