Woman Calls Beauty School a Scam After Working for Free

A TikToker named Trenice (@niecythe1) called her cosmetology school a scam and judging from commenters, along with some allegations surrounding particular beauty schools in the United States, she’s not the only one who thinks this is the case.

Trenice writes in a text overlay of the video as she looks into the camera, “Realizing Cosmetology school is a scam [because] u get in trouble for doing your own hair, you do hair for 5 or 8hrs for free, if you refuse a client you get sent home, and most days u only get $5-10 for a full service”

However, she adds in a caption for the clip, “As stressful as cosmo school can be I’m glad I went to get the experience.”

@niecythe1 As stressful as cosmo school can be I’m glad I went to get the experience. #cosmetologystudent #paulmitchelltheschool #jheneaiko #foryou #beautyschool ♬ original sound – JHENÉ AIKO FAN PAGE

One TikToker wrote in response to her video, “So we all having cosmetology school problems?”

Another penned, “Let’s not forgot the amount of drama there is- got 20y/o beefing with 40y/o.”

Another said, “Girll I wanted to go to school soo bad [until] I found out they teach nothing about what I wanna do in [real life.]”

But some said that attending beauty school is ultimately worth it in the end.

“It’s so worth it in the end though,” a user shared. “Especially a Paul Mitchell education keep going baby girl remember after you graduate the sky is the limit.”

Someone else made a comparison to how medical schools are structured in the United States, saying, “I mean it is school, not a job.. nurses and dentists do the same thing, working on people and practicing on them for hours and not getting paid.”

A number of people have been slamming universities for the purported drop in education quality over the years. With more colleges employing adjunct professors who take on additional courses to make ends meet, and the U.S. education rankings falling behind other nations, it’s no wonder Americans are feeling “dubious” about pursuing an advanced degree.

While much has been written on college being a “scam,” beauty/cosmetology schools aren’t withheld from that conversation, either.

The Institute of Justice has written that “beauty schools use ugly practices to boost profits,” and referenced that many cosmetology institutes have been labeled as “the biggest scam in higher education.” The outlet referenced a legal dispute including La’ James International College in Iowa, which allegedly would only give students credit for their work if they were able to perform their services on paying customers, on top of other highly demanding conditions.

In short, cosmetology students at La’James were not only cutting hair for free, but they were paying to attend the school, and they would have to launch their own marketing campaigns in order to bring in clients. They would also not receive credits from their instructors if they didn’t do so, as any practice on artificial hair/mannequins didn’t count towards their degree.

The Daily Dot has reached out to Trenice via email for further comment.