DOES YOUR HAIRDRESSER REALLY KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF KINKY/CURLY/AFRO HAIR?

Hey guyssss!!
I hope all is well! Uni is officially over for me (well until my exams in May *shriek*)! That’s my first year of uni done – I actually cannot believe it’s gone by so quickly! Time really does fly…

Hey there!!!

So I had a completely different post planned for today but I saw something yesterday that made me go “ermmmm Tara, you need to write about this”! On my daily browse of Daily Mail Online, I came across an article about the model, Jourdan Dunn. In this article, she talks about how she wears wigs virtually all the time because her hair has been so badly damaged by hairdressers “who don’t know what to do with Afro hair”. Now I don’t know if Jourdan Dunn has natural hair but, even if your hair is relaxed, your hair is still different to Caucasian or Asian hair. The article struck a chord with me because it got me thinking about some horror stories I’ve experienced or heard of in hair salons (cue memories of fine-tooth combs being dragged through my hair and going in for a trim and leaving with 6 inches gone). Now I AM NOT BASHING HAIRDRESSERS IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER! I just think it’s important that we all know how to make sure we don’t have setbacks in our hair journeys due to an unskilled hairdresser…

Jourdan Dunn (Mail Online)

• NUMBER ONE RULE: do your research – this is so important! Please please please try to find out as much as possible about the hairdresser’s capabilities before you go to them. Whether you ask friends and family, check out online reviews or ask to see pictures of his/her work, just try to find out whether he/she can actually care for kinky/afro/curly hair. Do not allow anyone to touch your hair without knowing what they’re capable of!
• Ensure you are both on the same page – ladies, if your stylist is doing something you don’t want/arguing with you on what you’re sure you want etc, pick up your bag and walk right outta there (well you might have to pay if the styling has started but you get my point)! Fair enough, many stylists are very skilled at what they do and may see that dyeing your hair honey-blonde will suit you more than platinum blonde (sorry Kim K!) but, at the end of the day, it’s your hair and your money. So if you say you want to cut one inch off, make sure he/she also understands that you want ONE INCH OFF!
• Similar to the previous point, make sure you’re very clear about what you want – looking back on any disagreement I’ve ever had with someone in my life, 99% of it was all down to miscommunication. So that being said, be very clear about what you want, whether it’s a trim, a deep treatment, braids or a dye job. If you want a funky hair cut (ugh can’t believe I just used the word funky! *cringe*) or a certain colour, bring pictures of people with that style so he/she can see exactly what you want. Show him/her exactly how much you want cut off and so on!
• If you’re not sure about the products they use, bring your own products – I am yet to find a hairdresser who will object to using your own products so go right ahead and bring yours! That way you know exactly what is going into your hair and it may even be cheaper!
• Don’t be afraid to speak up – no one knows your hair better than you do! If you know your hair will break if a fine-tooth comb is brought near it, ask him/her not to use one. If you know your hair can’t handle very high temperatures, let him/her know. Prevention is better than a cure, ladies!
• Try to stick to one or a few hairdressers – the fewer people doing things to your hair, the better! If you have just a few people who touch your hair, you can be sure they know what you like.
• Make sure the salon is clean and reputable – this is obviously not just for people with curly/kinky/afro hair! If you walk into the salon and it’s dirty or it looks very shady, you might wanna hit the road Jack!