THE NATIONAL Association of Hair Dressers and Cosmetologist (NAHC) established a chapter of the organisation in Mandeville at the Golf View Hotel recently to oversee the operations of its members in the parish.
President of the new chapter Sandra Cunningham said the aim of the organisation is to ensure that persons involved in the hair dressing and cosmetology sector are properly trained and perform in a professional way while meeting all the requirements of the laws governing their operations.
Given the complex nature and the variety of the products on the market for the beauty and hair industry, Miss Cunningham said it is important that the persons using them are highly trained and operate within set guidelines.
Guest speaker, the NAHC's President, Hyacinth Oates told the 69 members of the new chapter that it is important that they strive to further their education in order to give their customers the best available service and maintain a high standard in the profession. According to Mrs. Oates, who holds several degrees, there was once a perception that only slow learners or those who just needed a job became hair dressers. However, that has changed. She said the level of education now required to become a certified hairdresser exceeds that of many other professions.
Mayor of Mandeville Councillor Horace Williams, who was a special guest at the launch, congratulated the hair dressers for organising themselves into a professional body which he said can better represent them. As a professional body with set standards and guidelines, the public will feel assured they are getting value for money.
Last year the hair dressers joined by the town's barbers demonstrated in front of the Parish Council when the Council raised the registration fees for their operations from $1,000 to $4,000 per year.
