Star College of Cosmetology No 2

As a former student, I can honestly say that this beauty school is awful. You’ll be left waiting in the chair as a client much longer than you need to be, which is of no control of the student because they all have to wait for approval from their ASSIGNED teacher. There are only 3 teachers on the floor per 80 or more students, but as a student you get in trouble for going to anyone that is not your ASSIGNED teacher. For a school with a clientele mostly of black women and men they do not offer very many updated services for black hair. Teachers will not teach or allow students to do weave sew-​ins, dreadlocks, or clipper designs (even though they ARE advertised!!!) and Braids are charged PER braid. The school desperately needs updated student kits, salon chairs, shampoo sinks, intercom speakers to hear when your client has arrived, electrical wiring work (the outlets cannot handle 2 blowdryers running at the same time in one outlet! Necessary for any beauty school or salon!!!), the walls need to be repainted, and the stairs to the freshman department are very dangerous. There has been grip tape layed down on these small wooden stairs that’s been worn down by years of use and not replaced. I’ve witnessed several students slip and tumble down that staircase, me being one of them. There are only 2 small toilets available for ALL 100+ students AND clients. Even with DAILY cleaning, those restrooms stink to high heaven. (Meanwhile, the owners wife gets a whole restroom to herself.) the school has a horrible roach problem. And one of the teachers currently has HIV and DOES still cut with sharp shears and razors.

A $ 5 haircut is tough to beat. But having your hair insulted by the instructor shouldn’t be included in that great price. Neither should the way you’re treated as a customer in that chaotic place.
I walked in to the wrong door first of all, and was not told where to go for a while. I wandered a bit until an instructor said to go around and wait at the counter. So I did. It was busy and the students were complaining about no smoke breaks and classmates who didn’t show up. Apparently I was waiting at the wrong counter. So about 10 minutes later, I finally stood at the front counter, ready to sign in for my hair cut.
The cutting floor was a place of absolute chaos. The students all have cutting stations and mirrors. Red industrial tool carts are sprinkled throughout and students and staff bustle about, shouting across the floor to each other. In the middle is an island with mannequins’ heads of hair, in various states of styling. Clutter. Everywhere.
The students in general were dressed ok. Full-​on makeup. Most had decent hair. The place crawled with customers. Mostly elderly women getting perms, teens getting foils and highlights, a blind man getting a hair cut.
My student suggested I put my jacket and purse somewhere and take off my earrings. There was no place to put my jacket or purse. His counter was full of stuff… old looking combs, fake flowers, boxes. Clutter everywhere. I opted to set my stuff on the floor, braving the leftover hair from the last client. Gross.
I showed him the picture of my latest hair cut and said I wanted it like this, but not quite as short.
«So, a stacked swing bob,» he said. He immediately sprayed my hair down with some cold water and began to comb it out. He didn’t feel the texture of my hair first. Just doused it.
I had taken off my earrings, but wish I had made a big song and dance about the earring in my cartilage. Just about every time he combed my hair, he got his comb stuck in it. «Sorry, I keep forgetting. It’s not new, is it?» No, I’ve had it for a few years. «Oh good, then it shouldn’t be hurting too much. Now, is this the way you always part your hair?»
So he got to work cutting my hair with some of the longest shears ever. I got pretty nervous. After all, someone told me that it’s best to use shorter shears because there’s less chance of a horrendous mistake. And here I was with a student using the biggest pair of shears I have ever seen.
He got his comb stuck in my earring again. (I’d take the thing out, but it’s almost impossible to put back in. And with the way the place looked, thought I’d pick up an infection.)
Anyway, the cut didn’t take very long. He focused primarily on the back of my hair, ignoring the front and my bangs for the longest time.
«The hair isn’t parted in the usual place,» I said. «Would that affect the cut?»
«Oh. Yeah,» he said. «Yeah that makes a big difference.»
He finished and got out a hair dryer and a tiny ratty brush and dried it. Then he used a straight iron, adding a bizarre curve to the front. He called an instructor over to check the cut. I was relieved because from the front, it looked like my hair hadn’t really been cut at all.
The instructor came over and asked for his scissors and comb. He handed her a rat tail comb. «No, I mean a real hair cutting comb. And get me some decent shears. These are too big.»
«I cut hair with that comb and it’s fine. And these are my shears,» he whined. «I have big hands I need these ones.»
«I can’t work with those ones. Get me the smaller ones.»
She set to work combing out the back of my hair again. She began to cut and I felt like I was in the hands of an expert again.
«I’m not changing the shape,» she said. «But with hair this blonde, you have to make sure it’s blended so you don’t see all the cut lines in a sculpted cut. Her hair is fine and maybe a little coarse in places. Thin. It’s the hardest hair to cut besides curly hair.»
She went into further detail, saying how my hair is pretty much impossible to work with, and he shouldn’t feel bad. Gee, thanks.
«Is this your first time here?» she asked. «How’d you hear about us?»
«My friend gets her hair cut here all the time. She said you were great.»
They began telling me about my friend and how impossible her hair was to color. «It just wouldn’t take the color. I had to try so many different ones,» said the student. «But it was easy to cut. Much easier than yours. I didn’t have to do anything for body. It just did what I wanted it to.»
«Oh yes, I remember that head of hair,» said the instructor. «We had the hardest time with it.»
They finally finished and I decided I would not get my hair done there again. Even after the instructor’s intervention, my cut was lopsided.
I have renewed appreciation for my hairdresser back home. I hope there’s an upcoming lesson on customer service, respect, and class. Otherwise, they’ll be Cost Cutters for life.