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How do you assure the hair colorist you choose is knowledgeable, competent or . . . qualified?

Any licensed barber or beautician can legally color your hair. Cosmetologists and Barbers are tested on basic aspects of hair coloring in board exams. But, I can tell you first hand, there is much more to learn in becoming an accomplished hair colorist than just becoming licensed to use hair color on the public.

Additional education is needed to become a master colorist. Unfortunately, to the demise of our profession, some learn by trial and error, or strictly by experience. Has your colorist chosen extended education in the profession of hair coloring?“So how do you find these “Board Certified” hair colorists?”

If you have been unable to find a good colorist by referral, here is one way you can assure yourself the colorist you chose has reached a higher level of competency and knows this complex subject matter.

The American Board of Certified Hair colorists, has created a program with a stringent test mechanism, created by a committee of fellow licensed professionals. The test has been developed and refined over the past 5 years to establish in the professional, a greater level of ability.

Adjustments have been made to balance the degree of difficulty of the exam, as the first year, 50% of the students failed the examination. (Only licensed barbers and beauticians can take this course. That may tell you how much the average licensed professional, is lacking, in the way of hair coloring knowledge.)

Clearly, there are various levels of ability in hair coloring. There is always more to learn about this subject. A recognized “Board Certified” colorist is an easy way for the consumer to recognize a colorist that has achieved a higher level of capability in hair coloring.

So how do you find these “Board Certified” hair colorists?

Currently, you can find these people listed in ads that run in hairstyle magazines. You can call 888-425-6578 or just go to: http://haircolorist.com/ and follow the link for finding a colorist in your area.

I know there are good, competent, hair colorists out there who are NOT Board Certified and that have gone the extra mile to get the training necessary to be superior colorists. But, I talk with a lot of consumers who have problems finding competent people. This is just an excellent resource for the consumer to be able to select those hair colorists, in their area, that have clearly reached a greater level of excellence.

The above website has a practice exam on line for professionals. I suggest any of you licensed professionals, who question if you could get any benefit in taking this course, to go there and take it. Go to, FAQ’s, Review Study Material, Practice Exam.

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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