21 Sep What Is a Hair Design License and Who Should Get One?
The Hair Design license is one of the most underutilized advantages a barber can have.
Most people know the Barber license.
Fewer understand what the Hair Design license adds and why it matters for building a competitive career.
The Basic Definition
A Hair Design license in Utah is a state-issued credential that authorizes you to perform chemical services on hair. These include coloring, grey blending, highlighting, permanent waving, relaxers, and thermal treatments. A Barber license alone does not cover these services. A Hair Design license, earned alongside or after your Barber training, does.
At The Barber School, the Hair Design program adds 200 hours of specialized training to the 1,000-hour Barber program, for a total of 1,200 hours. The additional hours focus specifically on the chemistry and application of color and chemical services.
Why the Chemical Services Piece Matters
Barbering is changing.
The traditional barbershop was almost exclusively focused on cuts, tapers, and shaving.
The modern shop often includes color services, grey coverage, highlights, and other treatments that clients used to visit a salon to get.
Barbers who can do it all keep their clients from going elsewhere. If someone comes to you for a fade but also wants grey coverage, you want to be the person who handles both.
Without a Hair Design license, you cannot legally do the color work. With it, you can.
Who Benefits Most from Getting It
- Barbers building a clientele that includes clients wanting color or chemical services
- Anyone planning to open their own shop eventually and wanting to offer the full service menu from day one
- Graduates who want to be hireable at both barbershops and salons, maximizing job options
- Anyone interested in specializing in grey blending or color design for men, which is a growing market segment
What the Hair Design Classes Cover
The Hair Design curriculum covers the science of hair chemistry, how different chemical services work, proper mixing and application techniques, timing, color theory, and client consultation for chemical services. You also learn how to recognize when a client’s hair is not a good candidate for a particular treatment and how to advise them accordingly.
Chemical services done incorrectly can cause significant damage to hair and scalp. The training is thorough because the stakes of getting it wrong are real.
The State Board and Beyond
After completing 1,200 hours, you sit for the state board exam covering both the Barber and Hair Design curricula. At The Barber School, 98% of students pass on their first attempt. Once licensed, you can legally perform the full range of services covered by both credentials.
Financial aid is available for the Hair Design program through FAFSA (school code 041927). The admissions team can help you figure out what you qualify for and what your total cost would look like.
Contact admissions or apply now to get started on the Hair Design program.