Only a hairstylist can truly appreciate this: Good thing about being a hairstylist: I cut my family’s hair. Bad part: I cut my family’s hair.
Best part of styling the family’s hair: As hairstylists we do not want anyone else touching our family’s hair, or at least I don’t. My friend’s mother is a hairstylist and when I do her family’s hair I am constantly worried about her opinion.
We may ask our children what they want, but in the end, we have the final say, no other parents or opinions to contend with, until they are older and want what’s trending or worse yet, they have a significant other who chimes in. But even when our kids are determined to be different, we know, we will use the best possible products to help them achieve the “black” hair they wanted with the dark brown semi-permanent hair dye we used.
Oh, and let’s not forget the cost-NONE! I save a lot of money cutting my kids’ and husband’s hair, not to mention the chemical services number one son receives. Yes, I pay for products, but licensed hairstylists buy in bulk and receive professional discounts, which after all is said and done is still tremendously cheaper than sending them off to someone else.
Worst thing about cutting the family’s hair is cutting the family’s hair. Stranger’s kids sit better for me; mine think they can whine and complain the entire haircut. Not getting paid for my services and my products can be quite irritating, especially when they all need a cut and style around the same time for competitions, recitals, special occasions and holidays. And then it is the battle of who will go first and finding the time to fit them all into my busy schedule.
However, at the end of the day, I wouldn’t change these circumstances for the world. One of my greatest accomplishments was taking the NY State Board Exam to become a licensed hairstylist and continuing to renew my lifeline into the beauty world. Thank you Michelle Giordano for dragging me out of the house that day back in 1986. If it weren’t for my beauty culture buddy, I would never have become a hairstylist, writing this lovely column for you to read!
Sidebar: The attached photograph is of a young lady whose hair I curled today for her Sweet 16. I created the mermaid waves using my Enzo Milano Conico Grande wand.
©Deirdre Haggerty, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this article may be reproduced without prior written permission and consent from the author.
A writer, author, NY State licensed cosmetologist, beauty educator and Executive Director, Deirdre Haggerty has been actively involved in the hair and beauty industry in New York for over 30 years. Feel free to ask any question relating to hair care, beauty and skincare! Send Deirdre an email 
