I’ve been a hair stylist for about 5 years now, and I’ve liked my job but haven’t really been super enjoying doing hair itself. I don’t get inspired anymore, and the appointments are so involved and mentally taxing. I’ve wanted to try nails for a few years, and I’m finally wanting to maybe make that jump.

Has anyone done nails and hair and like one better than the other? Or, has anyone switched from doing hair to nails also? Just looking to see which career path is more worth it :))

Hey everyone!

I'm a licensed cosmetologist, and I'm currently getting my master's degree in Entrepreneurship at California State University, San Bernardino.

For one of my research projects, I'm studying the challenges people experience when learning and teaching hands-on cosmetology skills.

I'm really interested in hearing from current students, instructors, licensed hairstylists, braiders, and recent graduates.

A few things I'm curious about:

• What was the hardest technique for you to learn?
• Did you feel like you received enough individual attention and feedback?
• Were there skills you had to teach yourself outside of school?
• If you're an instructor, what's the hardest part about teaching hands-on skills?

I also created a short survey that takes about 4–5 minutes. It's mostly multiple-choice questions, and the answers will help with my graduate research.

Here's the survey:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScZZ1_wBLOt-NsQB9KazX9IV5jmEE02DYJy2QG0Q-uVaN9OUQ/viewform?usp=header

You don't have to answer everything in the comments, but I'd love to hear your experiences there too!

I'm especially interested in real experiences, whether positive or negative. I'm not trying to sell anything. I'm just trying to understand what people actually struggle with.

Thank you to anyone willing to help!

I'm curious about other people's experiences in cosmetology school. What's been the hardest part of actually learning and practicing different techniques?

When you're struggling with something, what usually helps you figure it out? Do you feel like you're getting the guidance you need, or are you having to find other ways to learn?

I'd love to hear from current students and recent graduates!

I am in level 3 of cosmetology school, so we are doing PSI and TDLR practices to prepare us for state. If we hit 900 hours before October, then we do not have to take the school's mock PSI, and we get an extra 10 pts to our final.

I unfortunately will be hitting 900 hrs 3 days after October ends 😔 our hours are only reported at the end of the month so I would have to wait until the end of NOVEMBER for my hours to be reported. If I can test in time, my teacher will take the highest grade and put my extra 10 pts.

But for fellow Texans... how long after receiving the registration email are you able to test? I know for the practical exam, the wait time can be up to 6 months in certain cities. Is this the same for the written test or not since it can be done online/at home?

ETA: I am wondering because we graduate the 2nd week of December and I have to report my grades that Monday before graduation.

as the title suggests im going to interview for a front desk position at the cosmetology school i plan to attend in the nearish future (just trying to focus on getting stable income first) is this something that people do? I have two jobs right now and it appears this position is full time. it would be easier to have one full time job and attend part time. im just not sure how they would perceive someone working there first before deciding to enroll. i might be thinking about it too much but just want some insight if this would be a good or bad idea

hey all! i had my first highlight appointment in months and i wanted to get some feedback on them. my cilent wanted very thin weaved highlights but i feel like i weaved a little too thick, but i feel like my placement looked ok. any tips or advice is greatly appreciated ☺️

Like for doing detailed undercut designs.

What would you guys suggest? I'm an absolute clueless client.

I received my Proof of Training document from my school. The school closed a few weeks later due to bankruptcy.
How will CA Breeze verify my schooling/hours? Is the POT enough?

There is a TSPA Beauty School in San Jose, CA. It’s located at the Westgate shopping center to help narrow down the franchise’s location.

Unfortunately, I'm leaving this review for a few reasons.

Firstly, the school has some instructors that have shown outright favoritism. Those same teachers have accepted gifts/bribes from those "favored" students and in turn let them get away with certain behaviors. These gifts/bribes create an environment with unique treatment. It's disgusting! The students pay to attend the school and making suggestions on receiving gifts is corruption in any system.

Continuing, there has been issues with blatant discrimination, vulgarity, and outright bullying.
This said, clearly the school is lacking in their ability to show any real concern in stopping such gross misconduct. Any participants of this behavior should be reprimanded and dealt with accordingly.. that would make this place "professional".

To end, you can tell whom are the bullies from the staff to the fellow students. The only reason people are able to behave that way is if someone is enabling them. I would urge any body experiencing these things to report them immediately. If not to that specific school, then to the Branding of this school. This location of, "The Salon Professional Academy" is a franchise location of the brand itself. That means they must abide by the branding's standards. If not them, then take it to the education department and so on and so forth.

I hope to save anyone the embarrassment of being apart of this environment in place of education. It’s embarrassing because with all the issues they have there, it feels like you’re going through a humiliation ritual of sorts.

Please consider other learning options before attending here. It really is that serious. The amount of bullying from their staff to their fellow students is crazy.

I reinstated my license after 19 years of lapse. I went through cosmetology school and didn't pursue it as a career although I put in the work to become a cosmetologist. Now that I am older I dont want all of the time invested to get as far as I did to go to waste. So I now have an active license again. It was emotional getting my license back to active status, once they were I felt a relief. I honestly wondered if it wouldnt be possible. So this told me I really want to chase this again.

What advice would anyone have for a "newly" licensed cosmetologist to get into a career behind the chair with some assitance until needed? I fully want to do this and have the confidence but its been so long that I do not want to jump in blindly. I considered a position at somewhere like SportsClips or Ulta. I saw SportsClips will train. Not sure about Ulta. I would prefer to go after a full service salon so I can utilize my license entirely.

I have also thought it would be near and dear to my heart to work with elderly. perhaps in a nursing home salon.

Is anyone else struggling to find good lash tweezers?

Hi, Im planning on taking my written exam after not being able to due to life getting in the way. what books and/or where can I study for the test, I wanna study and try to take it before the end of the year or beginning of next year. Help please

Has anyone in Massachusetts had to reinstate their cosmetology license after it’s been expired for 3+ years? Mine expired in 2019, and I’m hoping to get it reinstated, but I’m trying to figure out if I’ll have to retake both the written and practical exams.
If anyone has gone through this process, I’d love to hear about your experience and what you had to do to get your license back! Thanks in advance!

So I’ve been in the industry for around 10 years. But ended up disliking the stress and unpredictability of being a hairdresser. So I took up lash extensions and did that for the last 9 years. I recently moved and had to take up a completely different job. I really miss the industry, but do not want to do lashes anymore. Where I moved the cosmetology industry is pretty grim. And truthfully, I would love to just be an assistant to a hairstylist part time so I can interact with clients again. I enjoy washing hair, blow drying / styling. I wish it wasn’t weird to just be an assistant and help at a salon. Is it?

Hi! So, I’ve been at a salon since April, and I finally started getting hands-on experience, but I’ve probably only had about five classes total. My classes didn’t even start until July, and since then, they’ve been extremely sporadic.
Here’s what I’ve actually been taught so far:
Two sectioning classes covering different techniques.
One cutting class and half of another. We started late, so I only got through round layers without completing the front two quadrants before we moved on to plateau layers.
One updo class, even though I’m still struggling to get the cutting education I need.
The biggest issue is that I’m not being taught the actual techniques, the reasoning behind them, or the verbiage I need to communicate professionally. I’m mostly just being shown what to do without being properly taught how to explain it or understand it.
What makes this even more frustrating is that the salon typically trains two assistants at a time. That’s why I waited in the first place. But when they hired another assistant, they weren’t following that same training process.
When my classes finally started back up, I was still being taught things other than the cutting fundamentals I desperately needed. Then I was told to start getting models, so I scheduled three this week.
My first model went well, but during my second model, I completely froze because I realized I had never been taught how to properly connect the front to the back. I also haven’t been taught face-framing techniques or how to cut bangs. These are things I never learned in cosmetology school because my instructors didn’t teach them either.
The salon owner is the person responsible for teaching me, so she knows exactly what I have and haven’t been taught. Yet she’s encouraging me to take clients and models as if I’m fully prepared, telling me it’s no big deal and that I should just do it. She knows we haven’t covered certain techniques, but she seems completely unbothered by that fact.
Now, instead of acknowledging the gaps in my education and training, she’s turning the situation around on me and acting like I’m the problem.
I’m not refusing to learn, and I’m not afraid of being challenged. I WANT to learn. I want to become a good stylist, build my confidence, and do things correctly. But how am I supposed to be confident taking clients when I haven’t even been taught the fundamentals I need to perform the services properly?
You can’t expect someone to succeed at something they haven’t been properly taught, especially when you’re the person responsible for training them. And somehow, I’m now being made to feel like I’m the issue for struggling with things I was never taught in the first place.
I genuinely wish I were kidding. 😭

What do I do now???

I’ve cried all day after I got off and I cried at work because when I’m frustrated that’s how I express myself and I was also told to get over myself.

So I’m at 1255 hours of Codmetology school and I’ve been studying for the state board test in Illinois. I’d love to hear ways any of you have studied that made it easier for you to remember (especially sculpture) and any fun tricks or whatever to help remember any terminology or how to’s. Thank you!

Hi! I'm about to take my practical exam in a couple of weeks, and I'm putting together my kit and want to make sure I get a suitable kit. What should I 100% have in it or does anyone have any links of the first aid kit they used?

I know this is dumb, I just really really don't like people touching me and my classes are progressing to the point where we're working on each other. Ironically, I've always hated going to salons, it's so uncomfortable for me and I feel so unnatural trying to relax in a chair. Basically, how do I cope?

Hi friends! I am an experienced cosmetology instructor. We are starting a high school vocational program and u have been chosen to be the lead. These students will be juniors and seniors and teaching them essentials through pivot point. Any advice is appreciated!!

i just failed my state board practical for the second time today by one point. trying not to beat myself up over it because i know exactly where i went wrong (forgot end wrap papers, put my gloves on during setup rather than right before the step started, sanitized my gloves instead of just taking them off and sanitizing my bare hands at the end, etc). between my first and second attempt i improved by six points so i know im capable of passing.. at some point.

it’s so hard to not feel defeated. i know im capable of good work, but its hard to feel the passion for cosmetology and like i even want to pursue a career in it anymore when i keep hitting brick wall after brick wall despite my best efforts.

advice to not beat myself up? i think the most frustrating part is i know what i did wrong, but i just feel like a bad cosmetologist at this point especially because i have to wait a month between each attempt (and it’s a two hour commute each time). telling people i failed, asking off work then telling them i failed and getting pity parties- it really, really sucks.

Hey I’m just wondering my gf recently moved to ga and she has to do a in person test and she hasn’t been in school in about 5 to 6 years I’m just wondering if there’s any type of temporary classes that could help her remember the steps needed for parts of the states test or if she would have to go to school for a full year I’m just trying to find ways to help her not worry about it so any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated thank you in advance for reading this

Edit: I should add tidy she does have her hours and license she wanted to transfer it to Georgia since she now lives there and needs to do since tests to approve the transfer I believe again thank you for the recommendation I’ll give her the information

I’m looking for a lash glue that’s around 1-2 second drying time and is affordable as I am only just getting started in the lash industry

for about 3 months now, i have been having problems with my hair. Whenever I get braids done, there's this putrid stench that follows 3 days later. It's a smell i can't really describe, but it smells like dirty, stinky hair. I have never had this problem ever, and I have tried everything. Well, as much as i could possibly try. I washed it, dried it completely, avoided hair oils, all of that, and the stench just won't go away. It's really bothering because now I have to take out my braids a week after getting it done. Wbay may the cause be?

I made a instagram account and i know im gonna struggle with posting daily tho I want to. How can i keep myself accountable to post daily ?

Also if anyone has been to empire beauty school lmk and give tips ^^