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?
My memories of hair salons are not fond, so I am not shedding any tears for the decline of the “beauty shop culture.” Here’s what I remember:
1. having a room full of unsmiling faces stare at me when I walk in
2. waiting at least 1 hour before I am seen for my appointment
3. listening to negative comments from the stylist about my hair
4. sitting there while the stylist watches t.v., chats, and barely pays attention to what she’s doing to my hair
5. not being happy with how my hair looks
6. paying an obscene price
7. leaving after 4 or 5 hours
I feel you. I’ve been natural since 2004, but in my whole life I only visited the salon once when I was 18 right after high school to try a new more grown up look. The stylist cut my hair to my chin in a slight bob, and put light brown high lights. I was in that salon from about 10am to 5pm. Even though I got there first, she was doing two or three other peoples hair at the same time. That was my first and last trip, a few months later I started transitioning. The salon is so time consuming and that doesn’t fit into my lifestyle:)
I agree. I remember all of that, too, plus
8. The pain of a stinging relaxer
9. Wishing I looked like a white girl so I wouldn’t have to go through this.
Who needs it? I suppose I could mangle some of my memories into fond reminiscence if I were so inclined, but it wasn’t worth it. It was just a huge, time-sucking, expensive pain in the butt. The day I realized I had a choice in the matter (I was 18ish) was the day I stopped torturing myself trying to make my hair into something it wasn’t. That was 12 years ago, and I haven’t looked back!
Except for the fact that 1) I never wanted to look like a white girl, 2) I was 30 when I realized I had a choice and 3) it’s been almost 17 years since I went natural, this is me to a tee and this is the primary reason why I went natural. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been to a salon this century.
There is no reason why black salon culture has to end. Stylists and salon owners simply need to GET WITH THE PROGRAM. More and more customers are refusing to fall for the okey-doke.
I realize that there will have to be more naturals and more demand before prices for natural services start to drop, but until that time, if I’m going to pay $$$ for a service, I, my time, and my hair need to be treated with respect and consideration, otherwise you will not get my business. That’s called Econ 101.
I don’t know WHY black women are being made to feel guilty for making smart choices for themselves…except that historically black women have always been expected to SETTLE FOR LESS and support everybody EXCEPT THEMSELVES (and by that I mean one’s own self and family). If stylists and salon owners aren’t willing to evolve to meet the demands of their customers, then I guess they’ll just have to find another line of work. Econ 101!
Amen!
Ditto/+1. I didn’t go to salons very much when I was younger. My mother spent every Saturday doing our hair right before church service on Sunday. When I would go to a salon, I hated how long you had to wait and how much you had to pay. Even when I got my locs retwisted at a natural hair salon, I ended up hating the products they used on my hair and hating how much I paid for something I could easily do myself. The closest I got to a “salon” experience was when I started my locs and I would go to the same woman every couple of months to get my hair groomed. She was nice, professional, and did a great job. But when I went to college, I didn’t want to find a new loctician, so I just started grooming my hair myself. Also, some stylists can be very aggressive with you. You want style A, but they insist you can only get style B. I was even told by a braidtician (real word?) that I couldn’t curly micros because my hair was natural. So I had to get straight. That didn’t really make any sense to me.
Ausert
Usually when a stylist tells you can’t have something it’s because they don’t know how to do it! I had a stylist tell me he couldn’t cut my hair with electric clippers because I had an odd-shaped head and it wouldn’t look right!!!!!!!! :-). The next stylist assured me(I was young and of course devasted about my newly idendified weird head) that my head was fine, cut my hair, and sent me happily on my way!!!! It’s a serious mental experience in the salon.
I agree. I have many negative memories of being bored senseless spending 5 hours in a salon. It was very common for stylists to complain about my hair being too thick and imply that whomever had done my hair before them did not know what they were doing. I’ve had stylist eat meals, work on multiple heads, not start working on me until 1-2 hours after my scheduled appointment, and not show up for my appointment.
I have a dream…that one day, black women and white women will be able to visit the same salons to receive quality hair care.
+1!! I feel you, that is exactly how I remember it, and I don’t miss it one bit.
I agree.
Amen!
Ooooh Dolores Girl-Talk about it-lol! You brought me back-I remember those things well. Some salons were ok, but others were just as you described-well said :-)!
Things I don’t miss…
Number 8: Eating your lunch while working on me.
Number 9: The smell of burnt hair.
Number 10: Being gawked at by other patrons because “all that hair” was mine.
Number 11: Bootleg movie man hawking his wares.
LOL @bootleg movie man. I had someone braid my hair while eating. Disgusting. I have sat around ALL day just to get braids that cost me close to 200 dollars to get. Also, is it just me, or does this “decline of hair salons” sounding a bit like “Blame It On the Naa-aa-a-aturals.”?
Bootleg movie man! Bwahahha! I also got harassed by Bootleg Purse & Jewelry guy!
Shoot that’s how I was entertained my whole freshman year of college. Each break, got a new purse and a load up on CDs and VHS tapes(yeah I was in college when having a VCR was still cool lol).
I worked in the shop as a shampoo assistant, and I remember my stylist was actually good at keeping my hair healthy. She would scold me if I didn’t wrap it correctly, or if I used too much heat on my hair. She never understood why I had a relaxer, and would actually stretch my touch-ups. The stylist prior to her was just a good, but not as skilled. I actually followed them from another shop because the first stylist was horrible for my hair. I can say it was only as an adult that I’ve had horrible experiences with salons, which is why I don’t go to one. I mean I’m actually kind of shell-shock with people not having any knowledge of how to treat natural hair. Just because it’s not silky and shiny doesn’t mean you have to be rough with it.
lol @ Emme. you go girl, especially with number 10. I mean, dang at least say, ” your hair looks good.” I used to have to speak first and the women would just grunt back. Maybe they were mad about spending 4 or 5 hours there or their beautician eating lunch near them. LOL.
Couldn’t have said it better.
I agree with you girls, I can recall 3 occasions where I have left a salon without my hair been finished because I couldn’t take the behaviour of the stylists, they act like they are doing you a favour but forget you are paying for a service.
I think the black barber shop will survive but the black hair salon I think there will be fewer of them, there are always people who want to get their hair done. Going to get your hair done should be a much looked forward to treat not something you dread.
The barber shop will survive, glad that I don’t need the services of the quote beauty salon anymore. I don’t miss it and the cost either so glad that I can do my own hair.
ditto…..LOL!
I feel the same way
OOOh Girl Yes, to all of those, but i do think that the decline has more to do with competition and lack of professionalism. I couldn’t wait to go natural because it meant i would have to deal with the stuff that you listed once I learned my hair.( and I will add one: 8. You beautician having to leave due to a baby or being sent to another location to help them start up and your hair going straight to pot and you paying obscene amounts of money just to get it back together again. And 9. searching for a new beautician after all of those listed have occured. LOL. i do not miss that mess!)
You know, I was beginning to think there was “nothing new under the sun” for natural hair blogs to discuss, but this is the first topic in a while where I’ve thought — “That’s a really good point!” When I first went natural 10 years ago, I lamented the fact that there were no natural hair salons in my area. But now that I’ve chopped my locs and am natural again on the other side of the Youtube/blog explosion, there’s much more of a sense of personal empowerment when it comes to dealing with our God-given textures. I was so busy celebrating that fact that it didn’t dawn on me that the “beauty shop” culture would be a necessary casualty.
Dang! This post is actually making me think about something else — I never really gave much thought to why everyone I know called those places “beauty shops” or “beauty salons” instead of what they really were — “hair salons.” Maybe it’s a small thing, but it’s interesting that we linked what was going on in those places (I was amening Dolores’s first comment above) with the subjective notion of what’s beautiful.
Anyway, it kinda saddens me the price of progress sometimes weakens cultural institutions in our communities, but it is what it is. As crazy as it is, I do miss the vibe of the beauty shop — but not enough to sacrifice the health of my hair or the better part of my weekend to reclaim it. Thanks for a great article. (My only nit is that I wish the author had used the correct homophone “site” instead of “sight”, but her points are well-taken.)
+1
and totally agree about “there’s much more of a sense of personal empowerment”.
I do not believe it’s the end of the salon culture. While many woman are making the choice to go “natural” there are just as many who are adamant about remaining on the creamy crack (and that is their choice).
It will probably impact the the salons a bit, as I’m sure it has already done with others, but just like the relaxers are trying to appeal to us by throwing around “shea butter” and “olive oil”, I’m sure the salons will try to appeal to naturals in some type of way as well.
Although I don’t go to the salon, I don’t think black salons are on the brink of extinction, but I do think they’re forced to step their game up and become more efficient and effective. First, not everyone is natural or is willing to be. Despite the rising numbers of natural women, not every black woman wants to give up their relaxers and texturizers. Second, some natural women like to straighten their hair and aren’t necessarily comfortable doing it themselves. My sisters have been natural for much longer than me (over a decade) and prefer to straighten their tresses once a month over wearing their hair in non heat or protective styles. Other women may wear weaves as protective styles and need a stylist put the weave in, as well. Third, some people just like having other people do their hair and enjoy the social experience of the salon. The last stylists that I went to a couple of years ago specialized in natural hair and was incredibly helpful and efficient, introducing me to products and taking less than an hour, but I just preferred to do my own hair. Not every stylist is a slow, bumbling idiot with a pressing comb on the stove. A lot of salons have moved into the 21st century and realized what kind of experience their customers desire.
I agree it is really a Shame for the beauty salons. However like many other businesses. They need to up there game and learn about our natural texture. I no longer attend the salons in fear of them ripping that tiny rat tail comb through my 4b hair. Which is exactly what happened to me when I did my big chop.
I left in pain. And now I’m at shoulder length I would love to go to the salon on those lazy days but I just can’t.
I did feel the need to switch salons when I did my big chop as I could tell that my former salon would not have any idea what to do with my natural hair. But, I found a great salon where the owner is a black woman with natural hair that provides both natural and relaxed hair services.
I have been going there for about 6 months now, every 5-6 weeks just to get a trim and a good deep conditioning. It is a great atmosphere with women talking about the events, laughing together, relaxed women complementing naturals hair styles and vice-versa.
It has been great to see the “natural vs relaxed” line disappear in the salon, we are all women, we all want to look good and feel good about ourselves and our hair – this brings us together in the salon.
If black salon owners are able to keep up with the needs of black women, there will always be sisters willing & able to spend their time & money in a salon that serves them well.
I don’t think so. I think it depends on what you want and or need which is dependent apon where you’re going to decide to go. I’ve been natural for 12 years and still go to the “beauty” shop. Being natural, I dont feel like I need to go as often as I did when I was relaxed. Now.. granted… I did have some expereinces EXTREMELY horrible experiences close to what the ladies above described that made me not ever want to go back but, once I found a great stylist that was the antiphrasis to to the descriptions above, I’ve been sticking with her for 10 years now.
what is antiphrasis? did you mean antithesis?
Hi i love the topic Let me give my POV from France. We do have a corner of black salons and the same issues of not be able to find a good saloon for natural hair. But as the majority of black people are childrens of immigrants, the hairstyle that are still very popular are braids. The good thing with braids is that even if the hairstyler is not good with natural hair, she knows how to braid. so i guess even with the rise of natural hair, these saloons are still full.
I was going to make a similar point but from a slightly different angle:
Long before relaxers and perms became so popular in Kenya, where I grew up, salons were always packed on weekends. Even with natural hair many women came to get their hair braided with extensions, or cornrowed or threaded. I remember those days with fondness. So, just because many women in the U.S. are going natural does not mean salon culture has to die.
I think the main reason many natural-haired women don’t go to salons anymore is the prohibitive cost when it’s labelled:”Natural hair salon”.The bad experiences narrated here also don’t help! You can still go to the salon for various kinds of braids–(with your own hair) or for twist-outs or braid-outs if you don’t want to do it at home.I for one wish there was an affordable salon close to where I live, I would go more often. The stylists just have to figure out a way to keep bringing in customers by making it a good experience!!
I’m a natural hairstylist. I got licensed to be a natural hairstylist. I am also an educator, one woman support system, and textured hair image consultant. I make it my business to be on time, attentive, and supportive of my clients. I, and salon owners like me, am the new generation of cosmetologist. I think a lot of these ladies need to experiance the type of salon I run.
Wow. I thought about this the other day when I ran into my former every 4 weeks stylist. While she was very supportive when I decided to ditch the relaxer 3 yrs ago, I think she thought that I would just go the blowdry/flatironed route. While I did do that for about 2 months post natural decision, I soon decided that I wanted to totally embrace my natural hair.
I do get my hair flat iron about 2xs per year (length check and just for a different look) but what I find weird is that a Black hairstylist has -0- idea of how to care for natural Black hair other than straightening it. When I have gone into her her, I’ve gone in already cowashed and conditioned b/c if not Black Stylist have tended to be too rough on my curls – too much scrubbing and too harsh shampoos. So, yeah, I’m a basically a self stylist and get most of my styles from sites like this and Youtube gurus like my fav Napptural84 That said, I don’t think that the “natural movement” will be the demise of Black salons; there will always be people who want this service. However, I do think that Black salons need to embrace the “movement” and educate their stylist in natural haircare in order to stay afloat.
Most Cosmetology courses don’t teach about the proper care of natural hair. To make matters worse, many women in the past have used chemicals in their hair, so people were also not learning this at home. It’s no surprise that many stylists have no clue!
If only for the $$$$$ Black hair salon owners had better get on board w/ the “natural movement.” If their stylists don’t have the training in styling natural hair it would be profitable to teach them. I wouldn’t mind being able to come into a spa/salon sometimes to give myself a treat and have someone who is knowledgeable about natural hair, as well as uses styling products that are actually good for my hair. But, the days of me coming in on a regular basis are way over.
I totally agree,my old salon had great customer service but the overbooking did get annoying at times and i just feel i would be charged extra because my hair is natural and i am not a child as they have cheaper prices for natural children. :(
My message is to salons,stylists out there reading this is to stay up to date.I don’t have anything against you but I wish natural hair would be understood and treated with TLC! :)
Yes salons do seem to charge you more as some sort of punishment if your hair is natural or long (relaxed or natural.” If you have long (anything past shoulder length), thick natural hair like I have, you sometimes get looks of disbelief that you expect to have your hair styled in a salon and stylist whispering to each other to come up w/ some ridiculous price to charge.
I hate going to the hair salon. It has always been the most uncomfortable experiences in my life. The waiting, the awkwardness, the dissatisfaction. I don’t miss it at all.
I do not miss salons and have found natrual ones to be just as reprehensible. Case in point, Nappy Rootz salon in Nashville, Tennessee. A friend of mine had her hair done there and walked out at 10 p.m. from her 5 p.m. appointment – no apology, no follow-up, no price break. They even asked an hour into her wait time if she could come back in a few days instead. she has natural hair and just went to have it twisted up.
I don’t miss the salons. If anything, it’s the fault of the stylists/owners who let it fall to the wayside with their atrocious practices.
My last salon experience was amazing. I’ve had mostly good experiences, the handful of times that i went. would i go now? no, because i know that i prefer that my hair be handled a certain way that i doubt the stylists would cater to, so why risk it just to end up disappointed? but i do think that many are becoming progressive. there are still many black salons around here where i’m at, that are traditional and cater to the traditional relaxer crowd…and there are only two natural salons that i’m aware of, but i think most naturals prefer not to go to the salon because of cost. all the natural girls i know do their own hair. so, it could definitely mean a downsize in business though i doubt it means they’ll be extinct.
after leaving Cali to a “large” city in rural Illinois out side of Chicago, i was at a loss without a good beautician. after experimenting with 6 stylist i decided to go natural. i dont have 4 hours to spend in the beauty salon, not getting my hair done for 2 of those hours. the lack of professionalism and inconsideration sent me to the drawing board. i too, go to a white stylist for my trims. and i love the fact that im in and OUT of there. its a family affair because my babies can get their cuts and trims too!
Awwwww!!! Your babies are beautiful! And so are you! :-)
+1 very cute!
Your babies are too precious! Love the pictures!
The better question is, would that be a bad thing if it was?
I personally wouldn’t want anyone to not have their career, but the black salon’s (at least in my area) need to give better service; customer service is lacking.
You could look at it that way but it also provides a great opportunity to now learn how to cater to naturals. But a lot just do not want to since they are so committed to methods that alter the natural state of black hair.
It is great to know how to do your own hair which is usually out of necessity for many naturals because of the lack of truly natural hair salons but every now and then it would be great if there was a salon where I could go and get my hair pampered without having to do it myself all the time.
OVERBOOKING– that is the primary reason I do NOT miss going to the hair salon. I am 9 months natural (after a 10 month transition) and the last time I visited a salon was when I received my last relaxer in November of 2011. I used to get so frustrated when I would arrive at the salon and the stylist (I visited several) would be rotating between 3-4 people at one time. I don’t mind waiting, but there is a limit.
The only time I see myself visiting a salon as a natural is if I wanted to get kinky twists and/or braids installed. Other than that I like doing my own twist outs and styling. I’ve invested in a standing steamer and hair dryer and I feel like I have my own little salon at home, and it’s great because I’m the only customer! ;)
My first experience at a natural salon was great. The stylist was great, and I was floored when she said she wanted to teach me how to do my own hair(what, teach me so I won’t have to always come pay you????). She told me she’d started doing natural hair in a regular salon. She was located in the back half, so her customers all had to walk past all the people getting relaxers. Her main motivation for getting her own shop was to save her clients from the abusive comments from the other stylist and customers-things like “Girl, when you gonna come let me do somethin with that head?” Terrible.
“Her main motivation for getting her own shop was to save her clients from the abusive comments from the other stylist and customers-things like “Girl, when you gonna come let me do somethin with that head?” Terrible.”
Terrible is an understatement. >=(
I have wonderful memories of the salon I went to growing up. It was full of strong Christian women, since the owner and her daughter were both ministers. We talked prayed, listened to gospel music, and in general had a good ole time together. I’ll admit that sometimes I was there for hours, but I didn’t mind ’cause it was like visiting with family. My big problem is, now that I don’t live in a major city, there are very few salons that cater to my natural hair, and I am just not one of those people who is very good with styling my own hair. I mean, I love watching all the YouTube videos and such, but I can’t do half that stuff. It’s very frustrating!