In the Beauty Industry
Stigmas, Benefits, and How to Tell Your Haters to Step Off
To you, your career is no laughing matter.
You’ve put in countless hours of hard work, studying, continued education, training, apprenticing, blood, sweat, and tons of tears to get where you are—so, no, being a beauty professional has never been a joke to you. It’s hard work. It’s dedication. It’s frustrating, rewarding, beautiful, awful, and everything you could ever want rolled into a single career.
But not everyone sees it that way. In fact, if you’ve spent any amount of time in the beauty industry—or considering diving into the beauty industry—you’ve likely heard whisperings of it from friends, family, and heck, even strangers.
Oh, the beauty industry, huh—well, you’re not going to do that forever, right?
A trade career—that’s nice…what about college?
Are you snobby enough to be in the beauty industry?
The stigmas, they abound.
So, what exactly is the issue with a career in the beauty industry?
That’s what we’re here to dive into.
We’re tackling a few of the beauty industry stigmas in this article to help better understand it, combat it, and encourage you to keep on keeping on—because what you’re doing is worthy, what you’re doing is incredible, and what you’re doing is so, so necessary.
So, What Exactly is the Stigma Surrounding the Beauty Industry?
If you don’t really understand what the stigma is that’s surrounding the beauty industry or where it comes from, then good—you’re already a few steps ahead of beating it (because it’s not something really applies to you, anyhow).
But, for so many people, there are huge roadblocks in the way when it comes to choosing a career in the beauty industry because of the stigmas that surround working in the beauty industry.
The sad part? More than one stigma exists—and to be perfectly honest, we’re not entirely sure where it all came from. Sure, we could take our best guesses at what it’s rooted in, but we literally cannot pinpoint where this started or exactly why. Here are a few of the most common stigmas we see associated with careers in the beauty industry:
It’s a Trade, so it’s not as Worthy
You didn’t go to a 4-year college for it, so it’s not a worthy career path. Because you didn’t spend your money, time, and early 20s slaving away in a university, your chosen career path must be less-than-worthy, less honorable, and less lucrative.
You Have to be a Big Snob to be in the Industry
You’re so down to earth and easy to talk to—how will you ever make it in the big-bad-boujie-beauty industry? You have to be a snob to get anywhere—that’s how it works.
It’s the Easy-Way-Out-Of-A-Career
You must not have wanted to work hard. You chose a career just doing hair instead of really applying yourself—why didn’t you try harder to do something better and more needed?
How to Talk to Skeptics—Even When They’re Close to You
Here’s the thing—stigmas exist in every single career choice.
And while these might seem like they’re super annoying because they’re ignorant, we promise you that you’re not alone in dealing with them. Just because a stigma exists doesn’t mean that it’s true—and even more so, it shouldn’t mean that it keeps you from doing something you truly love.
But, how exactly do you deal with the doubters, the skeptics, and the haters—especially when they’re super close to you (i.e. family, friends, partners, etc.)? It’s never as easy as saying “ignore them,” (although, spoiler alert, that is sometimes what you have to do).
Here are a few tips we’ve found to be helpful when talking to skeptics about your chosen career.
Come at them With Facts and Figures
Do some research and use it to your benefit. Figure out the logistics for beauty industry workers in your area, in the US, in the world, and let them know that you’re essentially working in an industry with no ceiling—the sky is the limit, friend, and use numbers to let them know it.
Have an Emotional Heart-to-Heart
No, we don’t necessarily recommend you take this approach with strangers on the street, but if you have family, friends, partners, or people you’re close to that can’t understand why you’d get into the beauty industry, take some time to sit down and talk to them.
Explain that it makes you happy, explain that it’s lucrative, and necessary. You’re making a difference, and it’s your passion—explain how.
Explain the Benefits of the Beauty Industry
Maybe you talk about the personal benefits, maybe you talk about the benefits overall, maybe you dive into a fun mix of both. Think about all of these things and make a list of what the actual benefits of the beauty industry are, and then the next time you run into a skeptic or a hater, you can combat them with that.
Does their job provide them with the flexibility yours does? Is their job as lucrative? Is their job as fulfilling?
