There was a discussion recently on the HuffingtonPost.com about whether the rise in natural hair spells the end of black salon culture. The author, Cassandra Jacson (who herself is natural) says:
Yes, there are salons for natural hair, especially in major metropolitan areas, like Atlanta, D.C., and New York. But the natural journey is not salon focused. In fact, natural hair allows for a certain amount of freedom from salons, which is good because many natural salons cost significantly more than traditional ones. For some who are natural the cost of certain curly salons is prohibitive. In addition, there are regions where natural hair salons are few and far between. The focal point of the natural hair community seems to be online message boards and YouTube, rather than beauty shops.
My experience with salons and natural hair is vastly different from the beauty shop culture. I go to the salon no more than twice a year. Recently, I crossed one of the most powerful color lines in America: I let a white girl do my hair. She gave me a good cut, and I was back on the street in 20 minutes. In comparison, my mother whose hair is chemically straightened goes to the beauty shop every two weeks for a couple of hours. She comes home smelling of oil sheen spray and full of news. She knows everything, from the platform of candidates for the school board, to the proposed sight for the new grocery store, to who was admitted to the hospital last night. She is not just informed; she is engaged, full of laughter, concern, and outrage.
My mother is part of a powerful community that I remember fondly. When I was teenager, my hairdresser’s abusive husband showed up at the beauty shop demanding that she come outside. My mother looked up from her chair and told him to leave. A dozen heads, some in rollers, others dripping with hair dye, nodded grimly at him, before he scurried out. We could not stop what he did at home, but the beauty shop was our space, our time, our community.
Jackson goes on to say:
Right now, the beauty shop is still there, but I am not. I will not take my daughter there because I want her to love her perfect springy curls. She will hear me laugh with my sister about the time that she ‘kissed’ my ear with a hot straightening comb, but my daughter will never know how such a tool of pain could evoke such warm intimacy. I want her to love her hair as it grew out of her head, but I also want her to know a place where tired black women can shame a man with a word and look. But I cannot have it both ways.
Hmmm…. I see what Jackson is getting at. But I think the decline of the black salon has far more to do with intense competition from Brazilian, Dominican and Egyptian salons — which black women are flocking too — and far less to do with natural hair. What are your thoughts ladies?
So many negative comment about the Black salon…Anyways I have been natural for about 2 1/2 years but I personally liked my salon. My hairstylist told me in advance if she was behind, was honest with me if she could not do an hairstyle, and worked fast for doing three heads at a time and I respect that. Sure there was gossip but no one ever talked down on me and my head and how thick my hair was. My beautician was professional and s sweet lady. I feel sorry for all these women who think negatively about salons…And please our salons are going no where! Even as a natural I go to them to get a sew every now and then and women LOVE their sew ins. Black salons are here to stay.
Let me first start off saying that I love this site and have been coming here for a few years for tips and all sorts of knowledge on natural hair.
As far as the women on here who have had negative exeperiences with beauty shops, I feel you. Because of my negative situation, that led me to become natural and not depend on anyone to do my hair for me. But I also remember the days when I would go to the beauty shop with my mom and we would just hang out with the other women and gossip and trip out and also buy bootleg CDs/DVDs and everything else in between.
I have many natural friends and also friends that are permed. One of my friends just goes to the shop to visit with the other women and she’s not even getting her hair done. I think what the barber shop means to men is the same thing for women as it relates to the beauty shop. It’s a place where you can let your hair down (no pun intended). It’s a place where everyone can fellowship and talk about or even complain about their relationships, jobs and just life period.
I miss the camaraderie of the beauty shop, but not the high prices, the overbooking, and worst of all having to spend your whole day there b/c they stylist takes their sweet precious time to eat, or even leave to go pick their kids up from school or them having to run errands while you’re getting burned from the hair dryer and now your hair is stuck to your face! LOL
i guess i have mixed experiences with the black salons. my mom’s old school salon is where all the gossip happened. once though, another woman told everyone in the shop that she caught my sister sneaking out of her house while she wasn’t home. She claimed that my sis was fooling around with her son. My mom was mortified. She didn’t know what to say and didn’t feel she could defend my sister without knowing the facts. Found out later that it was the wrong “Carol”. NOT my sister. That was an awful memory. Black salons always did my hair better than any Dominican salon BUT the Dominicans were cheaper. I was in high school so when I wanted to get it wash and set, I went to the Dominicans. When I needed the full monty – relaxer, wash and set – I always went to a black salon. I even found a little Haitian salon that did an awesome job and was only 5 bucks more than the Dominicans but was practically around the corner from my house. She was never overbooked. As a matter of fact, it was usually empty, save for her and a friend. In all of these instances, I always pre detangled because I’ve always been very tender headed. So….now that I’m natural, detangling is really 1/2 the battle so it’s harder to justify going to a salon for a style…i have friends that cornrow…i suppose I get a haircut – a real one about every two years. Both times have been to multi-culti curl salons. 1st I went to Curlisto’s on 5th ave. A very gentle white? woman with wavyish hair finger detangled my hair soooo patiently. A black woman named Tameeka? gave me an awesome cut and was extremely patient and knowledgable. She showed me how to style it myself. They gave me tea. I’d be happy to support a black salon with these services. I paid around $180 for that visit. I’d have NO patience for overbooking at those prices. Then I went to Bumble and Bumble because I won a gift certificate. A black man cut my hair well but was not very patient.
From what I’m reading the reason why most people are not going to the salon is not due to the fact that they are natural. It seems like it has more to do with finding a good salon. One with good customer service, affordable prices and can provide timely service. Truly, as a New Yorker, there are many salons out there but very few that offer the three things listed.
now that i’m natural i don’t go to the salon often. about every 2-3 months to get it trimmed and for when i want to get my hair colored professionally. i think that people just have to find the right salon & stylist for their hair.
As a stylist, salon owner and a natural girl of 10+ years now, let me say first I LOVE MY CURLS! My hair has been down my back long and 2 inch short all over I love ii love it love it. As a salon owner I don’t believe the black salon is going anywhere because for every woman that a natural hair lover there’s one that one that is not! As stylists and owners we need need to change the way we run business. Over booking, inappropriate conversations and lack of professionalism are all the reasons so many have bad memories from visits to the salon. Going natural was the best thing I ever did and my daughter is natural too I want her to love herself just the way she is, but if she wants to wear a relaxer when she’s older I won’t tell her not to, I will advice and teach her how to take care of her hair. Hair styles are a choice just as clothing, shoes and jewelry or make up. Some choose to be natural some choose to were chemical straighteners, color long or short. Some make these choices because they were expected to some because the want to and yes some because they use the “n” word NAPPY! I by the way don’t use I use extremely curly. To me Nappy is negative and there’s nothing negative about our hair it is what God gave us but I don’t fault anyone that chooses to use products to achieve the look they desire. No matter what the salon is here to stay, every natural girl want a new look from time to time and that’s where color, braids, twists and combo styles come into play. Natural hair need even more TLC, it still needs cleansing conditioning and trimming and the beautiful heads of natural hair walking the streets today need to see a professional every now and the! Rock your naturals girls, rock your long, short, straight, curly, exremely curly LOL hair! It’s all about how you feel about you!
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You can go to the salon and still rock natural I have a friend that does it all the time. She goes for the scalp massages and after the wash her hair dresser lightly blow dries her hair. Just enough so she isn’t dripping out the door. You can have it both ways you just have to tell your stylist what you’re doing. I do. I’m transitioning, so my hairstylist does very minimal to my hair. I need to blow dry my hair that is just the stage that I’m at right now, but he does it on very low heat and then he lets it air dry the rest of the way. That’s cool if she wants her daughter to love her hair, but when she gets older she may think differently and it would be nice if she already had a place to go then doing the hunt. Which a lot of people have to do because they don’t know of a place off the top of their head. I remember how going to the black salon used to be an ALL DAY THING! you had people selling things in their and getting their nails done then some hair dressers were eating their lunch while you were under the dryer because they had so many heads to do. It was a funny experience. What I didn’t like about going to black salons is how some would talk about your hair like you aren’t aware of the situation. I just go to a regular salon, but He does a great job. If I need cornrows then I can go to an ethiopian shop that is what is in my area. Unless I go to Pacific Beach then I can go to a girl named Twista that works at a salon near the beach.
Before I began transitioning again, I used to go to the salons all the time for a wash and set. At first I wanted to show support to the Black salons but with the Caribbean hair sylist. Those places were always loud and the ladies would act as if they did not want to do a customer’s hair. The stylists would always use a flat iron a lot or cut my hair when I would ask for a trim. Or they would specialize in overuse of the weave glue. Then I started going to the Dominican salons and they were good when it comes to straigthening the hair but when it comes to using the heat….it was way too much. Now I am doing my hair at home and even learning from YouTube how to trim my ends. I just wished that natural hair salons were more caring to the needs of the natural haired woman.