Being able to cut and style hair to an exception standard is an essential skill for hairdressers, and in some circumstances, other types of beauty professionals. A good way to advance your skills in hairstyling? Take an online course! We have included both free and paid courses suitable for different skill levels to ensure that you can find a course best suited to you!
But first, let’s answer a very important question – what is hairstyling?
Hairstyling is the occupation of cutting and styling hair. Hair stylists specialize in cutting, trimming, coloring and styling hair in order to enhance or maintain a customer’s appearance. Both men and women take serious pride in their appearance and hairstylists therefore have an incredibly important job that they must get right.
In the USA, every hair stylist needs a cosmetology license to cut hair. If you are hoping to start as a hairdresser, then you can achieve this licence and then progress your skills so that you can style and dress hair beautifully through online learning. Suitable for all levels, I have spent the time researching the best online hair dressing and styling courses out there. So, if you’re looking to progress your hairstyling skills, there will be an online course out there for you!
1. Hairdressing Advanced Diploma (International Career Institute)
- Level: Beginner
- Completion time: 24 to 31 weeks
- Cost: $1199 to $1599
- Certification: Yes
- Number of people who have completed the course: N/A
- Course rating: N/A
In this accredited course, that is carried out entirely via distance learning, you will learn all the hairstyling techniques you need in a couple months. You will learn how to prepare clients for salon services, how to remove chemicals from the hair, how to cut hair, how to create permanent waves, salon team coordination and much more!
You will also get access to study materials, course notes, assignments projects with constructive tutor feedback, and a tutor who will service all of your course and career questions and offer you the guidance you need to become a successful hairdresser!
Once you’ve completed this course, you will receive a graduation certificate that officially recognize your successful completion of hairstylist studies. You will also get a letter of recommendation and validation for current and future employers. This is a great way to showcase your skills to any potential employers or other salon owners.
2. Haircuts at Home: Women’s One Length Haircut (Skillshare)
- Level: Beginner
- Completion time: 17m
- Cost: 14 day free trial
- Certification: Yes
- Number of people who have completed the course: 1,283
- Course rating: N/A
In this whistle-stop class, you will learn in under 20 minutes the very basics of cutting hair. As this class is so short, it really is only for people who are wanting to learn the absolute basics of hair cutting and then have the desire to go onto learn more at a later date.
You will go over a class introduction, how to hold scissors, how to create different subsections, how to cut back in sections, how to cut side sections, hair tips and how to double check the cut. By the time this course is finished, you should have a really good understanding of basis hair cuts and should be able to practice on yourself, your family and your friends (if they’ll let you!).
3. Hair Braiding Course for Beginners – Learn 7 Basic Braids (Udemy)
- Level: Advanced
- Completion time: 1h 32m
- Cost: $54.99
- Certification: Yes
- Number of people who have completed the course: 2,790
- Course rating: 4.4/5 (out of 85 ratings)
Suitable for those who are already hair dressers but are wanting to further their skills, this course will teach you how to braid hair like a pro! Inputting braids into your style will help you create updo’s with excellent style and texture. Having the ability to create slick updo’s will increase your earning potential and your popularity!
This course will cover 7 different braids, namely: classic 3-strand braid, reverse fishtails braid, classic french braid, fishtail braid, the 4-strand braids and the infinity braid. You will learn these braids by the expert instruction of Nicole M, who is a professional hairdresser. She will teach you the different hair techniques in a simple, yet informative, manner.
4. Hair Styling Essentials: Become a Professional Hair Stylist! (Makeup Academy)
- Level: All levels
- Completion time: 1h 32m
- Cost: $799
- Certification: Yes
- Number of people who have completed the course: N/A
- Course rating: N/A
You don’t need any previous experience to get started with this course. All you need is some enthusiasm for hair styling and hair braiding.
In just over an hour and a half, you will cover how to do braids, blow-outs, updos and specific period looks. You will then also get some top tips that will help aid you in starting your own business and attracting customers. To help you learn these skills, you will receive a free starter kit, that includes a curling wand with interchangeable barrels, to help you practice.
By the end of this course, your hair styling skills should be so good that you would even be able to land a job on film, television and photography sets or any other ground breaking parts of the beauty industry!
5. Extensions & Hair Styling (International Open Academy)
- Level: All levels
- Completion time: N/A
- Cost: $1119
- Certification: Yes
- Number of people who have completed the course: 9264
- Course rating: N/A
This course, offered by the International Open Academy, recognizes the importance of mind-blowing hairstyling in ensuring that ones appearance is perfect. Written by top stylist who has many years experience in all areas of hairstyling, you will gather an in-depth understanding of the importance of working with different types of hair.
As well as looking at different hair types, you will also take a look at the structure of hair, the scalp, and the history of hair. Once you’ve covered the basics, you will then learn different hair colors and shapes, how to wash hair professionally and how to style hair to add volume and curls. On top of this, you will then take a look at men’s hair, up-styling, extensions and different hairstyles. After completing this accredited course, you should be able to join others in the exciting, creative and glamorous career that is being a hair stylist!
6. Hairstyling (Udemy)
- Level: Beginner
- Completion time: 1h 55m
- Cost: $39.99
- Certification: No
- Number of people who have completed the course: 125
- Course rating: 3.8/5 (out of 37 ratings)
No prior knowledge is required to complete this Udemy course. By the end, even complete beginners will be able to do various hairstyles with confidence. You will be taught how to conduct various types of hairstyles, including cornrows, crochet, sewn-in braids and hair extension feathering.
Taught by Esther Lawal, who has been a hairdresser since 2000, you will get an in-depth insight into the different hair styling techniques. When you leave this course, you will be able to apply different hair styling techniques and skills to the real, professional world and become an amazing hairdresser.
7. Organic Haircare Business Diploma Course (Centre of Excellence)
- Level: Intermediate to Advanced
- Completion time: 50-250h
- Cost: $127.00
- Certification: Yes
- Number of people who have completed the course: 520
- Course rating: N/A
Taking approximately 150 hours to complete, there is no time limit for completing this course so it can be studied and completed in your own time! Essentially, in this course you will learn how to care for hair using safe and organic products.
Modules will begin by covering the anatomy and physiology of the hair and its history. You will then take a look at different hair types (e.g., dry, greasy, wavy or curly) and what organic treatments can be used to treat these different types. The course then takes a look at Asian, Indian and African-Caribbean hair so that you can learn how to best look after the lots of hair treatment to lots of ladies! To close the course, you will then get to grips with selling organic haircare products so that you can make a profit, if you so desire.
To mark the completion of this course, you will receive two certificates which will highlight all the new organic hair skills that you have learnt to those around you.
8. Hair Salon Owner Certificate Course Online (IAP Career College)
- Level: Intermediate
- Completion time: 6 weeks
- Cost: $297.00
- Certification: Yes
- Number of people who have completed the course: N/A
- Course rating: N/A
This course is targeted towards those who would one day like to aspire to opening their own hair salon. It’s a good course for those who don’t want to cut hair themselves forever, but would like to be able to hire hairdressers to work underneath them and do the cutting!
The course will cover the different types of salons, the hair salon services, the skills and knowledge you will doing and how to find your niche. You will then take a look at how to find a salon location, how to display merchandise, hygiene and cleanliness, financial management and website and social media posts.
Once the course is completed, you will have achieved a certificate that will gain you respect as a professional and a competitive advantage over other hairdressers when marketing your services! Having this certificate will also give you a sense of achievement and confidence when starting your own practice.
9. Hair Styling Course (Michaelboychuck Hair Academy)
- Level: All Levels
- Completion time: 50 to 190h
- Cost: N/A
- Certification: Yes
- Number of people who have completed the course: N/A
- Course rating: N/A
This course will teach you how to master your hair styling skills. Taking over 100 hours to complete, there is nothing that this course doesn’t cover! You will cover the latest trends, your favorite styles and the science of hair in an effective manner. Michael Boychuck, an award winning hair dresser, will also teach you about the various tools, products and equipment that you can use to enhance a person’s look.
This course will give you all the skills you need to establish yourself as a hairdresser and learn the art correctly. It is a great course for hair stylists who are struggling to retain business because of the limited knowledge the possess.
Conclusion
So, there you have it, the 9 best hairstyling courses that are available online. These classes are suited to anyone who is wanting to develop their hair dressing and styling skills and land a job in the beauty industry.
To gather all the hair cutting and styling skills that you need, there are lots of online courses available for you. There are free courses that take only a few hours to complete or there are more expensive courses that take longer to complete!
The online classes in this list are all the best of the best. Each is taught by an experienced and dedicated teacher, and they all have lots of satisfied and happy customers. So, which course you decide take depends on your experience, funds and spare time. Do you have a huge amount of money to spend on your hairstyling skill development? Do you have a lot of spare time, or are you just looking for a quick, but effective, way to learn how to cut, style and dress hair like a pro?
