Hairdressing and beauty

Hairdressing instructor Esther Mekenye

Two years ago when I visited Kenya for the first time I was extremely surprised about women's hairs. I took huge amounts of pictures and still now, sometimes even in Helsinki I need to photograph somebody's hair. I have seen also beautiful men's hairs.

Hairdressing instructorr Esther Mekenye says: "We teach here only how to make African type of hair. It is so different from European or Indian type of hair that for making them the hairdresser in Africa would need to take advanced courses. Hairdressing is quite interesting because there are lots of different styles that a hairdresser can create. Hairdressers can use their creative skills."

In Africa is used both natural and artificial hair to make person's hair longer. The prosess often needs lots of chemicals and takes time. Usually women wear the same hear for a month during which they wash it once. At night they have a cap on to protect their hair style.

Most of the hairdressers in Kenya have not gone any hairdressing Institute. They have learned their vocation by doing work in another person's salon.

Three types of haircovers for the night.

In the Institute they also teach facial treatments, manicure and pedicure, but students like most hairdressing. Also among customers hairdressing is more needed and there are only a few beauty salons in the country, more in cities than in the countryside.

Hairdressing is one of the vocations and works that cannot be moved abroad very easily. Here in Kenya somebody said that in cities and towns women go to hairdressing once a month and it costs usually a lot of money, about 1000 Ksh (10 euros). At night women were a hat to protect their valuable hairstyle. In the countryside and among boarding school girls the traditional African hair is usual.

Courses in the Institute start in January and June. Always in January more students are applying for a study place. The work situation is very good if a person is confident and have good skills.

If you are more interested in learning hairdressing and beauty, look at the link:

http://www.ncti.ac.ke/courses/hairdressing-a-beauty.html