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I am a hairdresser, but people call us cosmetologists or beauticians as well. My customers just call me Beth, though.

I have been doing it for almost 30 years now, since 1979 to be exact. It doesn't seem like that long, but I guess it actually has been. I have seen a lot of trends come and go over the years, now that I think about it.

Well, currently I work in a little salon out of my basement. I needed to be available for the people in my family that need me. Several of my relatives are terminally ill, and I am their primary caretaker. I needed a job that would allow me to be there for them whenever they needed something, or to go to the doctor or anything else. Working out of my basement allows me to do what I love, while taking care of the people that I love.

I have a lot of relatives that are ill, and I have to go up to Michigan a lot to take care of them.

People in Michigan are very laid back. They like things that are very basic and bland, because they are not going to keep up with it.

First and foremost, I do hair, and whatever that entails. I cut, highlight, and dye hair. I work with all sorts of different colors and styles. There are some products I prefer to use over others. Sometimes, clients come in with their own products that I am not familiar with, but I try to use them as best as I can.

I had this one girl come in with blue dye for her hair, and it was nice to do something different for a change. She is always experimenting with new things, so I always get to do fun things on her. Another service I offer is waxing, so I do waxing for my clients if they want it. Most of the time I wax eyebrows and lips, but I try to do whatever they want me to do if it is at all possible.

In high school, we had a program where you were able to attend vocational school if you wanted to. One of the programs they offered was cosmetology, and it seemed interesting to me, so I went to the program and got hooked.

I always liked messing with hair. I always did crazy things with my own hair, and I always tried to do things on my brother when we were younger. I really enjoyed it, because it allowed me to be more creative. I was never one to follow the conventions of society; I even went to my own prom in a tuxedo. Doing hair allowed me to do what I wanted to do, while still being my
own person.

I went to vocational school, and then I moved to Illinois and I had to redo all of my hours. Because I had gone through school already once before, I graduated as valedictorian of my class, and began to work on the North side of Chicago. I had a family and did hair on the side, but then I went to work at a salon.

Then, we had family members who became ill, and I began to act as their caretaker. I had to keep going back and forth to take care of them, and it didn't fit my schedule as a hairdresser. You can't schedule people way ahead and expect them to wait for you. My husband made me a little shop in the basement because he knew that I still wanted to do hair, but I had to be available for the family members. It works; my customers understand, and they will wait for me, and if they don't, then I understand. It works out good for everyone involved, or at least I think it does.

It's been almost six years now, though it doesn't really feel like it. Time goes by fast.

When my husband retires, we are going to move to Michigan. My daughter is a massage therapist, and we always thought that we would open a salon and spa with a focus on natural products. We'd also like to make our own natural soaps and other little products.

I would like to do hair until I can't physically do it any more. I think I would like to work at least another 20 years, and then do whatever I want to do.

I hope to open our shop within the next five or six years. When I go up to Michigan, I have at least 10 regular clients, so I know I will have some income. I don't really need the extra income, so I could even just work part-time. Ideally, I'd like to have the salon and spa running so well that it takes care of itself.

I schedule my appointments based on my customer's schedules. I'm trying now to space it out so I get a couple days off in a week to do what I need to do around the house. It is hard sometimes, because you try to work around other people.

I greet them and try to find out what's new in their life. While we are catching up, I try to talk to them and find out what they are thinking about doing. We look at colors and pictures, and go from there. I try to do something that will be convenient for their lifestyle. While I am doing their hair, we gossip. I keep up with my customers' day-to-day lives.

I have had people ask for some really crazy things. I had a kid some in and he wanted his hair the color of his football team and then he wanted a football shaved on the back of his head. That's one that specifically stands out because it was orange and blue. It was different, but there have been numerous other things people have requested.

I try to tell them right out, because if they bring me a picture and they want their hair a certain way, and they don't have the hair for it, it's not going to be like that. Another thing, if they are not going to take the time to style their hair, I try to steer them away from certain styles. You are not going to wake up in the morning with perfect hair. Sometimes people have no hair or very thin hair, and they want this whole big thing, but it's impossible. There is a saying: 'I am a beautician, not a magician.' You can't work miracles on everyone, so you have to be realistic with them about their hair and their lifestyles; otherwise it's not going to work for them.

Right now, I am into the Victoria Beckham bob. It's hard to get a good cut that way, because it is very angled. I've had people try three times, and I haven't perfected it yet.

It depends on what I want at the time. Sometimes I color my own hair. Other times, I go to a salon down the street from me, and sometimes I go to my friends. It really depends, though, because if I am in a mood for something different, I will go to my friend. If I have something specific in mind, I will go to the salon. Sometimes you walk out of a salon with exactly what you wanted, but the next morning you wake up and you can't style it correctly. I should be able to do it, but sometimes it is more difficult than I thought. I don't have time to spend doing my own hair.

I have taken a cut in pay to work from home. At the salon, they provided my products, but I was paid hourly. I wanted to be paid on a commission basis because I can earn more, and the work is steady. I try to keep my prices low here, because I hate walking into a salon with outrageous prices. A lot of people cannot afford to pay, so they don't come on a regular basis. If you keep it at a level where people can pay and do the upkeep, it works better. That way they are not stressed out.

My husband is the main provider in the family; for that reason, I am the one to go to Michigan and take care of everything with our relatives. The money that I get from doing hair on the side goes to the extra things. I pay for some bills, when we buy new things, little things around the house, etc. It also helps with the gas it takes to go back and forth to Michigan. It's not a lot of money, but it helps.

I could not imagine not doing it, if that makes sense. I enjoy it; actually, I love it. It allows me to be creative. I find pleasure in seeing something I did on someone else. My hair is like my art, and when my customers are happy, I am happy. Everybody wins.

I do, actually. I sell Avon on the side, which is nice. I have loyal customers who buy from me religiously. It's also nice that I get what I want for free. I used to sell other little things and do little crafts, but I just ran out of time. On the other hand, what I do for my family in Michigan is kind of like a job, too. I find a kind of satisfaction in helping people. Plus, they are family, so you do what you must to help them. I don't regret any of it, and I think that is what really matters.

Actually, a lot has changed over the years. There are better products, colors, and tools. Every year, trends come and go, but it is very easy to get stuck in a rut. You just have to keep going to shows and things to continue your education. Everything is constantly changing, which is very nice. I like the diversity, and I love to try new things.

The main thing that has changed is the equipment that you use. It is gotten so much better over the years. In the old days, there were big machines or tools that were not convenient. Now, you can plug a little tool in and you are done. In the old days, we didn't even have straighteners, and now most girls have several.

I really like the people. Some people are more difficult than other people, but some people you actually look forward to seeing. I love it when somebody comes in and lets me do whatever I want, or wants to do something different. When I do something different, it's fun. It lets the creative juices flow, and it's fun. I like designing hair to go with dances and weddings. It's stressful though, too, because you don't want to be the person to ruin a special day. I try to do the best I can to give the client what they want. At the end of the day, I just do my best, and that's all that I can do.

This year, people have gotten crazier with colors and more drastic cuts like bobs. Perms are coming back. Surprisingly, big hair is coming back. Last year, people wanted more blonde-based colors and 'in-between' hair. They wanted long and wavy, or short and cute. This year's cuts are more severe, but trends come and go like the tides. What is in one season will be out the next. Trends are constantly recycled, so there is no way to tell what really is going to be the next thing.

You get the occasional clients who kind of drain you. My husband tells me that I am 10% hairdresser, 90% psychologist. It's not everyone, but there is the occasional person who comes in and zaps the life right out of you. It's hard, but you have to not take it too seriously and just brush it off. The good definitely outweighs the bad.

You really need to be a creative person who likes to work with people. Sometimes it's hard, because it can be backbreaking, tedious work, but it isn't always bad. I would also say you should continue to go to hair shows and school, because the most important thing is to keep up with the trends. Nobody wants to go to a hairdresser who is outdated.

Also, be patient. You really need to get along with people because customers want to talk to you. They want to gossip and talk about what's new in their lives. It is enjoyable for the client and for the hairdresser. If you don't like being around people, this is not the job for you. You have to find something nice and enjoyable in everyone, because if you don't, working on their hair will not be enjoyable. It's not for everyone, but if it is for you, it is a really enjoyable job.

I wish that I had learned to brush things off. I worry about my customers and whether they like their hair. I wonder if I did good enough, or if I did what they wanted. If a customer asks for something that I'm not comfortable doing, I worry that they will get mad and go somewhere else next time. I worry about all the little things and everything that could go wrong. I always rethink and go over every step of the process, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. There are so many other things that put your life in perspective. These things are so small when you compare them to the bigger things. So stop worrying, and just do the best you can. It's all you can ask for at the end of the day.

I try to just shut it out. Everything with my family taught me that friends and family are the things that really matter in the world. Someone might not like their hair, but at least they have hair. It's all really insignificant when there is so much pain in the world. I really just try to shut it off and make the best of things. I do all that I can for each customer, but sometimes it still isn't enough. I hate that feeling, but I can't let it rule my life. If I did the best that I could, the rest of it shouldn't matter. I'm doing what I love, I have people that I love, and I have a wonderful life. I have everything I could ever ask for, so why worry all the time?