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Are you wondering how you could get even closer to your dream career of becoming a Curly Hair Stylist? We have you covered! I sat down with Jonathan Torch, renowned Curl Stylist and the owner of the Curly Hair Institute, to find out how to become a phenomenal curl stylist.

1. How many years have you been in the industry?
I’ve been in the beauty and hairstyling industry for over 30 years.

2. As a Curly Hair Stylist, what do you enjoy most about your job? What makes being a curly hair stylist so great?
I enjoy teaching. I teach my clients as well as my stylists how to properly handle curly hair. I find people fascinating and enjoy meeting new personalities every day. I get to embrace my personal creativity and be artistic. I also love the idea of improving a person’s self-esteem through hairstyling.

3. What inspired you to become a Curly Hair Stylist?
Knowing that curly hair is unique inspired me to become a curly hair stylist. You can’t force curly hair to act in a certain way, and no two curly heads are the same. Dealing with curly hair is exciting and there is always more to study and learn about.

4. There are pros and cons to every job. Is there anything in particular you dislike about your job?
As a hairstylist, you sometimes come across what is known to be a “difficult customer”. You never take it personally because you never know what a person has been through. However you can easily sense a person’s energy, whether it is positive or negative. Although I’ve met many people with good personalities, it is difficult dealing with the latter.

5. What is the average career path of someone who pursues a career as a hairstylist?
It takes about five years of training to become a hairstylist. In order to be a professional hair stylists you must be licensed. Those looking to become a licensed hairstylist can take an eight-month course at an accredited school. It is also recommended to take a course that includes an apprenticeship program – that way you can gain experience working in a salon environment.

6. What is an average day in the life of a curly hairstylist?
Maintaining high energy is a must. It is also important to evenly balance your energy throughout the day. You deal with many clients during the day, and it is important to give your full attention to the customer you servicing at the time.

7. What does it take to become a curl stylists?
It is so important to be passionate and dedicated. Curly hair care requires more time and patience than straight hair, which means it is essential to maintain good time management skills. You must put a lot of focus on the customer and be highly detailed. You need to be able to analyze hair and how it moves, extremely carefully.

8. Being a hairstylist, it is important to accommodate, communicate and interact with your customers. What tips do you have on accommodating your customers and communicating with them to maintain their loyalty?
Always deal with the customer’s hair-related issue first and then the social issues. Customer satisfaction generally leads to customer loyalty. When it comes to social issues, you can talk about life and social events, but try to avoid politics. Always remember that their hair is the primary reason for your customer’s visit.

9. What do you tell your apprentice who want to become curl experts?
The stress level is higher when dealing with curly hair because the issues are harder to deal with. The system used among hairstylists is generally designed for straight hair. I advise anyone who wants to be hairstylists to go to as many courses that will teach them how to improve their communication skills.

10. What advice do you have for individuals looking to pursue a career as a hair stylist?
Anyone looking to pursue a career as a hairstylist should understand that stylists are licensed to touch their customer’s hair. There are very few jobs that involve personal touch and we are one of them. The best advice I received from my mentor was “People don’t know what they want, but people definitely know what they don’t want.” So make your touch as gentle as you can – while you do need to do your job, the result does not need to be obvious that the styles was there. Use a gentle touch.

11. What advice do you have for aspiring stylists looking to own their own salon?
It takes a huge amount of management. I suggest finding a salon owner. If not, build a reliable team. Consistency is key when running a salon. But make it your goal to learn as much as you can first and continue learning – then the money and success will follow.

Big thank you to Jonathan Torch for providing advice on becoming a Curly Hair Stylists. Remaining passionate and dedicated to the art of styling curly hair will bring you one step closer to becoming a successful curl expert. If you have any questions for Jonathan, feel free to leave your comments below.