Melvin Dalton, executive director of the Academy of Hair Design, the largest training facility of its kind in the state with five campuses, said there is increasing demand for the services of a professional hairstylist. People want to look better these days, Dalton said. They are getting out of the home and going to professionals. They used to sit at home and get a haircut. But the hair style that comes out of the kitchen isn t what is going to work these days.
Hair styles are more trendy which is requiring a professional cut and style.
Due to changing trends and times, people are putting more emphasis on their hair, spending more money on it than in the past. Hair is a considered a fashion item just like clothes. Dalton said that the chemical side of the profession, chemical alterations of hair such as specialty perms and colors, are becoming increasingly popular. These are things you can t just go to the local drug store and buy, Dalton said. Dalton said that national statistics show that there were 10,000 openings for hairstylists last year that went unfilled.