A hair color expert is a beauty professional who specializes in handling hair coloring. This includes everything from color correction for dye jobs gone bad to coloring for actors in film and television. Hair color experts need to attend a cosmetology school and apply for a license to practice, and also pursue additional training specifically in hair coloring to receive additional certifications. The more training and experience someone has, the higher the potential salary.
Hair coloring can get complicated. A hair color expert meets with clients to discuss their color needs and develop a plan suitable for their requirements. Hair color experts can come up with creative color work for clients who want to do something radically different with their hair, help clients mask gray hair, put in highlights and lowlights, and perform other hair coloring tasks. They work with permanent and temporary dyes, and are familiar with some of the aspects of hair dressing and styling.
If a client experiences a hair coloring disaster, a hair color expert can help the client salvage the situation. Several sessions may be required to correct the color, depending on how the hair was processed originally. This work requires knowing a lot about the chemistry of dyes and how they act on hair, being familiar with dye brands, and feeling comfortable working with people who may be in a state of panic or distress because of the dye job gone wrong.
One important area of work for a hair color expert is in film and television production. For reasons of continuity, it is very important to make sure an actor's hair remains of a consistent color, style, and length unless the hair is changing for a plot point, in which case the new color, style, or length will need to be equally consistently maintained. A hair color expert works with an actor during production to keep the hair looking consistent and maintain hair health, a sometimes challenging activity when hair is being heavily processed for a production.
This work requires the ability to spend long hours standing up and working with sometimes harsh chemicals. Hair color experts need a good sense of color and style, as well as the ability to follow style trends. It helps to be familiar with pop culture to accommodate clients requesting colors and styles like those they encounter in magazines, television, and movies. Good people skills are also a must, as hair color experts must be able to work well with clients and other hair professionals, sometimes under pressure.