Snip-Snip, comb,
blow-dry…How hard could that be? Well
for some hygiene-lacking Marian girls, it can seem like quite a chore, but for
hairstylists it’s their full-time job.
Laura Withnolastname, an Omaha hairstylist currently working at Claude’s
Beauty Salon on 105th St, has been cutting and styling hair for
thirty years, and loves it. She started
off her career in Chicago at the Ippolito School of Cosmology, and has worked
in five salons over the last three decades.
Did she always know she
wanted to be a stylist? “Actually, yes,
because in high school I was always clowning around, doing my friends
hair. For proms and stuff I would
always do my girlfriends’ hair, and I just really enjoyed it,” said Laura. After making the decision to enter beauty
school Laura had to complete classroom and clinical work before even touching
her scissors to another human head.
“It (Beauty School) was
interesting because we had classroom time where we would study Anatomy, Health
and Sanitation, the Chemisty behind hair color and perms. Then we’d have clinic time where you
practiced your skills on manicans.
After that you would progress to working with real customers who came to
the beauty school. After you have x
number (differs from state to state) of haircuts, colors, perms, then you can
take the test for your license,” said Laura.
Getting a Stylists License
requires taking the State Board exam.
“The first half of it is written, and the second half is called the
Practical Exam. That’s where you have
to perform on a person in front of the examees. If you pass that, you get your license and can start cutting
hair,” said Laura. The education
doesn’t end there; every two years stylists have to complete 16 hours of
continuing education to renew their licenses.
Working at a salon can be
fun and rewarding work. The physicality
of standing up all day, usually in dressy uncomfortable shoes, can be less than
enjoyable. Besides that, Laura loves
her job. “It’s a great job for people
who like to talk all day, if you like what you do, you couldn’t ask for a
better job. It’s always changing with
new styles and trends and keeping up makes the job exciting,” said Laura.
Laura’s favorite part of
being a stylist is the people. Every
time she works she makes new friends or catches up with old ones. Most stylists are really positive upbeat
people, who are creative, and comfortable around people; Laura is all of those
things.
Besides cutting hair, Laura
also styles, does up-dos (she’s great for formals), perms, and coloring. Her job is full of people, creating,
ever-changing trends, and lots of fun.