Zoe and I tried a beauty school. Here's how it went.
In my years of frugal reading (books, blogs, articles), I've frequently come across the advice to get hair services done at a beauty school.
But since I usually only get my hair cut once or twice a year (I know, I know), I haven't been super motivated to give it a try.
However, Zoe's had a hankering to get her ends dyed purple, and because that's very much not a necessity, we told her she could do it if she paid for it.
This was going to cost $120 or so at a regular salon, though, and I hated for her to spend her hard-earned money on that!
So, I checked to see if our local beauty school did kids' hair, and it turned out they did.
And instead of $120, the purple dye job would only cost $60.
Zoe said yes to that idea, so I scheduled her for the dyeing and myself for just a haircut ($12).
(Because the last time I got my hair cut was last October for my Halloween costume!)
What is the beauty school like?
I've always kind of pictured a hair school looking something more like a high school, but the one we went to felt more like a really, really big salon.
There was a very salon-like waiting room downstairs, where Zoe and I took another selfie. Because of course.
After signing in, we got called upstairs, where there's a huge room filled with dozens of hair stations, and a really nice hair-washing room, just like a salon.
How involved are the instructors?
At the beginning of the appointment, the instructor asked Zoe and me what we wanted (we'd brought photos), and then chatted with the stylist to come up with a game plan to fulfill our hair wishes.
After agreeing on a plan, the instructors left the stylists mostly to themselves, checking back in every now and then to correct things/offer reminders.
Is it scary to trust your hair to a student?
I think this would depend on how much you care about your hair and also on how difficult a style you are hoping for.
I'm not super picky about my hair, and I was just asking for a trim with some layers, which is not exactly a high-stakes, difficult haircut. So my stress level was fairly low.
But if I were getting a pixie cut or some other very short hairstyle, I think I'd be more nervous.
Zoe's hair was also fairly low-risk, since she was getting her ends dyed. If she hated it, she could always just get a haircut!
What's the biggest downside of a beauty school?
Things take a REALLY LONG TIME. The students are just not nearly as fast as an experienced stylist, so my haircut took an hour and a half from start to finish.
And Zoe's hair took 4 hours (she had to get her ends bleached before she could get the purple dye, so her hair had to be processed twice).
She got really, really tired of sitting in the chair!
Were the savings worth it?
For a haircut, I'm gonna go with no. I can get a decent haircut for about $30 and it would take less than 30 minutes. Spending an extra hour to save $18 doesn't feel terribly worth it to me.
Now, Zoe's hair took maybe an hour or two more than it normally would have, but she saved $60. Even if we go with the idea that it took two extra hours, that's a savings rate equivalent to $30/hour.
So for coloring, the savings seem a little more worth it, and I think I'll consider the beauty school when I want to color my hair.
How did your hair turn out?
I was happy with my haircut...it took a while to get it done, but I ended up with the style I requested. So, thumbs up.
Zoe was happy with hers too. Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo when the purple color was super fresh...so you'll have to trust me when I there was more purple there initially!
We'll touch up her color with Viral Colorwash (which I already have in purple!), so that way she can get more mileage out of her salon experience.
They bleached some of her hair, and just applied color on the brown in other areas, and the purple definitely did not stay on the unbleached areas very well. It was really purple at first, but then it faded pretty quickly after a few showers.
Would I recommend visiting a beauty school?
If you have way more time than money, I'd definitely give this a shot.
Or, if you need a hair service that's fairly expensive, then the 50% off could make it very worth your time.
But if you are short on time and you just need a haircut, I think a regular salon would work better for you.
I like the flowered top, very pretty!
Our tech high school has a cosmetology department that offers hair, nails and waxing services. I’ve only had a manicure for $8 and was happy with it. It did take longer though.
I did this once also. Once for me (cut and color) and once for my son. It did take forever. My son was young and just getting a cut. It took two hours. It was hard for him to sit still that long. So for kids I wouldn’t recommend it for just a cut.
I used to get really fancy haircuts and highlights from the local Vidal Sassoon when I was in grad school. Probably the best haircuts I’ve ever gotten and ridiculously inexpensive compared to the going rate. I would read novels while waiting.. I had the same students —they would call me when they needed to practice a cut for a round face—so they got faster and needed less supervision over time. I did not get to choose the cuts.
Nope didn't try it, but I was the student that did the cuts/colors, etc., But gosh the prices have gone up. (I went to beauty school 86-88) I think back then a hair cut was like 6 dollars, color wasn't much more! Maybe its the type of beauty school you go to. I went to a Voc tec school, maybe that is why the prices where less expensive, or its it that I am out of beauty school for 30 years? (blush!!)
I just keep thinking 60.00 for the dye is a bit pricy (not compared to going to a salon) but for a school.
But glad you had a good experience!
Me too! I went to beauty school in ‘87-88. Those prices seem really high to me also. I enjoyed reading this post.
I have actually colored the tips of my daughters hair and it's fairly easy. I KNOW you can do it. the supplies cost maybe $20 at sally's. once you get the supplies the actual color isn't expensive at all, so you can pick different colors every year!
I agree! My daughter wanted green ends. We got a dye that basically was identical to the product they used at Ulta, called “Punky Colour” for $6.99. You get a pretty big jar of it and can reapply whenever you want. I know *nothing* about hair and I could do it easily.
My husband said that his mother took him and his brothers to a barber school for all of their haircuts. It had three rooms with different experienced students. The more experienced the student, the higher the price. He said it was pretty much like a standard barber shop and the haircuts were fine. It may be that there aren't as many variations on male haircuts (at least at that point in time) and a barber school might be a faster place.
I've gotten hair done at a school twice. The first time I had it styled for prom and it looked great, but took forever. The second time I had it cut and I hated it. I have uneven curly/wavy hair (and a lot of it) that is notoriously difficult to cut without it looking lopsided after drying. That said, my current hair stylist had to go to cosmetology school after relocating to the US (had attended in his home country and had years of cutting experience there), so I imagine that some of the people at schools can be really good, even with challenges.
Find a Deva Cut certified stylist who can cut your curly hair the right way. You'll look fabulous!
My hair is the same way. In fact, it looks pretty uneven no matter what because one day a certain lock of hair will be in ringlets and after the next wash it will be wavy or virtually straight. There is no rhyme or reason to my hair! I still get complimented on it regularly because it is pretty, just unpredictable. I was getting it cut while dry and that helped a bit but I finally gave up. If my cuts are goung to be imperfect I might as well just do it myself. No one can tell, anyway, due to the wild nature of the curos/not curls. I get just as many compliments and I haven't had a professional cut in several years.
It is in insane amount of money saved but I only do it because if I make a mistake you can't even tell.
I’ve been getting my hair cut and colored at a beauty school for a while. What cost me $120+ at the salon cost $40 at the beauty school, plus tip. I also have a low manintance haircut and do an all over color with no highlights so I’m pretty low risk too. Agree that is does take a long time. I tell people allow twice as long as you would in a salon.
Awe, y'all look great. I guess if I was already there getting my daughter's hair colored then it wouldnt be a big deal to sit there the extra time and get mine cut. That is if someone else in the salon could do it while my daughter got her colored. I found some boxes of purple haircolor with the bleach included in a clearance bin to put in my kids stockings at Christmas. I have been told it washes out quickly and that's fine with me. I don't cut my hair often either. I color it myself every couple of months or so. I just do highlights to make my gray less obvious and since my hair is thin and fine, the bleach gives it more body. When I do get it cut, my husband or my oldest daughter does it.
For some reason I saw the headline and thought "Oh, is that a school you go to and learn how to do your makeup or something because my wife has mentioned wanting to know how to do that."
Come to think of it, there was actually a cosmetology school in my high school (I went to a vocational school.)
I have visited a beauty college (as they are called here) a couple of times when I was living frugally. Nowadays I also go once every 6 mos or so. Also, when my kids were young (I admit that 3 of them are boys!) I bought a clipper set from Wal-mart after thinking I could do it fine myself. My kids were young enough and their hair grew fast enough that pretty soon I became a semi pro! I even do my hubby's hair still. So I guess after saving so much money on haircuts all those years, I should go more regularly myself?...hmmm...
I have been going to a beauty school for maybe a year now. I keep my hair pretty short and do partial highlights each time. I definitely think the savings are worth it but I never put together that it's why it takes so long! Generally, haircut and color takes a long time anyway but I definitely have not budgeted enough time for the students to do it the last two times I've gone. I've learned I can't schedule anything right after or I WILL be late.
Your hair cut looks very nice, suits your darling smile.
I've done the beauty school route a couple of times and you're right, it takes sooooo long. I don't think the end product is worth it. I've had some flops. But, I will say, they are an excellent option for "up do-s" for school dances, special occasions, etc. Inexpensive and well done!
I have a beauty school very near me. I have never gotten a haircut there but I do get pedicures. The last time I got one at a "real" salon, I got a fungus infection that took forever to cure. I prefer the school because they are less invasive. It usually takes an hour, but sometimes longer depending on the student. The instructor checks before & after but doesn't come around during the process. Cost is $21 plus tip. I have been extremely pleased and always felt like they did a good job. Polish colors are limited though. The students really seem to enjoy what they are doing.
I used our local vo-tech beauty school (as it's called here, too) several times, the last time being about 7 years ago. The cuts were $5 and when they needed more people to practice on, they were free! But as I mentioned before, I had simple trims (which I now do myself) and had very little problem; I occasionally had to trim a little behind them after I got home, as my hair is wavy/curly, but heck, I've had to do that after professional trims. But my husband's haircuts, which he tried twice, were not good at all, and as I also mentioned, one poor student shaved off most of his eyebrow, trying to trim it, so, no go there. I use clippers on his hair now and trim the edges with scissors. And I trim his eyebrows with scissors, very, very carefully.
A lot depends on the student as well. I have been getting my hair done at a school for years, and it doesn’t take much longer if at all.
I had the same experience in nursing school. The cut was $12 but took 2 hours. For $20 including tip I can go to Supercuts (I have a very basic cut). With two little ones time and money is precious so I’m always trying to balance the two!
I wear a pixie that needs to be cut every 6-8 weeks. The salon I was going to was affordable, but then the price started going up and up and UP. (When the salon owner started posting travel photos and photos of her BMW on Instagram I felt a little, eh.) So I tried a salon close to my house that was training apprentices. The cut was free. (I did tip though.) Like your experience the cut took forever. It looked good when I left, but felt grown out in a couple of weeks. So now I go to Hair Cuttery where I get a $17+tip cut. I have learned to take a pic with me of what I want, and I generally have a very good experience. Love the purple!
Years ago my sister (a beautician) taught me how to cut hair. So over the years I practiced on my 4 kids (1 boy, 3 girls) and my husband. Got good enough that they never when to an actual salon until they were adults. I've also been cutting my own hair (I have very short hair) since my sister's very detailed instruction. I don't remember the last time I had a professional do it. A good set of hair clippers and an expensive pair of scissors are all I need for both myself and my husband.
Cutting your own hair when it is short is IMPRESSIVE. I can only do mine because it is long enough to bring over my shoulders!
Tried it once, 40 years ago!!!! Never again!!!!
If she wants to keep it purple I recommend Overtone conditioner. It works so well! You can also dye your hair that way without any preparation. I highly recommend it and have been using it to color and maintain my colored hair for years!
me and my cousin went last year for the first time and I was alittle skeptical but it was one of the best experience. got a haircut and highlight plus a facial (my first time getting one of these) and a paraffin wrap on my hands and it was only 26.00. the facial was by far my favorite because they are just learning so they do everything by the book. yes it took a couple hours but we knew that going into it so we just made it a day and then went out for lunch and then Christmas shopping. we are getting ready to set up another date to go this year
We get out hair cut and colored at our local cosmetology school. They have a calendar with specials depending on the day. Such as $1 haircut, $20 dye, etc. So we look to see when the deals are then go those days. As for it taking a long time, it depends where the student is in their training. The more hours they have the quicker it goes.
I did take my son and daughter a few years back and I was happy with the cuts but it took over 3 hours for them to cut my daughter's hair. Her hair is really long and she'd asked for layers but my daughter was her very first live person, so the beautician was super nervous and seemed to cut 1 strand at a time and running to the instructor in between! lol But I understand she was nervous! Funny because that same daughter ended up in the same cosmetology school a few years later as a student. 🙂
I did the beauty school thing once for a pedicure for my birthday. Something that I get done once, maybe twice a year, and usually at a place much farther away. The haircut area looked pretty nice, but the area where I got my pedicure was a classroom with somewhat comfortable chairs around it and they brought in buckets/tubs to do pedicures. When I was done, I wound up taking the polish off that night because she had done a pretty poor job. I won't be going back for that service because I could have driven all the way to my usual place, gotten a consistent pedicure, and gone home in the amount of time that took, plus I didn't really save much.
On the color note, I got my hair colored purple in a similar way to Zoe's in April. I haven't tried that colorwash, but I did go to Sally's and buy the same type of color that was used in my hair (One n' Only, thought I've also heard good things about Arctic Fox). Every couple of months when it's looking really faded, I just put the color over all of my hair. It all looks purple for a wash or two, but then it really comes out of the brown parts and only sticks to the bleached parts. It was about $7 per tube of color and I get about two uses per tube.
Thanks for this post! When I was a teen, I had a friend who was going to beauty school highlight my hair and it turned out nice, years later I went to a school and got highlights and did not like them. I ended up spending more to get it fixed. But that being said, I'm not opposed to trying it again, especially if it was something simple like a trim.
I have not recovered 40 years later from the hair cut my mom had done on me at the beauty school when I was 7. People thought I was a boy for at least the next 6 months. Never will my feet pass the threshold for myself or my children. Glad you were not similarly scarred. 🙂
I would be nervous to get my hair cut at a beauty school, but I did have great luck with getting manicures at one all during the 1990's. I was in college at this time and there was a beauty school near where I lived that charged between 1-5 dollars during this decade. The students did a great job in a reasonable amount of time. After this time, I moved and tried another school. This time the prices were higher, the time I had to wait was longer, and the quality was lacking so I felt it was no longer a good option.
Cute hair on both of you!
I'm seeing a beard in your future (Halloween costume), no?
So, you get your hair cut twice per year, but do you cut it yourself also? Just curious...
(I cut mine, but probably shouldn't -- I don't know why I confess this to my hairdresser, because I'm PRETTY sure she knows......YouTube continues to convince me I have all sorts of mad skills that I really don't have).
Ahh, I love the purple hair! I've always wanted to dye my hair a funky color, but it saddens me to know the stuff can fade fast. For now I'll just admire from afar. 🙂
You know, beauty schools are a great way to save moolah. Hubs also goes to the massage school to get $40 off a one-hour massage. There are some tradeoffs, mostly with time and the efficiency of the worker, but that's to be expected.
You MUST wash the purple hair in cold water. It really makes a huge difference in preventing it from fading. My sin is a stylist. He put blue in my hair during the fist weeknin August. It has faded but still looks good. I use cold water every time I was my hair.
Hi Kristen! I have green/blue hair and I go to a regular salon and it takes 4 hours every single time. And yes I agree, wash the purple hair in cold water -- better yet, try not to wash it too much.
I am a Supercuts fan but your results look great and make me want to try a beauty school for a simple cut. Especially as the price keeps inching up. You both look great!
When we moved to a new town where we didn't know anybody, my mom went to a beauty school to have her hair done (in those days it was a wash and set into a beehive hairdo). She met a student (Sharon) who did great with her hair and Mom followed her to her first and subsequent salon jobs. They became lifelong friends, and when my mother was too ill to get out to the beauty shop, Sharon went to her. Sharon knew everything about our family (hairdressers are like psychologists or bartenders!) and was invited to every big event as a guest. It was a very positive experience for my mom.
My husband cuts his own hair, our son's hair, and my hair. He has learned it all from You Tube. He gives my hair angles, a trim, and layers. And I must say, it looks pretty good. It has only cost us a $50 pair of clippers and $15 pair of scissors. We haven't paid for hair cuts in years! Not to mention the time we save by not having to go to the salon.
I cut my own and my boys' hair. The middle boy wants a cut that is very difficult for me to get right with the texture of his hair and I told him I am not going back to paying for cuts. I can do 2 or three styles or he can buy his own cut. He's nearly 13 and it is suddenly super important to him. He is eager to hand over his savings to get away from my haircuts. Lol! I doubt his older brother will be far behind. He thinks hair should be cut by a pro. Probably because I nicked him slightly last year.
I've found that paying for a salon cut (~$51 including tip) allows me to go longer between cuts, which I now get twice a year (long hair).
I go the local cosmetology school here for my hair cuts - if I go on a weekday morning, I pay only $16. I always like they cut. My secret is when you make your appointment, always ask for a senior student. I color my hair at home because that does take a long time for the students to do.
I'm too impatient to get my hair done at a beauty school (and too nervous). However, I do go to the Aveda school to get facials. Fantastic! And so cheap, $40 for an hour of bliss.
You two are so cute. I always go to places like Great Clips to get my hair cut because it's cheap and fast. I can't stand sitting and waiting! They often run specials for $5.99 haircuts where I live.
We did this years ago but with the Community College dental school. I had my kids molars filled with a sealant (to prevent cavities) as it was so expensive at the dentist and of course insurance did not cover it. After a couple of hours working on him I had to tell them to forget it as I couldn't let my kid sit thru that. We ended up getting the rest done at the dentist office which took about 15 minutes.
I haven't gone to beauty schools for hair, but I have gone to massage schools for student massages. They are super affordable for 60 minutes and while it won't be the best massage you will ever have, it typically is great for the price.
The library in the town where we used to live would give the kids a coupon for a free haircut at a local beauty school, as part of the summer reading incentive package. I took my daughter once. It did take quite a while (but it was free!). The hairstylists may be students but they are students with experience! So it's not a complete gamble. Also, the instructor will fix things as they are checking.
We used to have a beauty school in town and I enjoyed the treat of a manicure there occasionally, so I have miss that luxury since they closed. I think they are a win-win overall.
Never been to a beauty school. Actually, I never have my hair cut anymore. Never. I have thick curly hair and I don't know what to do with them (and have zero interest/time/money to invest in this) so they are always up in a poney tail or messy bun. It's ok. When they get too long I trim them myself using a technique I learned watching Youtube videos. Everytime I went to a salon in the past I ended up dissapointed so what's the point?
When I was in college I would go to dentistry school (?) and for 25$ they would clean my teeth. Granted, it took 3 hours, but back then it was worth it because I didn't have insurances.
I have not used a beauty school, but I go regularly to Great Clips where I can get a shampoo, haircut and blow dry for $19. I am in and out in 30 minutes. I was paying $50 at a salon for the same thing, so significant savings and I am always happy with the outcome.
My local vocational school is only 5 minutes from my house, so I have had my hair, facials, pedicures and manicures done there. I have enjoyed each experience. It does take longer. I have had foils done on my hair and it has saved me a bundle. They also have a restaurant for the culinary department so I also tend to stop in there for lunch or for some food to take home. One day they had Surf & Turf for about $7. It was delicious!
I recommend going near the END of a semester.
When my daughter wanted her hair dyed I had a friend going to school and put off taking her until it was almost graduation then realized, 'Oh! I better get on that.'
I will say the process was still long (3 hours), and like Zoe, Jd's color on the bleached sections faded quickly. I wonder if making it last longer comes with experience?
But all the patrons getting cuts while we were there were done in a regular time with what I'd consider regular quality cuts. There was no drama or mix-ups. And also, I barely saw an instructor. There was one in the room, but she was mostly handling transactions, she didn't approach our stylist at all. I assume this had a lot to do with it being very near to graduation.
If you went in October, I wonder if the class started in September and might only just be beginning their practical experience.
I've gone to a beauty school for several years. Before that, I'd go to Great Clips. My hair is short, and I don't get it colored. I get a much better cut than I ever did at Great Clips, and at Great Clips, they didn't wash my hair, just wet it down. Ugh. At the beauty school, they shampoo and condition my hair, and massage my scalp at the same time. I sometimes think I'm going to fall asleep at the sink because it's so relaxing. It usually takes about 1 1/2 hours for my shampoo, cut, and style, and I don't mind the time it takes. My hair is baby fine (NOT thin!) and slippery. I've had many professional stylists tell me it's difficult to cut because of that, so it has always taken some extra time for my haircuts. It costs me about $12 for a cut, the same as at the closest Great Clips. I have a friend who gets her hair cut in almost the same style as mine at a salon, and she pays $50. I think it's worth the $38 in savings. Other people may not.
When I was in high school, I used to go to the Vidal Sasson school in Santa Monica for hair cuts and perms( I'm dating myself). It was worth the savings for me. I do recall it taking hours though and I lived in Malibu and had to take the city bus home( it took an hour to get home).
My husband cuts his hair, both of my sons’ hair as well as mine. It is very convenient, Intell him when the boys need haircuts, actually my younger son will tell him he is coming due and he does them about every three to four weeks. Takes him about 15 minutes total from start to finish including scissor cutting and using the clippers with different attachments to blend the longer hair on top with the shorter hair on the sides and then the peanut clipper to get the neckline and sideburns tidy for each of them. It would take me longer just to drive them to get haircuts than it takes him to do them at home. Mine he does every other month, to keep my ends neat, even and remove splits and damage. It takes him about 25-30 minutes from the time he capes me, combs out my hair sections it, letting each layer done, etc until he is finished with the very top layer being trimmed. It used to be a whole morning or afternoon wasted when I did the salon routine, plus the costs. We bought a mid grade $60 Wahl clipper set about six years ago, the shears hubby uses are the convex type that he can take apart and sharpen that he bought at a cutlery store for $70 at a half price sale, plus a couple capes, hair clips and the rat tail comb for sectioning. We easily save several hundred dollars a year, even more when you factor in transportation costs and the time it saves. Even if the salon or beauty school was free, it would still make more sense to continue with hubby as the family barber/stylist.
I'm so impressed that your husband cuts not only your boys' hair, but yours as well!
I don't think I'd trust Mr. FG with my hair. Ha.
I recently responded to a request for a "hair model" a beauty school student had posted in my Facebook Moms group. I got a free haircut out of the deal, and she did a great job. It did take about 2 hours, which was a long time for a haircut, but I had plenty of time that day, and was happy to help out. The week before she had to cut a doll's hair because she couldn't get a "real" person.
I'm retired, and my hair is mostly in a ponytail anyway, so if it was a bad haircut I'd just wait for it to grow out and deal with it.
We used to have one in town and it's where my sister and I both had birthday parties. Nothing like taking 6-8 little girls in and coming out with braids and updos and beauty pageant hair (it was the late 80's, early 90's). My friends and I would go there for cheap facials and manicures in high school.
My daughter had her ends dyed at Ulta with an experienced stylist. Her hair is so thick that it took over 4 hours. She had to have 2 processes as well (bleach and color).
Zoe's hair is SUPER thick too, so that could definitely have contributed to how long this process took!
The school is in my town so no extra travel time! Because I am a senior citizen I take advantage of their senior day. 1/2 price discounts on all services, which are already super cheap. My perm was $25 rather than $70 at a WalMart salon. It came out great. I've had mixed results with haircuts. I found that I have to be much more specific at it progresses, otherwise the student may go off in a direction I don't like.