In the height of style

Jeremy Foster-Moan at work at Serville's salon in Albany. Picture / Martin Sykes

Far from being the domain of gum-chewing starry-eyed girls in their 20s dreaming of marriage, a career in hair styling is fast-paced, competitive, more than a little challenging - and gradually attracting more men, says Jeremy Foster-Moan, a senior stylist for Servilles in Auckland.

Foster-Moan, 26, says that although styling used to be considered a career for high school dropouts and homosexual men, these attitudes are changing.

"The gay stereotype is going," he says. "I admit I didn't tell my friends when I first started, but now they all want me to cut their hair."

Statistics New Zealand figures show that 8448 people were employed as hairdressers (or hair stylists) in New Zealand in 2001. Of these, 71 per cent were employed full time and 16 per cent were men - although thousands more work casually for cash and do not declare their occupation on Census forms.

A National Certificate is the basic hair styling or barber qualification and apprenticeships last three years for styling and two for barbering. Students can choose between an apprenticeship programme which includes on-the-job training and part-time study, and full time, fast-tracked courses through private training providers.

Foster-Moan, a graduate of Servilles Academy, says his decision to train full time was expensive but worthwhile. "In an apprenticeship you spend a long time doing only basic jobs. An academy course costs more but you come out qualified to work with people's hair within a year and I think the job prospects are better."

But what's the attraction? Aren't hairdressers on their feet all day, forced to listen to intimate details of people's lives, and paid a pittance to do a job that is sometimes lousy - literally?

Foster-Moan admits his job is physically demanding and people do indeed reveal "almost anything" in the course of a haircut. But he says that wages for hair styling - most hair stylists earn between $10,000 and $50,000 - are supplemented by client and product commissions and the real reward is in observing people's reactions.

"People feel great when they leave the salon , and that's the hook. It's a positive profession and a lot of fun," Foster-Moan says.

Hair styling is not all glamour and national awards - some heads are home to lice and others have hair falling out in clumps as a result of reactions to dyes, medical treatments or stress.

As well, the chemicals in hair products are not always particularly healthy for those who frequently work with them. The OSH Cancer Panel says people with exposure to dyes and some other chemicals have an increased risk of bladder cancer. However, Foster-Moan is more wary of dermatitis. "We are made aware of all the health risks, but it seems anything can give you cancer these days. It's dermatitis that most often stops a hair-styling career."

He began considering his career in hair styling after his first visit to a salon when he was 16. "I realised I was interested in giving people the same sort of uplifting experience that I'd had."

The Hairdressing Industry Training Organisation (HITO), which administers the hairdressing apprenticeship programme, says apprentices need at least three years of secondary schooling.

Alternatively, a student can train full time towards an entry-level or advanced hairdressing qualification through a private training provider. Such providers should be NZQA-registered and offer entry-level or "foundation" courses that include most of the unit standards necessary for the National Certificate. Courses are 34 to 40 weeks. Private training costs vary and fees of $5000 or more are common.