So I figured now, when I'm in need of nothing more serious than a trim, would be the perfect time to give that whole beauty school thing a try. I didn't even know there was one near me until last summer, when the office I worked in shared a parking lot with one. So yesterday I called them up, and they scheduled me for this morning, and I went in and got my hair cut by a beauty school student. Sounds risky, right? Maybe it is; I'm sure Google could lead me to all kinds of horror stories about having a "future professional" (that's what they call their students) cutting hair. But I am happy to report I have no such story to add to the archives.
They say all of their students are supervised by someone who has their hair cutting certification (or whatever you get when you graduate beauty school), which is sort of true. I was expecting someone standing behind my stylist, watching every tiny snip she made, but this wasn't the case. The girl who did my hair and I talked about what I wanted done, how much length I wanted off, all the things you talk about with a licensed stylist. Then her supervisor came over to verify that she was clear on what she was doing to my hair, and went off to check on other students.
When we went to the shampooing area, I got a close-up look at the real training area: girls doing all kinds of things to fake mannequin heads of hair. (At the office, we used to see them carrying them inside. Let me tell you, it is really freaky the first time you see someone pull a human head out of their trunk!) So apparently, you don't get to cut real hair until you've been properly trained on the fake stuff, which totally makes sense, but still made me feel a little better.
When we got back to the girl's styling area, she went about cutting my hair just like anyone would do, no supervision. She was very meticulous in what she was doing; I don't know if that was just her, or if that's the way they all are when they're just starting out, but either way, I figure it's a good thing. And when she was done, she brought her supervisor back over to check on my hair. Her supervisor actually did give her a few pointers, and made a couple of small snips herself, but then cleared her as having done a good job. And she did do a very good job. (Especially considering I don't have the world's easiest hair to deal with.) You'd never even know a "student" cut my hair. At least, that is, until you get to the front desk and they ring up your haircut as costing $15. Can you believe that!? They can't charge nearly as much as a salon, because you're not having your hair cut by a professional, and yet, the quality is just as good, because one day these girls will be working in salons. It's like a TreSemme commercial: Professional. Affordable. How fabulous!
Even with a tip, my total was under $20. Which means I can afford to get my hair cut a lot more often than if I was worried about having to spend $50 every time. Two and a half times more often, actually. So now that I have experienced this money-saving adventure for myself, I will certainly recommend it, and odds are, I'll go back. I'm forever bargain-hunting, and I just can't make myself pay more for things I don't have to. So why spend $50 on a haircut I can get for $20? The place I went to is a Paul Mitchell school (Xcell Academy on Montgomery Highway in Hoover, if you're in the area), and they have locations all over the country (here's a list: http://paulmitchell.edu/search/locations). Find one near you and check it out! Who says Fabulous has to cost a fortune? :)
p.s. by request, a picture of my $19 haircut :)
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