Hair Braiding Schools in Michigan

Education Details

As a hair braider, you may come into contact with many types and textures of hair. You must be competent at working with all different types of hair, so this is an important part of your education! Between mannequin heads and clients, you should get experience with long and short, coarse and smooth, and treated and untreated hair. Since there are so many popular hair braiding techniques, you must start studying them early to be able to master all of them. Hair braiding in Michigan may involved learning about single braids, both with real hair and with extensions. Once you become skilled with this basic type of braiding, you may move onto other types of braids. They include twists, knots, cornrows, and locks. Many clients may come to you for maintenance and upkeep, so you can plan on exploring these subjects in your hair braiding curriculum. Instructors may show you how to keep braids looking smooth and sleek, teach you tricks for making braids last longer, and show you how hair must be treated to maintain the integrity of the braids.

Michigan Hair Braiding Careers

Before you can legally work as a hair braider in Michigan, you must meet training and licensing requirements set out by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. They call hair braiders "natural hair culturists" and they require natural hair culturists to complete at least 400 hours of training at an approved Michigan braiding program. You can also complete a six-month internship to meet this requirement. Hair braiders may be able to anticipate a positive job outlook in Michigan. While there are no statistics for hair braiders, since it's such a specialized profession, O*Net reports a positive job outlook for cosmetology professionals. Your hair braiding salary may be dependent on many factors, including whether you're self-employed or employed by a salon, how popular braiding is in your area, and how many styles you can do. O*Net claims that the average salary for a Michigan cosmetology professional is $20,600 per year.

Hair braiding is a skill and career that can open up lots of doors for you. Are you looking for a career at a salon that allows you to work regular hours and benefit from the salon's reputation? There are hair braiding jobs that fit into this category. Are you looking into business ownership? Hair braiding can be an excellent business ownership opportunity for driven, hardworking braiders. In fact, the New York Times indicates that hair braiding is one of the fastest growing business ownership opportunities for African-American women all across the country. Some people work out of a dedicated room in their home, while others rent out a small salon area and expand as their client base increases. Whether you become a salon owner or work for a salon as a hair braider, much of your time will be spent interacting with clients. Many clients go through multiple hair braiders before finding one that delivers the service and quality that they want. By making your clients feel comfortable and listening to what they want from their hair braiding experience, you can become the stylist that people turn to. Customer service is at the very core of this career make your clients happy and you can't go wrong.

Contact the Michigan State Board of Cosmetology

The Michigan State Board of Cosmetology can help you answer additional questions about obtaining a Michigan state cosmetology license. Hair braiding has long been a part of the hair styling landscape in Michigan. From the elite to the budding apprentices, all begin learning about the hair craft through these resources.

Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs - Cosmetology
National Accrediting Commission of Arts and Sciences
Professional Beauty Association