I’ve viewed countless videos from curly vloggers where we can learn how to trim and even perform haircuts on our own hair. Being a transitioner I understand this because in this journey to natural hair we embody the “Do It Yourself” philosophy. The thing is, we’ve come to care and love our hair so much that we don’t want someone come in and ruin it. There are too many horror stories out there for us to feel comfortable walking into a salon that doesn’t properly understand curly hair. So please take these tips on choosing a natural hairstylist the next time you decide to go to a professional to do your hair.
One thing I got out of my traumatic experience, was to never walk into a hair salon and simply expect the professional to know about my hair texture and provide me with the best service and experience, even if the person was referred to me. If you want to avoid disappointments and months staring at the mirror waiting for your hair to grow, you need to be more proactive and search for what you want.
1| REFERRALS
Curly Friend – I know I’ve just said to not trust any referrals, but that doesn’t mean you can’t check them out. Just don’t trust this person blindly expecting to have the same experience your friend has. You are different people and you probably have different hairstyles, textures and prioritize different things in a professional. So please take in those referrals, as there aren’t many natural hair stylists out there, ask your friends about their experience and decide which one you want to pay a visit. Or you could accompany your friend the next time she goes in for an appointment and watch him/her working.
Google it! – This could be scarier than a friend’s referral, but it doesn’t need to be. What you need to switch your private detective persona. Yes, us curly girls, we have several personas! Search for natural hair stylists around your area, check to see if they have a website page and once there, check their services, stylists available, what they specialize in (it could be protective styles, hair extensions, dry cut, colouring, etc), their prices, if they have consultations and most importantly if they have any reviews on their page.
TIP: reviews displayed on the website page always favour the service provider. Make sure to also google the salon for other reviews on the net.
Forums and Social Media/Communities – The modern days of the internet are wonderful!! These days you can virtually find anything you want on the internet. Today, most people have access to the internet and are involved in many social media platforms such as Facebook, Google+, Twitter or Instagram. Others like to be part of forums or social communities within social platforms. Take advantage of this, use your own personal pages to ask people where can you find a good hair stylist. Trust me, people love to talk about their hair and you will have some referrals in a short period of time. Then go from here and dig deeper!
2| CONSULTATIONS
Once you find the hair stylist/salon you want, call them to know if they have consultations. This is an appointment you book before you get your hair done, you will have the opportunity to personally talk with the stylist and make all the questions you want. You can say what you like/dislike, what you want and expect from them, you can ask what techniques they use to cut natural hair, what hair products they use and so on, you get the idea don’t you!? At this stage, you need to get your point across and discover as much as you can so you can trust them to take care of your hair. You need to know that they can interpret your vision and that they understand natural curly hair!
A good professional will also take this opportunity to get to know you and your hair, so she can have a better picture of what you deal with on a daily basis. She should touch your hair, ask questions about your hair routine and story, how you maintain your hair, if it’s coloured, how you normally wear it, what difficulties/problem areas you have…. Communication is very important, so be verbal and active in this conversation.
TIP: Another thing you can do, even before you book a consultation, is to check if the salon does manicures, pedicures, eyebrows or any such services from where you could seat in the salon and see the hair stylists working. Then you call in for a consultation if you liked the services. It may sound a bit sneaky, but it worked out for me in the past, I avoided major disasters.
3| ENERGY
What I mean by this is, was the energy between you and the hair stylist good at the consultation? Sometimes we feel as if we are not being listened to, or we’re being dismissed. Other times the person might come across as a good professional, but the interpersonal skills are lacking, she seems cold/distant. In this case, you need to think if you’re OK with such a relationship since you now have a “good” hairstylist, or if you prefer a different relationship as you’ll be under their hair care for years hopefully.
4| DON’T GO CRAZY!
When you do find a professional you want to work with, please don’t go crazy! In other words, don’t go into your first appointment and decide to do a style overhaul. You could end up being unpleasantly surprised. Don’t go all in, test the waters. Do a little trimming session, see how your hair is handled, shampooed and detangled (very important!), and maybe how she works under stress on busy days.
I hope these tips will help you whether you are going through your transitioning journey or have already done your Big Chop. Please let me know about your personal stories and your own techniques in choosing a natural hair stylist.
What are your tips for finding a natural hair stylist?
26 thoughts on “4 Tips On Choosing A Natural Hair Stylist”
I love your website. It’s beautifully done! The way you have written this article on choosing a hair stylist is really good for all women of every race and ethnicity. I’ve had trouble myself finding a stylist who understands my curly hair. Wonderfully written and very informative. Thanks.
Thank you Kat! Yes, you’re right the tips on this article apply to women with all hair types and I’m glad you found them useful.
Love this site. Will check back.
Thank you Misty.
These are some great tips. I have been disappointed almost every time I get my hair cut by someone else. It is very hard to find the right person to trust your lovely hair to. I will definitely try these out. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks Sarah, I hope these tips will helpful for you in the future.
My wife and I recently moved to a new town. She loves to try different hair styles, so she’s looking for a good place to get a woman’s haircut. I didn’t realize how important it is to get a consultation from a hair salon to ensure your styles align properly and you know what the general price will be. I’ll be sure to let my wife know about this tip.
You’re welcome, Thomas! Hopefully, this way your wife will avoid a fall out with her stylist.
We just moved to a different town and my wife wants to make sure she finds a good hair stylist. Thank you for mentioning the importance of having a personal consultation with potential stylists. It makes sense that doing this can help you understand their methods and their dedication to helping you take the best care of your hair.
Hi John,
Yes, for us curly girls it’s important to find a stylist who gets our hair and our anxieties. 😉 Everything can turn bad very quickly. Hope your wife finds her stylist soon.
Monica
That makes sense to schedule a meeting where you can tell the stylist about your expectations. That way you can start your relationship with clear communication. You want to make your expectations clear so that the stylist can use their knowledge base to meet them.
Yes, that is exactly it LNWeaver!
My sister is wanting to get her hair done while she visits my husband and I in our new place. You mentioned that choosing a hair salon and stylist helps when you call and see if they can offer consultations so that you can personally talk with the stylist and ask all the questions you want. That is a great idea for me to talk to my sister about so that she can find a hair stylist in this area.
Yes, Barbara. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Your sister has to trust the hands she puts her hair on. 🙂
I recently moved and have been looking for a new hair salon to go to. I haven’t had any luck so far, and wanted to look up some tips on what I could do to help. That is a great idea to see if they do consultations! I would love to be able to go in and get to know the stylist more before I actually get an appointment. Thank you for the tips!
You’re welcome, Deb!
You have some good tips for finding a salon. We just moved, and I know my wife is looking for a place to get her hair done. I’ll tell her to Google around our area, like you said. I’m sure she’ll find a place.
Thank you, Ridley. I hope these tips help your wife find a solon soon to get her hair done.
It sure was nice how you said that before choosing a hair stylist, a person should consider having a consultation first in order for them to know if the potential hairdresser will really make an effort of understanding their hair and provide the best option. I will be sure to take note of that tip and follow it when I begin looking for a hair salon next week. I am getting married next season, and I want to be sure that the salon and stylist that I choose will really make me sparkle on my special day. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome Tammy, I’m glad it helped. 🙂
I do really like that you emphasize the importance of making sure that you have a consultation with the hair stylist before you choose them. After all, you want to make sure that, as the article points out, they understand your vision. That way you can make sure that you are getting the hair style you want and that they will be able to provide it for you.
Thank you, Duncan. I also think it’s important to have a consultation or a time to talk before to share our vision before the work gets done. 🙂
Thank you for these tips on choosing a hair stylist. I’m needing a new stylist. I’ll have to use these tips as I search for the right one.
You’re welcome, Ellie! 🙂
I like that you suggested asking your friends regarding their stylist to have an idea if they are worth it to visit. I will follow your advice now that I need to get my hair fixed. This is because it has been after going to different beaches in another country that is hotter than what I usually experience.
Glad I could help. 🙂