Hair Styling for Makeup Artists

Every good makeup artist knows that expanding your skill set to include new makeup techniques is a smart move for diversifying your career. Did you know that this rule applies to more than just makeup techniques? Do you think you could benefit from learning other beauty related skills, such as hair styling? If you’ve thought about mastering some basic hair styling techniques to be used hand in hand with your makeup skills, you’re already on the track to becoming an even more employable makeup artist than you already were!

Why should you learn hair styling?

Being able to provide basic hair styling services in addition to your skill as a makeup artist makes you more employable to clients. It also gives you an additional method of making money besides your regular makeup artistry work. When a client learns that you possess more diverse skills than just beauty makeup, they will likely be very impressed, and they might consider hiring you to do both services for them rather than having you do just makeup while someone else does hair. If you’re the only professional being hired as both the makeup artist and the hair stylist, you’re making extra money that might have gone to another person otherwise. Mastering basic hair styling techniques gives you a leg up in competitive hiring scenarios. If a client needs both makeup and hair styling services, and you are up against another makeup artist who is extremely talented but doesn’t know anything about hair, you are much more likely to be awarded the position!

Who might request hair styling services from a makeup artist?

There are plenty of scenarios where hair styling skills will come in handy for you as a professional makeup artist! At a free lance level, brides might be very enthusiastic to find out that they could pay one rate for you to do both, rather than hiring two separate people to do their makeup and hair for their wedding. Even within the film industry, knowing how to style hair can be very beneficial. Many productions are only granted a specific amount of money to spend on actors’ hair and makeup, so if you can save them from having to hire two separate people and therefore making two payments, you are more likely to get the job and be paid more than if you could only offer one service. Modeling agencies running photo shoots and runway shows, theatre companies with big productions, and many other potential makeup artistry clients also have need of hair stylists. Imagine how pleased they’ll be to hear that you are both!

What will you learn in our hair styling course?

It’s important for you to note the key differences between courses that offer lessons in styling hair and those that also teach techniques for cutting and coloring hair. Licensing requirements for hair cutting and coloring vary widely, so our course will focus specifically on methods of styling. You will learn how to use tools like brushes, curling irons, and flat irons to alter the shape and style of the hair without actually making permanent changes to its structure. Even so, it will be necessary for you to verify the licensing requirements in your local area before you begin working in the industry. In some places, hair stylists are required to undergo a formal licensing process before they can do any work with hair in exchange for payment.

What kinds of things are most useful for you to learn?

There are several skills that are fundamental to basic hair styling and it will be necessary for you to master them in order to market yourself as both a makeup artist and a hair stylist. Using heat tools will be crucial, and so will learning different brushing technqiues. You’ll discover which styles need volume and curl, which ones need waves, and which need to be sleek and straight. Tactics for pinning and back brushing hair will be useful for creating gorgeous up-dos, and braiding is a diverse tool that all hair stylists should master. Even though you’re not dying or cutting anyone’s hair, you’re still gaining the ability to transform their whole look for the red carpet, the film set, the stage, or their wedding day!

What tools do you need to learn basic hair styling?

Basic hairstyling tools of varying qualities are accessible to just about everyone! Most tools are simple things that you’ll recognize from your local beauty or drug store, such as curling irons, curling wands, flat irons, hair pins, hair ties, pick combs, round brushes, blow dryers, hair rollers, and hair sprays. You’ll also become familiar with some additional things that the average person might not regularly use, such as Marcel irons, heat protection sprays, and smoothing serums. Most often, the hair stylists’ kit is made up of products and tools that beginners can get for affordable prices in order to learn. With more experience, high quality versions of these products can be sought for professional use. The better you are with your various styling tools, the more neatly and easily you’ll be able to create braids, curls, beehives, historical up-dos, and trendy red carpet styles!

QC Makeup Academy loves introducing our students to exciting ways of improving their skills and learning new things, including hair styling for makeup artists! Keep an eye out for new opportunities to diversify your career here!