Cosmetology schools—especially the best ones—are known for giving their students a very hands-on experience. The reasons are obvious. How can you learn to cut and color hair without getting experience with real clients in a real-world salon environment? Still, as with any educational program, cosmetology training requires a certain amount of classroom learning. In fact, in cosmetology school, the classroom experience can be very intense. It can take up to 350 hours to develop a solid foundation in the classic cut, coloring, and styling techniques. Along the way, you’re guided by instructors who use tools like textbooks, video, live demonstrations, and mannequin training. Let’s take a look at that first tool—textbooks — because the textbooks a cosmetology school uses can tell you a lot about how they approach beauty education.
What’s wrong with “Milady Standard Cosmetology”?
If you’ve been searching for a cosmetology school for a while, you’ve probably encountered schools that use “Milady Standard Cosmetology” as their main textbook. If you haven’t, “Milady” is a textbook that has been used by beauty schools for about 75 years (although it has gone through many different editions in that time). The latest edition costs a little over $100 in softcover. There’s a place for Milady on every cosmetologist’s bookshelf; there’s some great information in it. But, the best schools understand that to give their students a step up in the beauty industry, they have to go above and beyond the standard texts.
Beyond the textbooks: A learning system
The leading cosmetology schools don’t simply rely on textbooks like Milady to do their work for them. Their curriculum and learning tools are developed by professionals with years of experience working with clients in leading salons. They have developed their own step-by-step systems for learning cutting, coloring, and styling hair, and once students have built up their confidence there, they move into a teaching salon environment that is more like working in a real salon than going to school. This gives students the up-to-date knowledge of techniques and styles and the genuine client experience employers are looking for from cosmetology school graduates.
What else do you need to know to choose a school?
There are a lot of different options out there for cosmetology schools. That’s why asking the right questions and touring campuses is essential to choosing one that will fit your lifestyle and prepare you for a successful beauty career. As you check the different cosmetology schools in your area, be sure to ask what textbook they use and how they developed their learning system. What else should you ask? We took a look at five other questions for a cosmetology school in this earlier article. If you would like an inside look at a state-of-the-art cosmetology school facility, hit the button below to take a free virtual tour.