Hairstyling is an art, and hairstylists are artists. They exhibit their artistry by working with clients and creating styles that people cherish. But what makes a hairstylist stand out? Are there any skills for a hairstylist that can be a game-changer?

The answer is, of course, yes!

Becoming a successful hairstylist isn’t about styling hair and working with different hair colours. Every top-notch hairstylist has specific skills that make them an integral part of the beauty industry. Besides, the beauty and glamour world is competitive and expanding more than ever.

If you aspire to kickstart your hairstylist career in India, it’s the best time to master some potent skills to ace the trade.

Unravelling the Specialised Skills a Hairstylist Needs to Thrive

Who likes to pay for a lousy hairstyle or sloppy service? No one!

If you dream of becoming a hairstylist, you should up your game and learn everything about hair. Clients trust hairstylists who help them enhance their natural features. Mastering this aspect requires skills to connect, communicate and deliver desired results. And the list doesn’t end here!

Let’s find out what it takes to become a hit stylist and what skills you should have!

1. A knack for styling

Creativity is the lifeblood of styling. It allows the stylist to suggest a new and contemporary style that may suit their clients. Creativity skills help pro stylists understand lines and shapes with an artistic touch, allowing them to come up with flattering hairstyles without fail.

As hairstylists work with clients from all walks of life with various hair textures, lengths and face shapes, their creative and imaginative skills can rescue them. Colouring techniques and styling methods may also require them to use their artistic flair and be open-minded to learn about changing styles and emerging trends.

Read more about flattering hairstyles for different face shapes.

2.Active Listening Powress

One of the most crucial hairdresser requirements is the ability to listen to your clients in more ways than one. The initial consultation with your clients holds the most significance. It’s vital to precisely clarify what they require from your service so as to avoid any kind of miscommunication.

Before picking up your styling gear or even mixing the hair colour, ensure you and your guest share the same vision.

On top of it, many guests love sharing the highs, lows and dramas of their lives with you. It’s best to show respect by listening and carrying on the chitchat. It helps to build a healthy rapport with the client and improves retention rates.

3.Physical and Mental Stamina

Hairstylists work long hours standing on their feet with only a few breaks. Moreover, many salons are open on weekdays, evenings and weekends, so they must exhibit endurance to work long shifts.

Also, a mental capacity to satisfy hard-to-please clients is another trait essential for hairstylists. You should get prepared to bounce back during difficult times. Sometimes you may struggle with a stretch of negative reviews. Or a month where new clients are a rare sight.

4.People’s Skill to Handle Clients

Everyone knows that communication skills are essential for every profession. Beyond listening to clients, hairstylists should have an excellent line of communication with the clients and the rest of the salon staff.

Hairstylists collaborate with the team to answer phone calls, clean workstations, attend to incoming clients and understand their requirements. Effective communication helps the entire team and salon run seamlessly and makes life easier for everyone.

Further, excellent communication abilities show clients that you care and that they can place their trust in you. An effective communicator is active and prompt in resolving clients’ queries. They can clearly explain expectations and the styling processes without too much jargon.

5.Emotional Intelligence

For professionals in the beauty industry, having strong emotional intelligence is as vital as being tech-savvy, if not more. Think about it!

Everything supporting the technical work, including client retention, consultation, marketing, and conflict management, involves a person being more than book-smart. A people person who is street-smart can make a big difference in day-to-day activities and long-term success at the salon. It’s where emotional intelligence kicks in.

It also plays a crucial role in helping pro hairstylists balance their personal and professional fronts. Sure, it’s beneficial to create bonds with clients and be chatty. But keeping healthy boundaries is also significant.

6.Time Management Skills

Time management skills indeed matter in every industry. Hairstyling professionals juggle tasks left, right and centre all day long as time is money for them even more.

Moreover, it is also something many new hairstylists struggle with the most. They might ace the technical department and treat their clients with great care. But if you spend five hours on hair care and styling compared to only the required two, it’s problematic.

Waiting areas can quickly get chaotic. As a result, you may lose many potential walk-in customers who decide against being part of the chaos.

The good news is that you can learn these skills with adequate planning and preparation. Knowing your craft inside out also helps with managing time better.

Read more about five hairstyling techniques to create impressive hairstyles in less time.

Wrapping Up

In the beauty and hair care industry, opportunities are in abundance! Even if you are a newbie, you can start imbibing these skills for a hairstylist and hone your craft for a brighter future.

Yet, to improve your chances, a good understanding of the basics of hairstyling is a substantial step towards reaching your hairstylist career objective. Gaining hairstylist qualifications orients you with the intricacies of the trade you need to start a compelling career and rise above the competition.

Get off to a solid start with a Diploma in Makeup and Hairstyle Artistry from the JD Institute of Fashion Technology. The course will help you learn the skills of a hairstylist with hands-on learning prospects.