How Beauty School Training Can Lead to a Hair Braiding Career

By Amy Fanter

In certain cultures, braids have been an artistic expression for thousands of years. Cornrows, for example, are a traditional form of African hair art in which the braids can be simple straight lines or complex geometric designs. And while most young girls can intertwine three strands of hair together to form a simple braid, a professional hair braider absolutely needs training to perform the complex techniques popular today.

Along with knowing how to create cornrows, to succeed in a hair braiding career you must also know how to use braids to attach hair extensions. Pinch braids have become increasingly fashionable for this since the extension is secured with a string knot instead of with chemical bonds, glue, or metal clips.

Hair braiding courses typically offer instruction in:

Cornrow designs
Interlocking
Pinch braids
Tree braids
Undetectable cornrow extensions

Braiding as a Hair Career

You can charge anywhere from $30 to $1,000 to braid just one client's hair depending on the style's complexity and the time involved. You can work from home, rent space in a salon, apply for a job at a salon, or offer hair braiding along with other hair design services. You can also choose to work full- or part-time, and for yourself or for someone else. It's a career path with a lot of options.

Do Beauty Schools Benefit Hair Braiding Professionals?

A legal debate has been raging for the last few years about whether or not hair braiders need to attend beauty school and receive a cosmetology license. A hair braider, by definition, is a beautician who only offers hair braiding services and does not cut, color, or otherwise style hair. If you'd like to do more than just braid hair, then you absolutely need to attend beauty school and get licensed. But for hair braiders, the regulations vary considerably.

Back in 2006, some hair braiders accused the government of unfairly targeting a traditional African art form with a law that could put many immigrant hair braiders out of business. That law requires hair braiders to complete 1,500-hours of beauty school training and receive a cosmetology license. To do this, you must speak English, which some immigrants cannot do upon first arriving in this country.

Certain states, including New York, Florida, and Virginia, have a special braiding license. In Virginia, for example, you only need 170 hours of hair braiding training and either a certificate or diploma. Other states, like California, Arizona, and Kansas, exempt hair braiders entirely from cosmetology laws. So if you want to pursue a hair braiding career, you should check with your state cosmetology board to find out their specific requirements.

Even if your state doesn't require formal training, you should still consider it. After all, learning all the complex techniques your clients may desire can help boost both your customer base and your paychecks.

About the Author
Amy Fanter can be found working hard for her clients most mornings and playing with her daughter most afternoons.

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