Baton Rouge summer camp classes on hair care, braids for kids aims to grow love for career

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Dana Hayes is a Baton Rouge-based entrepreneur who loves her job. Hayes says she’s been a professional cosmetologist “for 30 great years.” And now she’s using her experience to teach kids how to do hair.

“My mom was the perfect example of an entrepreneur and a smart businesswoman,” Hayes said. “I learned from her as a junior stylist. At the age of 10, she began to teach me the art of cosmetology. This sparked my interest to pursue it as a career.”

This summer, she’s running Junior Cosmetology, a nonprofit summer camp for girls between the ages of 7-17. The camp will provide each student with a mannequin, a stand, styling products and styling tools.

Her students will learn basic skills including:

The proper way to shampoo and condition hair
How to blow dry hair safely and effectively
How to flat iron hair
How to braid hair

Hayes wants the young learners to feel like true professionals. So, they’ll be required to arrive in black attire, just like real stylists.

The courses won’t be boring and stuffy. She wants the participants to have fun as they’re learning.

Why Hayes opened Junior Cosmetology

Her mother inspired her to open the nonprofit in 2016. Hayes watched her mom, Mrs. Ora Lee Breaux Williams, run a salon in Port Allen for over 40 years.

“My mother’s hard work, dedication, and lasting effect on countless women motivated me and others in my family to move into the field of cosmetology,” said Hayes.

Thanks to her mother’s example, both Hayes and her sister run their own salons.

Now, she’s passing the baton on to future generations in Baton Rouge. She hopes girls who like practicing the skills will grow up to enter the profession and enjoy it as much as she does.

“I love transforming my client’s hair into something beautiful and a creation that they love,” said Hayes. “I love being a listening ear, of course. I’ve had many clients come in the salon sad or upset with life and once they get their hair styled their entire attitude has changed. My clients leave with a great big smile and ready to take on the world, and I love it!”