My parents were happy that I was learning a trade. Have been doing it a long time now and still love my job. Not many people are happy to go to work in the morning so I feel very fortunate.
Whether you choose hair or beauty you must remember that this industry is what you make it. There are no limits or barriers, you can go as far as your talent and ambition allow. Plus a lot of people are making a lot of money in our industry.It's a business like any other.
Follow your dream x

Hi,

Its not my family that need to approve of me changing my career they are all for it, my mum & sister tell me they have never seen me happier! Its my hubby! He thinks it's just another fad. Thinks it wont amount to anything! thinks i'm going to be wasteing my time & his money!!!

I've worked in a shop for that last 7 yrs and am at the stage where I no longer enjoy it! Before that worked in a sewing factory (very boring & monotanous!) for 8 years. Its not a choice that I wanted, but one I had to as it was the only job available! Plus in-between all this i had two beautifull children also

I've been doing a taster course in Health & beauty for a couple of months and love it.

I'm 31 and finaly found something that I like & enjoy doing. I'm waiting to hear back to see if I can goto college full time in september to do beauty therapy NVQ level2.

I say GO FOR IT! I wish I had realised what I wanted to do when I was younger.

All the very best to you... Oh and welcome LOL!!!

Katy xx xx

Like Mary I am a secondary school teacher, I teach ICT and work with special needs. I'm not working at the moment though, teaching or otherwise. I have always wanted to work in beauty and nails but decided myself to go to uni. To be honest I loved it at uni andI love teaching but I am really passionate about this industry.

I know your parents think they know best, but its your life and you should do what you want to do. If your heart is not into going to uni and teaching then you should follow your passion otherwise you will always wonder "what if" and you are probably never be totally settled and happy. Could you not do a degree in Beauty Therapy, they do a course near me, maybe there is something similar elsewhere? Not only that the salon where you work wants you to stay so they obviously see your passion and potential, a job you love is rare and you already have that, I wouldnt give it up for no one. keep in touch, let us know how you get on

anne xx

My parents are 110% proud of what I have done.

I'm a hairdresser always wanted to be one and even when in school the teachers told me "I'm too intelligent to be a hairdresser" yes I know how terrible that sounds but thats what they said and told me I should go to university, my parents were the first to tell me to do what I wanted (within reason)lol I'm proud I have a trade behind me, but as my mum always tells me shes proud of me whatever I achieve , if its something you really want to do then go for it , I left school after doing my g.c.s.e's and after I qualified as a hairdresser, I went back to college to do an evening course in A level psycology there lots of different options out there for you dont think you have to go to university right now , you can always do it at a later date the worlds your oyster lol

I started working in a hairdressers at 14 im 25 now qualfied nvq level 3 been in hair comps work full time in a salon and love what I do I followed my dream and in a few years I will own my own salon

goodluck with whatever you decide to do

Well aside from one manicure my mother hasn't wanted to know about my training or benefit from it. She always thought I was dense and I think she just feels I confirmed it by training to do what I do. Even very high marks in my weekly tests during my course, and having to pass to continue, didn't raise a bit of praise. Its been mentioned about it not 'coming to anything' on more than one occasion.

To those who know the situation I think I prove my love for what I want to do by the fact I keep trying. At the end of the day its a matter if finally being true to myself, and having some faith in myself to know what I want.

I just wish I'd realised that years ago. Lots of to you, your life is yours to make of it what you will, and to be happy with. After all, you have to live it!! xxx

I think I have decided...
I am going to go to university and practice my nails and tanning on the other students untill i get really really good!
After I have done my degree I am going to carry on my mobile business and/or rent a space in a salon and also do teaching. (I like to be busy!!)
If i dont like teaching though I'm going to do nails and stuff full time and do LOADS more courses!! I love learning!!
I cant wait to move out of my parents house and get some independence at Uni and I think its best that I get a degree too!
Hopefully I will get the best of both worlds!

Thank you soooo much again for all your advice and support!!

Fran xxxxxxxx

When I was younger all I wanted to do was Vet Nursing so I did school till 6th year and went straight to college and HATED it!!!, After finishing the course I went back home and became a barmaid Much to the dissapointment of my mum and grandparents! I did this because I had NO CLUE what to do anymore, I worked my way up in the industry to become a manager of a hotel by 22 (parents were so proud) then we moved back home for my OH's work and I worked in an office!! I always had an huge interest in nails, makeup etc but didnt do anything about it. After losing my grandparents, getting married and having a miscarriage all within a year, then being redundant I decided to go to college to do Beauty Therapy - mum wasnt happy! I did a short course with a friend to see if it was definately for me and I loved it! I've had the talk from them that it doesnt mean I will get a job because I've done at college etc, but yet she's happy to get a manicure and pedicure from me! I have the full support of my husband and his family as they saw how excited I was doing the short course and when I got into college. But I dont think mum will ever be happy because I didnt become a vet nurse or stay a manager.

Yeh I had the whole go to uni etc. I even heard my mum say to my brother when we were younger "make sure you keep it going with your a levels, you dont want to end up a failour like sarah!!!" I didnt do my training antil I was 22 because I had no suppot or interest from my mum. I waited untill I could afford to put myself through college. I am so so happy I did it and now own my own little mobile business...I think my mum has come to terms with the fact im not going to be anything except a nail tech and hairdresser for the forseable future!!!! Its so wierd that people see the industry like this because what about all the people in the industry who end up with there own salon or whole groups of salons..thats a business to run you cant say thats not a proper job can you??? Best of luck xxxx

Hi

When I gave up teaching my parents thought I was mad. My mum was more concerned about what the neighbours would say!
You didn't mention what degree you are thinking of doing, As someone else said - can you do one that is linked to beauty? it would also give you a lot of business skills which would be invaluable for the future

Apart from which -you make some great friends at Uni , many of whom are friends for life.
I personally wouldn't have missed it for the world, and have no regrets at all even though I didn't continue in teaching.
3 years may sound like a lifetime to devote to your studies, but it will fly by!! Plus you will have a ready made client base for your beauty/nail skills.

Good luck with your decision

Meriden x

Hey, when I originally left school I didn't know what I wanted to do. I met my husband when I was 18,got married at 21 & then relocated to Cheshire. I decided one day when I was sat at home with a 2yr old and a 6mth old to retrain. I enrolled at college and started off doing an nvq2 in make up, this then turned into an nvq2 & 3 in beauty and an nvq3 in nails.. I'm now at Uni doing a degree in spa management and have never looked back and my family have never seen me happier! Especially as my sisters have all their treatments off me!! It's hard but you have to tell your parents that this is the career you want to do..
Good luck
Xx

We are part of a seriously big, multi billion pound industry! Its about time we stopped apologising for enjoing our jobs! A good hairdresser with a good clientelle earns more than a teacher nowadays. Only the early years are minimum wage time. I get really cheesed off at how our industry is percieved by people outside it. I've made a jolly good living out of hair and beauty.

I must be one of the lucky ones as my family have always suported me in whatever I chose to do & I have never been made to feel dense for choosing to do beauty. In fact my mum was really proud when I finally set up my own salon, and my partner had been nagging me for the last 13 years to set up my own place!

On the subject of difficulty, before I went to college I had just completed my A Levels in English literature & language, biology & psychology, and my HND in beauty was harder than all of those put together.

I've still got my full time job so my Dad hasn't had much to say.

When I told him I was going to college to do nails he just brushed it to the side and said "rubbish". His actual words. He doesn't really mean anything by that though, it's just his way. He's and an old(73) chinese man. Me and my sisters laugh when he does things like that. When I can eventually leave my job to go to college he will think I'm doing the wrong thing. When I go to work in a salon to get experience he will definitely think I've made the wrong decision. However, when I open my own salon and am raking it in and much happier in my job, maybe then he'll think I've done the right thing. I know my Dad. He was so happy when I got this job and I know he's proud that I've worked for the same company for 10 years and worked my way to a decent job. I however, am very bored in this job. Hence why I'm on here everyday.

My hubby is fully supportive of me. If it were possible he'd want me to go to college this September. Financially though we're not able to do that.

My sisters are also very supportive. My younger sister said if I had my own place she'd retrain and come work for me. I said but you've just got a degree in travel and tourism management, wouldn't you want to stick with that? But she said she'd rather retrain and work for family than work for someone else. My big sister has always been interested in hair. She said if I went to college to do beauty, she'd go to do hair and we'd open up together.

They're very supportive. Now if I could get them to pay for all the training I want to do...
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I only went to an evening nails class (VTCT) to support my mum!! She had had her nails done whilst abroad and that was it, she asked if I wanted to do the course, I said no (didnt really have any interest at all!!) anyway next phone call I got from her, I was booked in with her!!! For a college year, I was working 7-4 in PC world (I hated that job too!!) then waiting for an hour for my mum to finish work, get a lift to nails class for 6pm, was there until 9pm, got dropped at my car and was home for 10:30pm!!!! what a long day!!!! but after the first two classes I was hooked!!!!!! I remember dreading Thursdays for the long day, but couldnt wait to get there at the same time.... and that feeling when I got my first acrylic "starter pack"!!!!!! I was like a kid at Christmas!!! couldnt wait to get home to read the instructions, and yes I did have a go before I knew what I was doing!! I couldnt leave it alone!!!! Wish I'd had pictures of that first set, (the one that took me about 6hours!!!) and perhaps I would feel very professional and skilled for what I do now lol

Ahhhh Them were the days