To effectively use hair color products, a beautician must use math to measure out products. Bleaching and dyeing is an exact process, with little room for mistakes. Too much bleach or developer can turn a blond color job into a frizzy, broken mass of hair. Color formulation is a specialty area in cosmetology, with school graduates often taking extended courses in color mixing and application. Careful measurement of tones is necessary to create the multifaceted hues that are popular with today's salon client. When applying color, geometry is a great help in sectioning hair for even coverage of base color and gray tones.
Math in Hair Cutting
The art of the good haircut is based entirely on geometry and trigonometry. All cuts are worked from a center point on the head, with parts, angles and layers drawn from that point. An off-kilter placement in the beginning means a crooked, unsightly cut. Precision and calculation relative to the straight plane is necessary for the ubiquitous bob haircut. The Vidal Sassoon chain, noted for its bobs, has continued with the tradition of the razor-precise bottom line. Even a tilted, or graduated, bob has clear angles that are crafted to suit the wearer's facial structure and cheekbones. Because bobs are very popular, graduate trainees are drilled in its execution before becoming full stylists.
Math in Cosmetology Business
Cosmetology is a business that has many prices for different levels of service. To effectively charge clients, a salon owner must be able to graduate prices to get the most from every dollar. Each chair has to clear a certain amount of money to cover rent and other overhead costs. The easiest way to do this is to increase rates by percentages, or by set amounts. Using simple math, the owner will decide how much a service by a particular stylist costs. Often, he'll set a minimum that's consummate with years of experience or schooling. The stylist will then decide at the time of consultation or service if there are extra fees for long hair, additional color and other extras. Before service, the stylist must add up the costs and give the client a quote; done correctly, the quoted cost will be at or near the actual cost of the procedure. Otherwise, the stylist risks upsetting the client and losing a sale.
