Education: the result produced by instruction, training, or study
Education is fundamental structure of our beauty industry. And not just education…CONSTANT education. But why? I have a few reasons, but keep in mind they are thoughts of my own and subject to debate by all parties.
First, and most importantly in my list, is the ability education has to re-inspire one’s focus. We’ve all been there, in that ditch, rut, whatever metaphore you wish to use to describe your lack of excitement about any particular area in your life; relationships with partners, a hobby you enjoy, that time period in your career that you think, “why am I still doing this?”, or “why am I not progressing up the ranks?” You may experience a feeling of unappreciation, or you may simply be deciding if this is what you REALLY want to do for a living! I once heard in a conference I attended that 3 out of every 5 hairdressers that enter in to the industry end up leaving after 5 years (unknown author and subject to change). Can you think of another job market that experiences that same phenomena? How about the education field K-12. Yes, our very own teachers. What is the #1 reason the dropping is happening? Bordom. Repetition. All of which start chipping at your ability to stay excited. Now, think back to that last motivational seminar you attended. That first day in beauty school learning roller sets and braiding. How did you feel during and after the class? EXCITED! If anything, education provides you with the mindset of remaining excited! Look at the salons that are constantly growing and ask them the cause of their successes. 100% of the time, you will hear the word ‘education’ in their top 3 reasons for success. Education has provided them to remain innovative, progressive, and hold within them a staff has been with them for several years and more. Where is your excitement level? What do you require to maintain your excitement? And when you’re in your rut, what is needed to pull you from the cracks? Find and master all three. . .and you’ve just set your self up for growth, progression and success.
Second, education gives you the ability to cater to all likes of the industry, whether it be a diverse clientel, the ability to wear the hat of salon hairdresser, session hairdresser, artistic leader, etc; all in a days work. Education is what makes you different from the person sitting next to you, or the salon down the street, or that session hairdresser that is wanting to break in to the editorial world. This area I’ve become very familiar with, due to my obsessive need to progress, and not just in one area. We’re talking educator, instructor, salon hairdresser, management, salon ownership, photowork for editorial, commercial, and collection developement, artistic leader. You name it, and I’ve ‘thought’ of being it all! Education is what continues to feed me in to this frenzy! I sit in a class, and a new interest develops. And now what? I try to develop it! It is my continued fight with myself on ‘which area do I want to FOCUS in and grow’? And which education do I need to supply myself with to develop that skill. We are after all in a highly competative market. What education are you going to set yourself up with to separate yourself from the others? What like-minded relationships are you going to surround yourself with to support that education?
Before I introduce you to Carly from the Ring A’Round Collection, let me explain to you why I chose to discuss the importance of education. The Ring A’Round Collection, not only gives you a versatile sectioning to achieve both cut and color, but it also sets you up for the ability to switch it up, and essentially ‘re-educate’ yourself; all to keep you excited and ahead of the competition.

Carly - Before
Carly has modeled with our team a few times now. She’s energetic, always excited, eager to produce beautiful imagery, and a photographer in development herself! Carly had natural, yep. . .natural. As in NEVER been colored. Let’s have a moment of silence for those who grace us with the ‘natural’ hair presence!! . . .
Okay, back to work. Carly’s natural level 6 hair needed some excitement to match her energetic persona and presence. What better way to do so than adding in some vibrant hues against a dark base to pop off of! Her haircut also needed some love. She needed a semetry to her layering to balance out ’off lengths’ and thought a curved fringe would fit her fancy. Look at the striking way her eyes are set in to her face! Fringe would be the perfect frame for them.

Carly's Color Placement
Carly’s Color is VERY similar to that of Ashley’s from the previous blog entry. Starting with a circular parting, encorporating the crown and leaving 1.5″ to 2.5″ of hair around the entire perimeter of the head, clip off. Presection sections mimic’ing a backgammon board, or visually work so. Choose which triangles you’d like the red, orange and golden to be and work accordingly. You’ll need to prelighten the sections that will be showcasing the vibrant colors to pale yellow to stain afterwards. After the prelighted sections and golden brown have been foiled, begin coloring the inner circular parting a solid golden brown, in this case, 5G + 20 Volume Developer. After fully processed (35 minutes for Paul Mitchell the color®), shampoo and give your model a power-dry to set hair to be stained by Inkworks®. Find your prelightened triangles and apply Red Inkworks® and Orange Inkworks® accordingly based on your color layout. Let process for 15 minutes followed by a cool water rinse and condition. That’s it!

Carly's Cut Placement
Like her color, Carly’s cut is equally as simple, so avoid making it difficult! Section again you circular parting, but this time, break the circle in to 4 pieces (think a plus sign (+)). Starting with the halo section around the perimeter, take a vertical section that is centered between your models eyes. Elevate to 90 degrees from the head and cut to length that you want the fringe to fall. This will now be your stationary guide. All the hair that remains in the ‘halo’ section will now be overdirected and elevated to this top section. Make sure you wrap and comb efficiently to obtain balance in shape. Once the halo is compete, take horizontal parting in your first two parting closet to the face (located in the plus sign section). First section will be directed to the fringe where the fringe will be used as a guide. Next horizontal sections will be overdirected to same section (to maintain length of the section). After complete, take vertical section from bottom right pie section, working from outside in. Overdirect to the right (parallel to wall), using a piece of your above section as a guide, and cut. Work to center. Take last section, overdirect hair to left (parallel to wall), and cut. Once finished, blowdry, refine and style!

- Carly – Before
You’ve now completed Carly’s cut and color from the Ring A’Round Collection! What’s your next step? Become the teacher. Make someone’s day by exciting them with a new educational experience. It is our jobs to not only satisfy ourselves, but that of those around us. Afterall, teamwork creates an exponentially increased experience. Refering back to the definition:
Education: the result produced by instruction, training, or study
It’s not the fact that you read this blog entry that is education. Education is the result of the entry. Result, meaning, what you choose to do with the information. Will you use it? Will you teach it? How about both? Would you agree that the amount of education provided by this, and others is endless, all dependent on what you choose to do with the information?
As always, I am excited to hear of your successes, and thank you for allowing me to feed your creativity with another lesson in the art of hairdressing.
Photo Credits:
Headsheet layout used with permission by Paul Mitchell Schools