A Química nos salões de beleza: Formação do profissional cabeleireiro

Abstract

The economic and social importance of the so-called beauty industry has been providing more and more visibility to the professional hairdresser. Particularly in Brazil, it is occurring a great expansion in the sector of beauty salons, with opening of about seven thousand a month of them in all the country, mostly as individual micro enterprises according to data from SEBRA E. However, there are many failures in the formation of the professional hairdressers, which are revealed by researches that have pointing out some shortcomings related to the missing of chemical knowledges, needed for these workers to practice their profession in a more conscious and safe manner. Regarding chemistry and cosmetology, the technical courses have not kept pace with the development in the beauty industry. So, they leave gaps in the training of these professionals, whose daily practice in the beauty salons involves the use of many products and chemical reactions, that can bring risks to their own, costumer and environment health. In order to contribute to a better qualification for this professional category, the aim of this research was to discuss the official policies, hairdressers practices and representations intending to highlight and value their work. The methodology used was collecting data in João Pessoa city, on Paraiba State, Brazil, based on a questionnaire answered by eleven hairdressers and teacherhairdressers. From the answers of the interviewed, it was possible to conclude that the professional hairdressers consider very important some chemical and hair cosmetics knowledge for a more qualified and safe professional practice, in the face of hair care complexity. In addition, they made clear that hairdresser formation is not yet discussed in depth in official policies in our country, which requires more attention, rigorousness and resources for the technical courses to satisfy the increasing demand of the beauty sector.