VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — At Beauty Concepts Academy in Virginia Beach, getting your hair done doesn't have to break the bank — and for students learning the trade, every appointment is a hands-on classroom.
"Everyone does deserve to have good hair and feel good about themselves," Sydney Napolitano, owner and director of education, said.
Student Isabella Bastian is working toward her cosmetology degree while taking appointments with real clients at discounted prices. We talked as she curled another students hair.
According to the Beauty Concepts website, a wet cut starts at $15, a cut and blow dry starts at $25, and color services start at $20 — a significant savings compared to traditional salon pricing.
Lien Jones, director of Beauty Concepts, said the model benefits both students and the community.
"You're talking about $200 to $300 for a color [at a traditional salon] so for us it works for our students: they can get the experience and then the customers can also get it at a lower rate," Jones said.
Jones is also Napolitano's mother. Together, they have been growing the business and doing hair for decades.
"It also helps the community because then there are people out there that cannot afford to get their hair done because it is expensive today," Jones said.
Napolitano said the student salon allows the business to serve a wider range of clients.
"Having a luxury salon, it means luxury prices, but then having the school for more budget prices, you know, we want to hit all demographics in the area," Napolitano said.
Licensed instructors maintain oversight of all student work.
"We let them [take the appointment and] do the hair, but we would never let any clients walk out with bad hair and that's one thing that I would say that we stand strong in," Napolitano said.
Bastian said a recent client was so pleased she recommended Bastian's services to friends. When asked how that made her feel, Bastian had a simple answer.
"Extraordinary," Bastian said with a smile.
For Jones and Napolitano, the school is also about legacy.
"We thought that this is something that we would like to pass on and give our knowledge to other students," Jones said.
Jones and Napolitano operate other salons in the area. If you're looking to save on other beauty services, it's worth calling nail salons or massage studios in your area to ask if they offer student pricing — many do.
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