Curly hair comes in a range of shapes, sizes, and textures, each requiring their own unique approaches to cutting, coloring, treating, and styling. While curly hair is very common, knowledge around working with it, as well as services catered toward it, are less so. As an aspiring cosmetologist, you want to be able to comfortably and confidently welcome clients with all types of hair into your chair. To achieve this, cosmetology training that incorporates education and practical experience with textured hair is a must.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what textured hair is and what you can expect from textured hair training in cosmetology school.
What is Textured Hair?
Technically, every type of hair has texture, so what exactly does “textured hair” mean?
Across the beauty industry, the term “textured hair” refers to natural hair texture — freshly washed and free of oil, products, or styling treatments — that features a curl pattern. Don’t let the word “curl” fool you, though, as textured hair includes everything from ultra-loose waves to tight coils.
Luckily, textured hair comes with its own classification system that makes it easier to identify and understand the variety. There are three main types of natural texture — type 2 (wavy), type 3 (curly), and type 4 (coily) — and three subtypes within each of those, which categorize the looseness or tightness of a curl pattern. These are lettered from A to C, with A being the loosest and C being the tightest.
A thorough cosmetology program like Tricoci’s will ensure you get the proper education around the wide variety of textured hair types and subtypes, as well as the practical experience you need to incorporate textured hair care into your professional portfolio. Without further ado, let’s dig into what exactly this training looks like.
What To Expect From Textured Hair Training
First and foremost, at Tricoci, we believe that hair is hair, and this means making sure all different hair types and textures are addressed in our curriculum. We aim to ensure that students are so well-acquainted with textured hair — the varying growth patterns, curl types and densities — that they can work with it on day one of their professional careers. In short, textured hair training isn’t optional; it’s required.
Snap-Cap Mannequin Practice
We execute our practical training first through the use of sustainable, ethically sourced snap-cap mannequins, which allow students to easily swap out the scalp piece and practice on hair that’s as realistic as you can get, whether it’s straight or curly. Typically, straight practice hair is very similar to the real thing, whereas textured practice hair is often dry, unrealistic, and in general, incorrectly represented. This creates an inaccurate experience that then translates into difficulty working with the real thing.
These snap-cap mannequins come in a variety of skin tones, which helps students understand how certain cuts and colors work with different complexions. As a cosmetology professional, not only should you be comfortable cutting, coloring, styling, and treating any hair texture — you should also feel confident enough in your expertise to be honest with clients about the service(s) they’re seeking and guide them to the best outcome.
For example, certain hairstyles might be better suited for straight hair, and you’ll want to be able to communicate this to a client while also suggesting an alternative that’s sure to leave them happy long after their appointment.
Working With Clients
After completing the required coursework and obtaining sufficient practice on snap-cap mannequins, students finally get to perform hair services on real clients — always overseen by licensed teachers, of course. Here, you’ll get to further refine your skills and experience the breadth of textured hair firsthand, helping clients achieve a range of goals, including reshaping hair to enhance their curl pattern, overhauling their cut and color, demonstrating how to lay edges, or empowering them to embrace their natural hair through product education — 4C Afro hair care looks vastly different from that of 2A waves.
Become a Versatile Hair Stylist at Tricoci University
If you have a passion for working with hair and want to make a career out of it, it’s time to take the next step in achieving that goal. At Tricoci, you’ll get robust training that enables you to work professionally with a variety of hair types — including the long-elusive textured hair — and do it well. We’ll develop the confidence you need to help whoever sits in your chair achieve their dream hair. Check out our cosmetology program or contact us to schedule a virtual tour at a Tricoci University campus today.