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In reply to the discussion: Did any guy here have a perm or highlights done? I EDITED it -called it frosting. Which i used to do with my own hair. [View all]NCgayguy
(253 posts)I was a hairstylist for over 20 years. I've been every shade of brown, red and blonde. (only blonde once, about a day, and then I said oh hell no!) I loved changing my hair color. As I got older, while still a hairstylist, I stayed within the natural tones of hair color with highlights. I stopped coloring my hair when I passed 50. Very few older men can pull off coloring their hair if they want a natural look. But to each his/her own. If they're happy, then I'm happy for them.
My clientele was probably 65% Women and 35% Men. 80% my clients had some type of chemical treatment. Perms lost the rage in the early 90's. Thank God I was known for Color. I booked out a year in advance. Opened the book in October and by Thanksgiving I was booked for the next year.
I will never forget the smell of perms. (the smell of money, lol) The thing is, most people did not realize that after you have a perm, you DON'T have to smell like perm. If someone smells of perms afterwards, it was not properly done. That use to crack me up! I never gave away the secret to that! Only true professional hairstylist know it, and will usually laugh if you ask what it is. Let's just say it's the difference between a real professional that takes their job seriously and someone who probably wont last in the business. After all, you get what you pay for.
I was an educator for haircare products. I spoke to crowds from 100's to a 1000 at conventions and then presented girl scouts with little treat bags of hair care products and clips and taught them about their hair at their monthly meetings. It was a blast! I loved my job! I could sell as much in retail as I made in client services.
My clientele was very diverse. I had millionaires and folks on food stamps. College students ( entire sororities and fraternities. ) IBM professionals, doctors, lawyers, farmers and florist. Entire families and even entire neighborhoods. You name it, I had it! I I loved my clientele! I miss those days! I wished I had not walked away from it. I miss my clients, most also became friends.
This was a nice trip down memory lane. Thanks debm55
edited:: after posting and rereading, I realized I sounded like I was bragging. That was not my intention. I just loved what I did for a living. Always on the go and I would go home exhausted and so happy, every night! That was a lifetime ago. Again, Thanks debm55, the memories put a smile on my face!
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