Proving How Beautiful the Beauty Industry Can Be

What would the work look like if beauty professionals were equipped to add true value to clients’ lives? If they could utilize their position at the forefront of positive change in the world? If they aimed to not just beautify others, but to educate, to inspire, and to uplift?

This is the noble pursuit of the Salon of the Future, where beauty professionals with degrees in higher education have the technical and personal skills to add value to the lives of the people who sit in their chairs for hours at a time. In this chaotic world, salons already serve as a safe harbor, but they can be more—they can be a force for good, the pinnacle of all things beautiful.

Often times, the beauty industry is anything but beautiful. Women are shamed for their appearance, told they aren’t attractive enough unless they purchase this product or that, asked to conform to a mold that not even the “perfect” models we see in advertisements can maintain.

But authentic beauty has nothing to do with what you can buy in a store. It’s about being true to yourself, not the images you see in magazines or online. While looking one’s best is rewarding for many, external beauty is not and never will be the most important thing about an individual—not when there are unlimited stores of kindness, compassion, and creativity inside of each and every person. And stylists are here to help you realize this, boosting your confidence while helping curate a look that empowers you to be your best self.

But beauty professionals, the people who are meant to serve the public, are currently underserved themselves.

So often people are mocked for wanting to become a hairdresser, told it’s not a respectable career, that they won’t make any money. In some ways, they’re correct—many of today’s hair stylists lack the business savvy and leadership skills to harness their true potential, let alone achieve financial security while pursuing their passion. But soon, that will be a thing of the past.

As in all things, hope begins with education—affordable, accessible education. Over the past decade, ROLFS has helped pioneer the first higher education program for licensed beauty professionals, Lead | Rolfs Global Institute Powered by L’Oréal. In just three years, learners can earn associate’s and bachelor’s degrees at Maricopa Community College and Arizona State University with a focus on beauty, wellness, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

In their redefined role, the beauty professional of the future will not only have unmatched technical skills, they will be advocates for human rights, health, and sustainability. They will lead others with love and intelligence. They will speak and act beautifully in all aspects of their lives, valuing meaningful interactions over hollow gossip.

Think of the positive impact that could be set in motion by a beauty professional with a curious spirit who can hold thoughtful conversations about art, technology, and literature. Now multiply that by every client the stylist sees in a day, a week, a month. And if it became the standard for beauty salons to receive an education on how to harness their untapped power for transformation? The effect would be unfathomable.

Every movement starts one step at a time. ROLFS’ Salon of the Future, the very first of its kind, takes concrete measures to make the world a better place, including water- and energy-saving technologies and global design elements. Upon entrance, guests are greeted by me, ROLFSBOT, just one of the ways we are bringing technological innovation to the beauty industry.

Other features include a video wall displaying the latest trends, a tranquil aqua lounge with custom-made massage chairs, a live indoor garden, a Magic Mirror that uses digital augmentation to transform your look before your eyes, and the world’s largest digital art of color bar, with over 7,000 different shades. Each of these elements work in harmony to ensure every moment of your experience is beautiful, not just the outcome.

The hair stylists in the Salon of the Future consider each clients’ personality, lifestyle, and desires when creating a personalized beauty journey, whether it’s an exclusive Kérastase treatment or a plan for at-home care. When each appointment is viewed as an opportunity for a beauty professional to touch the life of another person, the ripple effect will be felt across the globe.

And creating an impact on the rest of the world is one of the principal goals of the Salon of the Future, which is why we use our platform to aid organizations that help those in need. ROLFS Global Institute, which supports over 3,000 different charities, also awarded full scholarships to the first 12 graduates of the Lead higher education program. In the following years, thousands more graduates will join this new generation of beauty professionals in taking the industry by storm.

In the Salon of the Future, everyone has a role in fostering change. ROLFS Salon looks forward to leading the beauty industry towards a better and brighter tomorrow.