The government is proposing to trim back the Hairdressers Act 2003, which will effectively allow any person to practise hairdressing with no qualifications. It is a plan that could ruin the reputation of an entire industry in just one stroke of the comb. 

Local hairdressers are up in arms, fearing scrapping regulation could spell the end of quality hairdressing, with corners being cut, chemical damage from using unsuitable dyes and wrong colours being used on different hair.

Plush Hair Design owner Debbie Woods has seen scores of apprentices come through her doors in her 30-year career.

She is just one of many who have earned their stripes to become qualified. Conversely, she would never employ someone who didn’t have the qualifications, because she respects the fact they have completed training. 

Debbie is among those who maintain hairdressing should be treated like any other trade, demanding answers on why a builder should be allowed to keep their qualifications but hairdressers who have trained for the same amount of time cannot.

She believes all hairdressers should be up-skilled with further training, rather than scrapping the mandatory three-year apprenticeships and TAFE requirements altogether. 

Hats off to these hairdressers, for they’re not backing down without a fight. A petition spearheaded by Stylists Australia, calling on NSW Premier Mike Baird to keep the mandatory qualifications in place, has already garnered close to 18,000 signatures.

It takes years for hairdressers to qualify and master their craft. Is axing compulsory qualification, which will allow anyone to call themselves a hairdresser and practise without qualification, a sign of disrespect for the industry? Some certainly think so.

No matter where you stand, we want to get what we pay for whenever we put the fate of our hair – no matter how thick or thin – into the hands of a hairdresser. One sure way to do that? Ensure they are qualified.