Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology in Columbia, SC

I went in to get a little curly in my hair but ended up looking like a clown. I absolutely HATE it. I knew better than to do especially since tomorrow is my birthday party and now I want to cancel it. I'm so embarrassed I don't want to be seen in public.

I had my hair cut and styled by Laila Postell. My whole life, I've never known how to style my hair, hoping the hair dresser would give suggestions or ideas. Today I found the hair dresser I've always been looking for. She knew a lot about what is best for curly hair and the best products and ways to style it. She'll be moving to Ulta after her graduation next month so I'll be following her. I can't speak to the rest of the students but they seemed eager to learn, everyone was sweet and polite, and everything is a fraction of the price at a typical salon. I highly recommend!

Two thoughts -- one, you get what you pay for and two, I come here a lot and each of my experiences has been really different. Overall, I would do a two-star rating just based on the last year of haircuts. Obviously, this location is a school. There are lots of cosmetology schools in the area that offer lower cost haircuts. Most just do it better than these guys. On my latest experience, I was told there was no wait and to come on it. I was there in less than 5 mins and waited over 45 mins before I gave up and had to go back to work. If your time is not valuable this is a great place to spend the entire day waiting. I was just a tad put out. That being said, it's not always like that but I normally do have to wait a long time to get in. Student hairdressers take forever as well. So you wait on both ends of the experience. They do offer free military haircuts once a month so that's a big bonus for me. I've used them for waxes and had decent experiences as well. It's cheap so I can't complain. Like momma says..you get what you pay for. There are always trade-offs.

I came for a haircut and partial highlights.  Laurel was my stylist and though she seemed a little nervous, ended up doing a good job.  It will take longer than a typical salon due the students being educated on different techniques as they work on your hair, but if you aren't in a rush, coming here is a great way to save money on services, I'd say at least 50% off what you'd normally pay.  The instructor regularly checks in while the student is working on your hair, and at the end makes sure you are satisfied before you leave.  You also have to sign several things after you discuss the services you'd like, just making sure everyone is on the same page, which I think is a great idea.