Current Trends Academy of Hair Design in O'Fallon, MO

I have been to Current Trends Academy twice in the past year for a perm and haircut. I have been impressed with the job they did both times. They truly do their best to give you the services you are asking for. They may take a little longer than what it would take for the same services at a regular salon but, I cannot fault them on the job they did. Remember, these ladies and gents are learning and I feel the instructors are very good at helping them get the job done correctly. Just have patience and let the student do their thing and you will be pleased with the service too. You will not find a better price anywhere!!  Thank you Current Trends Academy!!

The reason that people have their hair done at beauty schools is the price. In exchange for your patience (you can literally be there all day) and your willingness to keep your mouth shut no matter how frustrated you get at poor service, you can get services that you might not be able to afford at a salon.

The first time I had my hair colored and highlighted at Current Trends, I was happy with the results. After six weeks, I had new growth, and my highlights were harder to see because the rest of my hair had faded, as red dye does. When I made the second appointment, I explained to the receptionist that I was coming in for color and highlights. When I arrived, the instructor suggested touching up the roots, touching up the highlights, and adding lowlights to give the base color the same darkness that I had gotten the first time.  The results weren't quite as good, because the lower half of my hair still looked pretty blonde from the fading.

6-8 weeks later, I called to make today's appointment. I carefully explained to the receptionist that I would be having my color retouched at the roots, with highlights and lowlights added after the color had been touched up and refreshed. When I was greeted by the student, she asked what we were doing, so I explained, as I had when making the appointment, that we would be touching up my color because of the new growth and fading, followed by adding lowlights and chunky highlights.  She looked confused and said, "Um, so we're doing highlights?"  I said, "Well, yes, but that's not all we're doing," and I explained again what the process would be.

She went to get her instructor, who said, "So we're doing highlights today?"  I began looking around for the hidden camera, because this had to be a joke.  How many people did I need to explain this to, and why wasn't the student able to comprehend what I had told her - twice now?  I repeated that we would be doing color retouching because of new growth and fading, and then adding lowlights and highlights.  (Are you tired of hearing it yet? Because I am definitely tired of saying it).  The instructor told me that there wouldn't be time for all that, because they aren't there all day on Tuesdays and Fridays, so we'd get as much done as we could and then I could come back to finish it another day.  I politely asked her what would have been the best way to explain this to the receptionist so that I didn't make the same "mistake" again.  She said - I kid you not - "You just tell her that you want a color retouch along with lowlights and highlights."  I said, "That's exactly what I did say.  Twice."  She said, "Well, they're students, so . . ."

The student retouched my roots, and the instructor told me that they could either process it as-is, or comb the dye through to blend.  Hmmm, did I want a dark stripe at the roots and then strawberry blonde everywhere else, or did I want them to blend it so it didn't look absolutely awful until they could get me back in?  Wow.  Tough decision.  I asked that it be blended.  

She then told the student that there was enough dye left to do some lowlights too, which she did, and that's all we had time for.  I asked the instructor if I would just be scheduling highlights next time or if there were still more lowlights to be done.  Having clearly forgotten every single word I had said since I got there, she said, "Well, it depends on if you're coming back sooner rather than later," as if we were done and I was talking about coming back six weeks from now.  I said, "I'm coming back as soon as you can get me in, because we aren't finished."  She said, "Oh right, then yes, tell them you want highlights."  Twilight Zone!

My advice is this.  If you can't bring yourself to pay the outrageous cost of a salon to get your hair colored every few weeks (you can spend up to $200 every few weeks for a cut, color, and highlighting), and you have a LOT of time to spend, AND if you can tolerate explaining what basic services you want at least twice to each person you talk to, with the understanding that it may still be too confusing for them and they might not even have time to do it, then by all means go to Current Trends.  It is cheaper than a salon. You just pay in other ways.

For the past year I have had the privilege of going to school here and in 6 days I graduate. I have learned so much from my instructors and have made some great friends along the way. Hair has always been a passion of mine and I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow as much as I did. Students from other schools have transferred to Current Trends due to different reasons, but have ALL loved and learned so much more here.  You truly get hands on, one-on-one learning and your instructors are so willing to help you in any way you need. They won't leave you to do anything you aren't comfortable with and I am so grateful for that!

I had debated the right time to Cosmetology school and almost held off for a few years when I would probably live somewhere else. But, I'm so grateful I didn't and that I decided to come here. I definitely looked around at different schools, but this for sure was my best option.

Thank you Heather, Jill, Casey, and Christian for teaching me a skill I have always dreamed of. I will never forget my experiences here and all that I have learned.

If you are looking to go to Cosmetology school and live in St. Louis, Current Trends has the best program around!