Hairdresser Training: What You Need to Know in 2025

Being a hairdresser, a professional who cuts, styles, and treats hair for clients in salons or private settings. Also known as hair stylist, it’s one of the most hands-on, client-facing jobs in the beauty industry. You don’t need a degree. You need practice. You need to learn how to hold scissors right, understand different hair textures, and build trust with people who are putting their look — and sometimes their confidence — in your hands.

Most people start with a NVQ hairdressing, a UK vocational qualification that proves you can do the job, not just talk about it. It’s not a test you study for in a classroom. It’s a checklist of real skills: blow-drying, coloring, cutting, shampooing, and managing client consultations. You show your trainer you can do it — on real people — over time. That’s what employers care about. Online online hairdressing courses, digital programs that teach hair techniques remotely, often as a supplement to hands-on training. can help you learn the theory, but they won’t let you cut hair on a mannequin, let alone a person, without real-world practice. You can’t skip the salon.

How long does it take? If you go full-time, you can finish a Level 2 NVQ in about a year. Part-time? Maybe two. Apprenticeships mix paid work with classroom learning and often lead to full-time jobs by the end. Costs vary, but many people qualify for government funding or employer support — some courses cost nothing out of pocket. The real investment? Time. And patience. You’ll mess up a few cuts. You’ll get frustrated. But every client who says "I love it" makes it worth it.

There’s no magic shortcut. No app that turns you into a pro overnight. But there’s a clear path: learn the basics, train under someone who’s been doing it for years, build your portfolio, and keep improving. The demand hasn’t dropped. People still need haircuts. Salons still need skilled staff. And if you’re willing to show up, learn, and care about the details — you’ll find your place.

Below, you’ll find real guides on what hairdressing courses actually cover, how long they take, whether you can learn online without wasting money, and how NVQs work in practice. No fluff. Just what you need to start — or move forward.