LOXLEY — High school students in the cosmetology program at Baldwin Preparatory Academy are now taking clients from the general public as the Trendsetter Hair Salon opened Nov. 4.

Services provided at Trendsetter cover hair, nails, facials and styling. A haircut is $10, a shampoo and blow-dry is $15, hot oil treatment is $5, a manicure is $10, a pedicure is $15, gel nail polish is $5, a facial is $15, waxing of eyebrows, lips or chin is $5 each, and an up-do styling is $25. Cash is not accepted.

Baldwin Prep is located at 33243 State Highway 59 in Loxley. Appointments can be made by calling the school at (251) 947-8414 or by emailing vdefee@bcbe.org to book a time. Appointments are best booked on Mondays as the salon is open on Tuesday and Thursdays.

Students in the program said they enjoy the style of the classes and the skills they are learning.

Vicky Gonzalez said she didn't initially think she would like the program because she "didn't find any passion in it" before starting classes. Now, she plans to open her own salon someday.

"I definitely like doing hair, and I think I am good at it," she said. "The program definitely gives you a lot of freedom to do your own style, and I really like it."

Gonzalez previously wanted to work in medicine. She still would like to go to nursing school eventually and work as a nurse practitioner after working as a cosmetologist for a while.

Students in the cosmetology program don't earn a certification right out of high school, though there has been talk of partnering with Coastal Alabama Community College for dual enrollment classes for their cosmetology program, and graduates from the Baldwin Prep program require less months of work to earn a certificate.

"Since we've already went through almost half the program, our hours do get reduced," Gonzalez said. "Usually, it's about 18 months for a cosmetology program without this."

Another student, Maggie Smith, said she will be able to finish an apprenticeship and get certified in six months with a board exam.

Smith said her favorite part of the program is getting experience in the field.

"If this school had not opened, I probably would not have gotten into it, as much as I was interested in it," she said. "The idea of going back to school was so daunting to me, but I really enjoy this program. I enjoy having the option to do everything, especially on actual people."

Students previously practiced their techniques on mannequins and fellow students, in and out of the program, and now friends, families and strangers.

While she didn't always plan on studying cosmetology, Smith said she thinks she has found something she enjoys, specifically since she could apply it to other career fields she has considered in the past.

"For a very, very long time, I wanted to go into mortuary science, [in which] cosmetology is very necessary," she said. "To own a funeral home or work in one at a higher level, you have to have a cosmetology license. To work on a lot of movies you have to have a cosmetology license or at least some form of schooling. Pretty much everything I've ever wanted to go into, it would either help or I would need."

Even outside of the cosmetology program, Smith said she enjoyed the style of Baldwin Prep classes as they provide hands-on, somewhat-flexible class schedules for programs that end in certification or a step up in entering future careers.