is social media hurting the professional beauty industry?

we’d been chatting about current events, the latest celeb gossip, beauty & fashion trends… all the usual topics covered during my bi-weekly blow-outs when she suddenly noticed my scalp was less dry than usual. but when she asked about it, her tone smacked more of suspicious query than earnest interest: “girl, your scalp is looking better. healthier. did you do something different?”

I thought the fact that she noticed meant I had done something right so I was happy to share all the great deep conditioning tips I’d discovered on YouTube. but before I could finish my sentence, she rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed by my seeking help via the web or the fact that such AWESOME info exists to unlicensed regular chicks like myself.

despite the obvious annoyance in her voice, we proceeded to have an open discussion about what she called “that You Tube mess“. as a licensed hair pro, she cited the dangers in taking random advice from unlicensed folks on the web with no formal training or pro licensure. however, as a regular chick with my own hair issues (some of which were the result of regular salon visits) I am all for websites, forums and the beauty of YouTube to help educate, demonstrate and recommend products, procedures and processes for improvement. I’ve learned so much from the beauty “gurus” that I follow (while I don’t care for the guru title, I get the intent).

I’ve gathered tremendous inspiration from them over the years. and actually, there’s a growing number of pros on YouTube nowadays – cosmetologists, makeup artists, nail techs and even estheticians – all happy to share what they know, what works for them & what might work for you too.

In this day & age, it’d be wise for beauty pros to absorb the benefits of marketing via social media as oppose to protesting against it. blogs, websites, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube and Pinterest can save pros lots in advertising expenditure if utilized properly. I’ve moonlighted as a SMC (Social Media Consultant) & it’s a lot of work but so worth it with the right client who is willing to learn & grow.

you’d have to be living under a rock if you still fail to realize the impact of social media on the world today. that rock must be situated deep below the earth’s surface if you think technology is slowing down anytime soon. 

beauty professionals are doing themselves a great disservice by not embracing all the internet has to offer their business. 

Please don’t get me wrong, I get it. Licensure is a great achievement. It means you worked hard toward a goal and succeeded. Hell, I’m a newly licensed esthetician & with the cost of continuing education courses being higher than what I’d like, I value the information and resources available to me online. Thank goodness for it! And I strongly suggest other beauty pros do the same.

oddly, I stopped seeing the stylist referenced in this post shortly after our convo on social media & the beauty industry. not because I disagreed with her but because my hair started breaking off in the back of my head. really bad. the cause? hair color she’d been using which she insisted was the same strength as my beloved super gentle cellophane. It wasn’t. not by a mile. my salvation? deep conditioning treatments I discovered on YouTube & a new ah’mazing stylist I found via Yelp. 🙂

social media.   get into it.

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