Colorist Careers

From natural shades of light blonde and dark black to the many colors of the rainbow for the more adventurous types, a colorist can do it all. Whether you are bravely seeking to dye your own hair with a boxed color or are solely relying on the expertise of a professional colorist, the technology behind hair coloring has advanced into its own independent profession.

A Day in the Life

A specialized profession within the field of cosmetology, colorists (or color technicians) receive extensive hair color training in beauty school and only perform coloring services. Typically colorists work in cooperation with cosmetologists and shampooers to provide premium salon services for its clientele. While cosmetologists also receive training in coloring techniques, the extensive nature of a colorist's education enables them to learn advanced methods and gain greater in depth knowledge about coloring products.

Like cosmetologists and other salon professionals, colorists must be people-oriented and posses the ability to communicate well. They are fashion and style-minded, enjoy expressing their creative talent with hair color in new and different ways, while maintaining the expert ability to perform simple and routine coloring methods as well. To provide their clients services that keep them happy, colorists must pay close attention to their individual style and unique tastes. They must also be comfortable performing simple math skills.

Colorists perform a wide array of services from basic base color to block highlighting and toning. In addition to their expertise in many techniques, colorists work with several different types of color: temporary, semi-permanent, and permanent. Temporary color only lasts a certain number of washes and gradually fades away. Semi-permanent color can cover gray and darken hair, but never lighten it. Permanent color, which permanently changes the hair pigment, completely penetrates the hair shaft.

Success Begins with School

Although there are no additional prerequisites for entering a specialized coloring program at a beauty school (upon acceptance), a background in chemistry would be helpful. Typically, coloring programs at beauty schools have a shorter duration than more general programs lasting between six months to one year. However, training does not end there. Successful colorists not only learn a wide breadth of coloring methods, so as to appeal to the needs of every client. They also keep updated on new coloring trends and color-related products. This often means attending short training courses and beauty shows to learn the latest techniques and looks.