has anybody gone to a training salon?

MinniMe_2

A friend in work said that the local college has a salon, open to the public. As they are all training the prices are a fraction of a normal salon and I really do mean cheap.

I'm just a bit nervous. Has anyone doen this before?

thestens

Hi,
I often get my hair coloured and cut at the local Saks training school. Although it is slower than at a normal salon, the results have always been at least acceptable and usually little different from what i would pay about £65 for - instead a cut and colour costs £20.
You need to be flexible with the date and time - the students are not able to do certain things until they reach that stage in the course and the times can be tricky if you work 9 - 5. Best to either ring or pop in and discuss it with the staff, who are very helpful at mine. Also the students are closely supervised and the decisions they make have to b discussed with the supervisor before they start.

poet123

Yes, I work in a college and often let the students do my hair, wax/dye/pluck eyebrows etc. They are well supervised and you will have no trouble.

miamoo

I agree, although I would avoid sept/oct as the students are new and I wouldnt want to be their very first subject!

alfiecat

hi i work in a college and often get cheap treatments - never had any problems they are very closely supervised. usually very slow - but you do save a fortune. last time i got my hair cut for a fiver and the girl who cut works in a city salon on a saturday and charges £30!!!! shows that anyone could be cutting your hair in a salon and they have not got a lecturer standing over them - go for it!

Skylarker

Best haircut I ever got was from a student at a local college. I was trying to grow out a heavy fringe, it was a right mess and she made it look amazing.

You do need to put a chunk of time aside though as it takes forever. They are quite slow and need to check everything with their tutor as they go along.

jenniewb

I only ever get my hair cut as a model and most of the time in an academy. Toni and Guy, Saks, Mahoganny or Vidal Sassoon, sometimes Aveda too but they tend to me in training students rather then an academy.

I would definetly recommend it. I have only had my hair cut and paid (well OK someone else paid) full price once and although the cut was good, I really think that it was too highly priced and get just as good a cut at academys/training schools.

The only drawbacks are that you quite often get talked into a graduated bob. I now just say "as long as you don't do a graduated bob you can do anything!" The cuts can also take a bit longer. I think most people seem to get their hair cut within 30 mins but it can take anything up to 3 hours at a training school (though not always that long, its just if I ask for something complicated or other then a graduated bob).

Just take a magazine, be clear about what you want- bring pictures and as many as you can, and be patient- only once have I had a cut I did not like and even then it was only because it was too safe (it was a graduated bob when I asked for layers).

Oh and remember to keep your phone off- its can be quite un nerving for students if your on the phone when they are trying to cut your hair even if they don't say so.

MinniMe_2

thanks guys! I think I will give it a go - very MSE and actually like the idea of helping out people that are learning.

eleanor73

It's fine in my experience but a bit slow so don't be in a rush to go off anywhere quickly!

melancholly

went to one and it was great, went to another and it wasn't so good.... but i should have been more pushy about what i wanted versus what they knew how to do! it was a nice cut, just took too much effort to make look reasonable in the morning. (this was a local college rather than a training salon)

i'd go again though, just making sure i was cautious. and i'd still like to try the beauty college!

prudencekitten

I used to go years ago and they were pleased to have me as my hair was long at the time and most of their clients were OAPs with perms. I had it cut and had highlights, lowlights and was always pleased with it. It was always well supervised but the other posters are right in that it took FOREVER. The students had to get each stage approved by the supervisor and there was a lot of waiting. But it was dirt cheap and as I wasn't working at the time, I had nothing to rush off for. Go for it.