‘Chosen path’ has a curl
Fargo students learn tools of cosmetology
Some people are made to serve, while others are made to give orders.
Cosmetologists are made to pamper.
Cosmetology schools have taught young women and men the skills of helping people look beautiful for years. Fargo-Moorhead has a few schools that teach the skills of cosmetology, which include hair, skin and nails.
Josef’s School of Hair has been in Fargo for 63 years. Yvonne Mascolo has worked at the school for only two months. Mascolo decided to leave her job in Texas as a hair stylist to train new cosmetologists for the working world.
During the first two months at Josef’s, new students begin their studies by learning the basics. Mascolo said the time is spent learning an introduction to the aspects of hair, such as basic hair cuts, styles and how to sculpt hair according to a client’s face design.
“ Then they come onto the floor,” Mascolo said. “It’s kind of like a minisalon.”
Students take on clients to practice what they have been taught in the classroom. The students must complete 1,800 hours of service before graduating from the school. Graduation depends on the amount of persistence students have to complete their training, Mascolo said.
The same services offered in customary salons are also offered at Josef’s to the public. Students perform hair cuts, styles, facials, manicures, pedicures and facial waxing to clients at a discounted price. All students check with instructors before sending a client out the door after completing the service, Mascolo said.
Beauty is a large part of the cosmetology lifestyle, Mascolo said.
“ People go to their hairdresser not just to talk and get their hair done,” she said. “They know they are going to look good afterwards.”
Hair stylists provide services that clients can’t complete on their own, Mascolo said. Watching and enjoying the transformation they provide for the client is a bonus in their jobs, she said.
Toni Nickle has been a student at Josef’s since September 2005. After learning the basics of hair styling and working with clients, Nickle said learning how to talk to people is the most important qualification hair stylists need to have in their career.
Customers rely on the hair stylists for an important part of their lives, Nickle said. The stylist is able to cut and style clients’ hair according to their face shape and accentuate their best features.
“ Don’t worry about what people think; if you think you look good, then that’s good enough,” Nickle said.
After receiving her cosmetology license in Minnesota, Crystal LeClair decided to add more classroom hours at Josef’s to receive her N.D. license. North Dakota requires more hours of teaching than Minnesota.
Listening is an important skill stylists acquire after working on the floor, LeClair said. Stylists need to understand their client’s perspective in order to make them feel good about themselves.
“ That’s the whole part of our job,” LeClair said. “Make them feel better on the inside by working on their outside.”
The relationship between stylist and client can grow if the stylist is able to improve how the client feels about their outer beauty, LeClair said.
Sometimes the relationship can grow into a therapy session, said Brennan Nygard, a student at Josef’s.
Nygard is about to begin his floor training next week, but he has learned the salon culture through his family and friends.
Nygard knew he would fall into one of three professions that his family has inherited in the past: business, medicine or cosmetology.
After trying Josef’s for a few weeks, the salon habits of listening to clients and looking for hair clips stuck to him.
“ I found something I really care about,” he said. “I really want to make a successful career out of this.”
Men and women can experience depressing days as a result of their outer appearance, Nygard said. Stylists are able to help their clients change their mood into a more pleasant one with a clip of the scissors or a brand-new nail polish.
“ If you don’t look good that day, your personality can change,” Nygard said.