Top 12 Hairstylist Skills to Put on Your Resume
A resume for a hairstylist should sparkle like a fresh gloss—technical precision, creative spark, and client warmth in one tight package. Show the skills that matter most, the ones that prove you can sculpt shape, control color, manage time, and keep clients coming back with a grin.
Hairstylist Skills
- Hair Cutting
- Coloring Techniques
- Balayage Expertise
- Blow-Drying
- Upstyling
- Keratin Treatments
- Hair Extensions
- Customer Service
- Time Management
- Product Knowledge
- Scalp Care
- Digital Booking (e.g., Square Appointments)
1. Hair Cutting
Hair cutting is the craft of shaping hair with shears, razors, or clippers to create structure, movement, and balance that flatter the wearer.
Why It's Important
Cutting sets the foundation. It frames the face, tames bulk, supports styling, and removes split ends that cause fraying. It won’t make hair grow faster, but it helps hair look healthier longer by preventing breakage and keeping lines sharp.
How to Improve Hair Cutting Skills
Practice with intent, not just repetition. Work clean sections, steady body position, and consistent tension. Map shapes to head form. Know when to build weight and when to collapse it.
Drill the basics: one-length, layers, graduation. Wet and dry. Scissors and razor. Symmetry checks every step.
Master consultation: lifestyle, maintenance level, natural texture, growth patterns, face shape. Align on length, density, and styling effort.
Tool care: balanced shears, sharp blades, guards in good condition. Clean, oil, and align regularly.
Texture fluency: adjust tension, elevation, and overdirection for straight, wavy, curly, and coily hair. Differs wildly.
Angle awareness: elevation creates layers; finger angle builds or removes weight. Own your geometry.
Speed without rush: time your sections. Set benchmarks. Quality first, then tempo.
Feedback loop: photos (front/side/back), notes on grow-out, client comments. Refine the next visit.
Strong shapes sell themselves. Precision shows.
How to Display Hair Cutting Skills on Your Resume
2. Coloring Techniques
Coloring techniques span highlights, lowlights, all-over, balayage, ombré/sombré, foiling, root smudge, lived-in blends, and corrective work. It’s chemistry and artistry intertwined.
Why It's Important
Color shifts mood and dimension. It personalizes the cut, opens creative doors, and deepens client loyalty with tailored results.
How to Improve Coloring Techniques Skills
Work from color theory, then test, record, and refine. Consistency comes from process.
Know the why: underlying pigment, level systems, tone families, porosity, pH. Respect the canvas.
Strand and patch test: predict lift, grab, and tone before a full commit.
Formulate with intent: developer strength, timing, saturation. No starved sections. Clean, even placement.
Foil craft: tension, stitch size, foil fold. Pack where brightness is wanted; leave negative space for dimension.
Correction protocols: fill when needed, neutralize unwanted tone, rebuild slowly. Gentle wins longevity.
Document everything: formulas, timing, placement maps, finish gloss. Photos in consistent lighting.
Aftercare coaching: heat settings, wash frequency, color-safe products, UV protection. Color longevity lives at home.
How to Display Coloring Techniques Skills on Your Resume
3. Balayage Expertise
Balayage is hand-painted lightening that creates a sun-touched gradient with soft regrowth. Seamless placement, feathered edges, and control over negative space make it sing.
Why It's Important
Clients love low-maintenance brightness that looks intentional for months. Done well, it feels bespoke—tailored ribbons, believable brightness, graceful grow-out.
How to Improve Balayage Expertise Skills
Pressure and saturation: surface painting vs. full saturation changes lift and line. Feather for softness, saturate where lift is needed.
Map the head: face frame pops, veil sections, money pieces, and interior panels. Balance light with shadow.
Choose your medium: clay lightener for open-air control, film/mesh for gentle incubation, foilayage for extra lift.
Tone with purpose: root smudge, mid-tone melt, end glaze. Respect porosity and pH to keep shine.
Process control: watch, don’t guess. Lift to target undercoat before toning.
Subtle hands, strong plan, clean blend.
How to Display Balayage Expertise Skills on Your Resume
4. Blow-Drying
Blow-drying shapes hair as it dries, using heat, tension, and direction to add polish, bend, and volume.
Why It's Important
It finishes the story. A sharp cut or color looks incomplete without a controlled finish that sells movement and shine.
How to Improve Blow-Drying Skills
Prep smart: detangle, heat protect, and pick products by hair type—volumizers at roots, smoothing on mids/ends.
Section tight: clean partings, clips that don’t slip. Small sections beat frizz.
Tension is king: brush and airflow aligned from roots to ends. Nozzles on; flyaways off.
Heat control: fine hair—lower heat, higher airflow. Coarse hair—steady heat, patient passes. Keep the dryer moving.
Brush choice: ceramic/metal for speed, boar mix for polish. Barrel size dictates bend.
Cool shot: lock the cuticle and the shape. Always.
Texture respect: diffusers for curls, stretch-and-set for coils, round-brush roll for bounce.
How to Display Blow-Drying Skills on Your Resume
5. Upstyling
Upstyling builds structure—updos, braids, chignons, and sculpted shapes that last through cameras, hugs, and humidity.
Why It's Important
Big moments need bulletproof hair. Upstyling shows range, boosts ticket size, and fuels referrals from weddings, events, and shoots.
How to Improve Upstyling Skills
Anchor points: strong foundations, hidden elastics, clean bases. Pins follow the curve, not fight it.
Backcombing control: compact cushions, smooth surface. Tease with purpose, not chaos.
Padding and support: build shape without over-spraying. Lightweight structure, heavy hold only where needed.
Balance and weight: counter heavy sections; keep symmetry or break it intentionally.
Longevity tests: shake, move, check weak spots. Final spray, anti-humidity shield, and discreet touch-up kit.
Timing: rehearse looks, set time blocks for prep, build, finish.
How to Display Upstyling Skills on Your Resume
6. Keratin Treatments
Keratin treatments are smoothing services that coat and seal the hair for reduced frizz, added shine, and easier styling. Formulas vary—some release fumes when heated; ventilation and product choice matter.
Why It's Important
They tame humidity, speed up home styling, and create a sleek finish for clients who want manageability without daily battles.
How to Improve Keratin Treatments Skills
Thorough consultation: hair history, prior chemical services, desired result (sleek vs. frizz-reduced), lifestyle.
Clarify correctly: deep cleanse to remove buildup so the treatment can bond evenly.
Apply with precision: fine sections, mid-lengths to ends first, avoid scalp, even saturation without excess.
Blowout and seal: smooth blow-dry, then seal with a flat iron at the brand’s recommended temperature and pass count adjusted to hair type.
Safety: ventilate the area, follow manufacturer guidance, consider low-fume or formaldehyde-free options where appropriate.
Aftercare: sulfate-free cleansers, lower heat at home, washing and tying guidelines per product (often 48–72 hours).
Maintenance plan: schedule refreshes and advise on compatible color timing.
How to Display Keratin Treatments Skills on Your Resume
7. Hair Extensions
Extensions add length, fullness, and color effects using human or synthetic hair in methods like tape-in, sew-in, fusion, and micro-link.
Why It's Important
Immediate transformation. Clients see instant volume or length, while you expand your menu and average service value.
How to Improve Hair Extensions Skills
Consult and color match: density, texture, lifestyle, maintenance commitment. Perfect the blend.
Technique range: train across systems so you can recommend the right method for the hair and the goal.
Sectioning and tension: clean partings, consistent spacing, gentle tension to protect follicles.
Row mapping: placement that respects head shape and natural fall. Avoid over-direction at hairlines.
Care education: gentle detangling, sleeping braids/silk cases, heat precautions, maintenance visits.
Safe removal: proper solvents, patience, zero tearing.
Alternatives: temporary options (clip-ins, halos) for event clients.
How to Display Hair Extensions Skills on Your Resume
8. Customer Service
Customer service is the human part: listening, advising, delivering, and following up so clients feel seen and delighted.
Why It's Important
Trust fuels rebooks and referrals. Great hair plus great care turns first-timers into regulars.
How to Improve Customer Service Skills
Active listening: mirror back what you heard. Confirm priorities before you start.
Expectation setting: honest timelines, maintenance needs, and price transparency. No surprises.
Comfort details: offer beverages, check water temp, discuss fragrance sensitivities, adjust music or lighting.
Personalization: remember preferences, note small details, tailor product recommendations.
Follow-up: quick message, care tips, rebook prompt. Service recovery plan if anything misses the mark.
Professional boundaries: clear policies for lateness, cancellations, and revisions—communicated kindly.
How to Display Customer Service Skills on Your Resume
9. Time Management
Time management is the choreography of your day—booking, processing overlaps, cleanup, and checkout—without chaos.
Why It's Important
Fewer bottlenecks, happier clients, more appointments, and less end-of-day scramble.
How to Improve Time Management Skills
Service timing standards: define average minutes for each service and track against them.
Smart scheduling: layer color processing with cuts or consults; build buffers for first-timers.
Digital tools: use appointment software with reminders, online intake forms, and waitlists to fill gaps.
Station reset SOP: same sequence every time for towels, tools, and sanitation. Muscle memory saves minutes.
Prep ahead: pre-mix, tray your tools, and label formulas before the client sits.
Policies that protect time: confirmations, deposits when appropriate, and clear late/no-show rules.
How to Display Time Management Skills on Your Resume
10. Product Knowledge
Product knowledge means understanding ingredients, benefits, and limitations—how formulas behave on different textures, and how they play with chemical services and heat.
Why It's Important
Right product, right person, right moment. Trust grows, results last, retail makes sense.
How to Improve Product Knowledge Skills
Ingredient literacy: silicones, proteins, humectants, oils, sulfates, alcohol types, heat polymers, pH. What they do and when to avoid them.
Matchmaking: fine vs. coarse, low vs. high porosity, curly vs. straight. Tailor selection, layer thoughtfully.
Compatibility rules: pre/post color, keratin-safe shampoos, bond builders, and how they affect timing and outcome.
Hands-on testing: try on mannequins and models; note slip, hold, drying time, and finish feel.
Safety sheets familiarity: know handling, storage, and first-aid guidance for backbar chemicals.
How to Display Product Knowledge Skills on Your Resume
11. Scalp Care
Scalp care supports the follicle environment—clean, balanced, calm—so hair can look its best and services last longer.
Why It's Important
Healthy scalp, happier hair. Color holds better, styles behave, flakes and irritation don’t steal the spotlight.
How to Improve Scalp Care Skills
Analyze first: dryness, oiliness, sensitivity, buildup, or inflammation. Adjust plan accordingly.
Gentle cleansing rhythm: avoid over-washing; choose cleansers that match scalp needs and hair goals.
Targeted treatments: soothing tonics for itch, exfoliating scrubs for buildup, balancing serums for oil control, hydration masks for dry zones.
Massage with purpose: light pressure for circulation without irritation.
Tool and product hygiene: clean brushes, sanitized nozzles, fresh towels. Simple and essential.
Red flags: lesions, severe scaling, sudden hair loss—refer to a medical professional.
How to Display Scalp Care Skills on Your Resume
12. Digital Booking (e.g., Square Appointments)
Digital booking lets clients schedule, reschedule, and cancel online, while you manage services, timing, reminders, and payments in one place.
Why It's Important
Fewer phone tags, fewer no-shows, clearer schedules, and a smoother client experience—day or night.
How to Improve Digital Booking (e.g., Square Appointments) Skills
Clear service menu: accurate durations, add-ons, and prices. No mystery.
Mobile-ready page: fast, clean layout, big buttons, minimal steps to book.
Automations: confirmations, reminders, rebook prompts, and thank-you messages. Reduce manual follow-up.
Policies built in: deposits, cancellation windows, and late rules shown before checkout.
Smart availability: gap-filling, waitlists, and processing overlaps to maximize your day.
Integrated intake: consultation forms and photos attached to bookings for faster service starts.
Payments and packages: multiple payment options, memberships, and bundles for repeat clients.
Reviews and retention: invite feedback post-visit and encourage future bookings with tailored suggestions.
How to Display Digital Booking (e.g., Square Appointments) Skills on Your Resume
