How Much Does It Cost to Become a Loctician?

"How much does it cost?" is one of the first questions people ask me when they are thinking about becoming a loctician. It is a completely fair question, and nothing to be embarrassed about. You are building a livelihood, and the numbers need to add up.

But the real cost is more than the course fee. It is also about tools, your workspace, your time, and what it costs to learn it wrong. In this post I go through all of it honestly, and show you a simple calculation of how quickly training can pay for itself.

If you are right at the beginning, start with the guide How to Become a Loctician and Dreadlock Artist in the UK.

The training

The price of a loctician course varies a lot, and so does what's inside it. Things that affect the price include:

• how many days you get with the teacher
• whether it is a group course or one-to-one
• whether you work on real hair models
• what follow-up you get afterwards
• whether an online course and a community are included
• whether there is a path to certification

So compare what is actually included, not just the number. In Loctician Courses in the UK: How to Choose the Right Training you will find a checklist you can use.

Tools and materials

You need a basic toolkit to get started. This isn't where the big costs are, but it pays to buy quality. Good tools last longer, and they are gentle on your hands. You can see the tools I use myself in my free guide The Tools I Use as a Professional Loctician.

If you want to offer dreadlocks with extensions or synthetic dreadlocks, materials come on top. You buy them as you get clients, and they should be built into the price you charge.

Furniture and your workspace

This is a cost many people skip, and one of the most expensive to ignore. You will be working long days with your hands raised and your eyes on the client's head. A good saddle stool, a height-adjustable client chair and good lighting are not luxuries. They are what allow you to still be working in twenty years.

See it as an investment in your body. The alternative is a sore back, neck and hands, and a shorter career.

Premises

Where you work affects your costs a lot:

• A home salon is the cheapest. You need a dedicated room, ideally with its own entrance, and no rent.
• Renting a chair in a salon gives you fixed monthly costs, but you share the overheads with others.
• Your own studio gives full control, but also rent, fitting out and more responsibility.

Wherever you work, you may need to register with your local council if you run a hairdressing business in England, and hygiene rules apply either way (GOV.UK).

Starting your own business

Most locticians run their own business, usually as a sole trader. A few costs and rules are good to know from the start:

• Registering: As a sole trader you register with HMRC for Self Assessment. It costs nothing.
• VAT: You must register for VAT if your taxable turnover goes over £90,000 in any 12-month period. Below that, it is optional. Once registered, VAT needs to be included in your prices.
• Bookkeeping and insurance: Simple bookkeeping software and public liability insurance are good to have in place early.

I am not an accountant, so please speak to an accountant or a local business adviser before you start.

Your time

Time is an investment too. In the beginning you practise on hair models, often for little or no payment, just materials. That is how you build confidence, photos and your first recommendations. And it takes time to build a client base. That is completely normal, and it is worth it.

What it costs to learn it wrong

This is the cost almost nobody counts. Learning it wrong can cost you:

• years of trial and error
• clients you have to turn away because the method doesn't work on their hair
• clients who don't come back because their dreadlocks didn't hold
• habits you later have to spend a long time unlearning
• worn-out hands, a painful back and a shorter career

When I started, I learned a technique that made my hands bleed. That cost me more than any course ever has.

What you can earn: a simple calculation

Now for the other side of the calculation. A full head of dreadlocks with extensions often costs between £700 and £1,000. It is a long appointment, often a whole day, and the price reflects the craft, the materials and the time.

My training costs €4,599, which is roughly £4,000 depending on the exchange rate. Here is what five of those clients look like:

• Five heads at £700 = £3,500. Close to covering the training.
• Five heads at £850 = £4,250. Enough to cover the training.
• Five heads at £1,000 = £5,000. The training is covered, with money to spare.

In other words: around five full heads of dreadlocks with extensions can in practice pay for the whole training.

I still want to be honest about one thing. The hair for extensions costs money, and that needs to come off. So count on five or six clients to have earned back the training. That is still only a handful of working days.

This is an example, not a promise. How quickly you earn back the investment depends on how much you work, which services you offer and how well you build your client base.

Charge for the value

Those who charge too little have to work twice as much to make a living. They burn out twice as fast, and they attract clients who are hunting for a low price rather than craftsmanship. Charge for the years of skill behind your work, for the quality you deliver and for the transformation you hold space for. The right clients will come.

My training: what's included

The Professional Loctician In-Person Training in London costs €4,599. For that you get:

• a one-to-one video call before the training
• 2 days one-to-one with me on real hair models, with me coming to you in London
• photos and video of you at work, ready to use in your marketing
• 5 one-to-one video coaching calls after the course
• guidance in our private community
• lifetime access to The Professional Loctician Online Course and 6 bonus courses
• 2 days in the salon with me every year after the training
• the opportunity to become a certified loctician through Seienstyle

Payment plans are available through Klarna.

Read more about The Professional Loctician In-Person Training in London

Frequently asked questions

Can I start without investing much?

Partly, yes. With a home salon you keep your fixed costs low. What you shouldn't save on is the training, the tools and the furniture that protect your body. That is where choosing wrong costs the most.

How long does it take to earn back the training?

It depends on how much you work and which services you offer. As the calculation above shows, the price equals around five or six full heads of dreadlocks with extensions. How quickly you get there depends on how well you build your client base.

Is there a payment plan?

Yes. Payment plans are available through Klarna, as long as Klarna approves the plan for you.

An investment in yourself

The fact that you are asking what it costs means you are taking this seriously. I like that. Because this isn't a quick way to make money. It is a craft and a profession you can live from and grow in for many years.

Do you have questions about the costs, or whether the training fits where you are right now? Send me an email at [email protected]. I will answer honestly, even if I think the time is not right for you yet.

With love,
Ann-Marie