Ready to Enter a Hair Competition? Read These 5 Pieces of Advice First

Have you entered a hair competition? If not…what’s your hesitation? Industry legends, platform artists and even the top moneymaking stylists behind the chair all agree—competition makes you a better artist. While BTC was at Sebastian Professional’s What’s Next Awards, we asked Sebastian Top Artists for their best competition advice. Check it out, then start competing!

Check out all the photos from the What’s Next Awards!

1. Trust Your Gut
“Do what you think is right for you and work within your capabilities,” industry icon Robert Lobetta, a What’s Next Awards judge, said. “Trust your mind. Trust your hands. If you do, you have a greater chance of making something unique and special that will stand the test of time.”

2. Invest In Yourself
“Spend your money on a good model—the model is everything,” said Sebastian Top Artist Marylle Koken. “She should be young because you see everything in photos. And you need a good photographer. Be very thorough. You have to blueprint your photo shoot.”

3. Don’t Let Others Influence You
“When I competed in the early days, I remember thinking, ‘What are [judges] looking for?’ Instead of just concentrating on making it my own, I felt myself being pulled toward what I thought judges wanted,” Omar Antonio, Sebastian Top Artist, said. “When it’s all done, my goal is for you to say, ‘Maybe I didn’t win, but look at this photo, I’m so proud of it.’ Don’t look three people down and think, ‘They’re doing braids, I gotta do braids now!’ What was your plan? If you alter your plan, at the end, you’ll think it’s overdone. Stick to your plan.”

4. Free Your Mind
“Think completely outside of the box,” said Sebastian Top Artist Anthony Cole. “This industry is all about change. You have to be ready to make that change. Let what you see be an inspiration to you. And remember—less is more.”

5. Practice Makes Winners
“Competing gives a good perspective on how to create hair as an art form,” Diva Poulos, Sebastian Top Artist, said. “It allows you to be a creative artist at another level. So create! Create with a wig, a doll head, a model. Practice on different mediums.”