Many people have a common misconception that hairdressing is a field only for women. This statement is false, and can be proven wrong by the many male students who attend Branford Academy. The State of Connecticut no longer offers a separate barbering course, and therefore requires everyone to complete 1500 hours of cosmetology which includes hair (both male and female!), skin and nail services. There used to be a choice on the licensing application to select only a barbering license, rather than a cosmetologist license, however, by doing this you are only only limiting yourself! By only getting licensed in barbering, individuals would lose the right to purchase any chemicals, and would not be able to offer any services related to those chemicals. Branford Academy’s outlook is that you should never limit yourself in the field of cosmetology. Even if a student chooses to just do barbering in their career, they should still leave all options open, because you never know where you will be in the future. A lot of men that enter the school for barbering learn that they also enjoy doing women’s hair. Even if they choose not to focus on women’s hair, men may want to open a salon one day and by having the knowledge in women’s hair, they will be able to properly oversee women’s services as well as men’s.

Today, the State of Connecticut only gives you the option for “hairdresser/cosmetician” on your licensing. This doesn’t mean you can’t call yourself a barber, as hairdresser/cosmetician is simply a title on a piece of paper that has the potential to give you endless possibilities. Justin, a male student who attends Branford Academy said “I always enjoyed hair, and I started to cut family and friends’ hair at a young age. Hair is extremely important, since you always need to look good!” Justin enrolled in school to be a barber, and if he succeeds in women’s hair as well, he will continue with it. He is leaving all doors open for his future, which is exactly what Branford Academy suggests! Justin chose Branford Academy because of the atmosphere and the unlimited opportunities they offered.