Hair stylist as career option

Ranjan K Baruah *

People are concern about beauty and style. Hairs of individual are also styled on many different occasions as it adds to the beauty of the individual. From ancient times, individuals are concerned about hairs and style.

In any place of India, we could find barber shops and now more beauty parlours or hair studios. Many families are earning through the profession related to hair cutting or style.

In simple we call barber but now there are many terms associated with same and in today’s edition we are talking about hair stylist or hair dressers. Hair stylist is a person who cuts and styles people’s hair professionally.

A hairstyle or haircut refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human scalp. Sometimes, this could also mean an editing of facial or body hair.

The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics. A hairdresser is a person whose occupation is to cut or style hair in order to change or maintain a person’s image.

This is achieved using a combination of hair colouring, haircutting, and hair texturing techniques. Most hairdressers are professionally licensed as a hairdresser, a barber or a cosmetologist.

Hairdressing as an occupation dates back thousands of years. Ancient art drawings and paintings have been discovered depicting people working on another person’s hair. Greek writers Aristophanes and Homer both mention hairdressing in their writings.

In Africa, it was believed in some cultures that a person’s spirit occupied his or her hair, giving hairdressers high status within these communities.

The status of hairdressing encouraged many to develop their skills, and close relationships were built between hairdressers and their clients. Hours would be spent washing, combing, oiling, styling and ornamenting their hair.

Men would work specifically on men, and women on other women. Before a master hairdresser died, they would give their combs and tools to a chosen successor during a special ceremony.

The first appearance of the word “hairdresser” is in 17th century Europe, and hairdressing was considered a profession.

Hair fashion of the period suggested that wealthy women wear large, complex and heavily adorned hairstyles, which would be maintained by their personal maids and other people, who would spend hours dressing the woman’s hair.

A wealthy man’s hair would often be maintained by a valet. It was in France where men began styling women’s hair for the first time, and many of the notable hairdressers of the time were men, a trend that would continue into contemporary times.

The first famous male hairdresser was Champagne, who was born in Southern France.

A hair stylist, who is sometimes called a hairdresser or beautician, shampoos, cuts, colours, bleaches, and styles hair. He or she may also use chemicals to straighten or curl hair and apply extensions to lengthen hair.

Before working on a client, a hair stylist analyzes her hair, recommends a style or service, and may even provide instructions and sell products that will let the customer get the same look at home. We shall publish more in our next edition.