Ep 46: Cosmetology School vs. Apprenticeships: What Hairstylists Actually Need

Описание: This week, Jade and Cataanda are diving into one of the most controversial topics in the hair industry: the apprenticeship model. Should stylists still be learning by working under someone in a salon, or is formal cosmetology school the only proper path?


Cataanda comes in hot with a strong opinion: apprenticeships need to go away. As an educator and licensed cosmetologist who's worked in product development and testing, she's passionate about formal education—not just for technical skills, but for the anatomy, chemistry, business fundamentals, and safety protocols that you simply can't learn from shadowing someone at a salon.


Jade plays devil's advocate, exploring the financial barriers that push people toward apprenticeships and whether there's a middle ground that could work. They discuss what's being lost without proper training (like knowing how to recognize an allergic reaction vs. sensitivity, proper shampoo bowl positioning to prevent strokes, and why color formulas are strict math), the problems with learning someone's shortcuts instead of the proper method, and whether the current salon suite culture is making things worse.


This conversation gets into the reality of user error with chemical treatments, why some states are trying to remove licensing requirements (and why that's terrifying), and what a better system might look like. Cataanda isn't holding back—and she knows some of her friends who came up through apprenticeships might not agree.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themanecut.substack.com (https://themanecut.substack.com?utm_m...)