Beauty U

Jan. 11, 2006

It’s not unusual to have an entire bridal party drop by the Traverse City Beauty College on the brink of the big event.
“We had a Friday wedding last week where the whole party came in and got pedicures, manicures, facials and updo’s,” says Jason Seivers, campus director of the college located at 1144 Boon Street, just off Garfield Road.
What’s an updo? Well, as any bride knows, it’s sweeping one’s hair up to perfect a hairstyle just prior to the wedding, to have the leading lady and her bridesmaids looking picture-perfect.
For the 50-60 cosmetology students at the college, daily drop-ins and the occasional wedding party are a chance to practice their skills before entering the workplace of salons and beauty parlors. For clients, the Beauty College offers a darn good deal: a manicure, for instance, is $4.95, a pedicure is $15.95 and a basic haircut runs just $6.95.
“We have a full-service clinic that provides a good service at reduced cost,” Sievers says. “In return, our students get to practice their skills, so it’s a win-win situation for both the customer and the student.”

WHAT IT TAKES
The Beauty College takes walk-in customers on Tuesday-Fridays with appointments accepted on Saturdays. Established at its present location two years ago, the college is part of a chain of three cosmetology schools with other locations in St. Joseph, Michigan, and Michiana, Indiana.
Students practicing on the floor look like they’re having fun, but there’s definitely a serious side to beauty school. Sievers notes that the State of Michigan requires 1,500 hours of education as well as the successful completion of an exam to become a licensed cosmetologist.
That means 11-to-18 months of courses in sanitation, patron protection, facials, hair dressing, hair cutting, hair relaxing, perming, coloring, anatomy, physiology, nail technology, skincare and client communication. Some 525 hours are spent on hair alone.
“All students start out as freshmen until they’ve completed 350 hours and then they’re considered senior students and can work out on the floor,” Sievers says. “Before that, they work on mannekin heads and it’s all practice, practice, practice.”

THE PAYOFF
Approximately 80% of the students are women. Most men interested in the grooming professions go to barber college, but some choose the cosmetology school route because it offers a wider education.
There’s also a program involving an additional 500 hours of training for those who wish to become cosmetology instructors.
Those who complete the program and become licensed cosmetologists can enjoy excellent employment opportunities as hair stylists, nail techs, skin estheticians and other beauty professions.
There is one caveat, however; once you’ve landed a job, you typically have to build a client base -- often from scratch.
“You always have to build up a clientele, but some cosmetologists earn $40,000, $50,000, or up to $60,000 per year,” Sievers says. “People tend to be loyal if they like your work, and if you build up a good clientele, you can always count on them coming back again because hair is always growing.”
And that’s a beautiful situation for a budding cosmetologist.