what made you decide to no longer rely on stylist to do your hair?

[candy626]

My old stylist moved. Plus, I just wanted to learn to do my own hair. I knew I had to learn some day and I'm so glad that I did. Been doing my own hair since 2006.

I would visit a salon if I wanted to get a haircut or maybe if I wanted to drastically lighten my hair color. I wouldn't mind going to a salon for a blowout, but I hate the way most people shampoo, condition, and comb my hair. I wish I could to a salon with hair that I washed at a home and then have them blow it out or roller set it.

 

[Blyss_curls]

My hair was long, but it was overprocessed (damaged by relaxer). There were areas near the crown that weren't even an inch long, because the hair was so delicate, it was just breaking off, and not allowed to ever grow.

I'd talk w/my stylist about it, and she tried to work w/me. Unfortunately, she just didn't know how to address the issue.

Also, I disliked going to the salon. I had severe allergies and didn't feel well after visits (got migraines) due to all the chemicals, burnt hair, etc. in the salon air.

I was stretching between visits longer and longer, and eventually just didn't go back. I'd found this board, and realized the problems w/my hair meant it was overprocessed. I thought, "...hmmm, a professional is damaging my hair. How much worse could I do?"

I planned to relax it myself...but once it was completely grown out, I loved the way my scalp felt (no longer dry, itchy, etc.)...so I didn't relax. Haven't been to a salon since.

Now if I could just master color....

 

[Blyss_curls]

I was getting a touch up and it started to burn badly. I mentioned that my scalp was starting to burn and instead of rushing me to the wash bowl, I was asked if I wanted to leave it in longer.

erplexed


That cemented my thoughts that these folks don't know what they are doing and I was done after that.

Oh see. Girl, you just gave me a flashback.
I don't miss that at all.

 

[CurlsBazillion]

This thin spot at the crown of my head. My hair is growing back but slowly, thinly, and nearly straight. All because my former stylist decided to lift weave glue with a relaxer....I should've continued snatching my tracks out a week before I get my hair done like I normally did, but then again I wouldn't be natural today and I darn sure wouldn't be anywhere close to the length I am right now, it ain't much but its healthy

 

[Blyss_curls]

Whenever I went to the salon I'd get complaints about having too much hair. I got tired of people telling me to get a relaxer.

The longer my hair grew, the more complaints I received. I don't want anyone putting their bad vibes on my noggin LOL

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

(sigh)
I dealt w/some of this, too.

Once while stylist was doing my hair another client told her,"....oooh--I want my hair like hers." Compliment to the stylist, right?

Apparently not. As the stylist replied,"...if your hair was like hers, I wouldn't do it."

:realitycheck:

At the time we laughed it off--but it bothered me. Deep down I knew if someone appreciated my business, they wouldn't say things like that.

I'm glad I finally bought a clue, and made a choice to stop accepting abuse
as par for the course.

 

[palindrome]

I was and still am a broke college student, so it wasn't a habit that I could keep up with. Also I felt inadequate being 19 and not knowing how to take care of my own hair.

 

[Angelinhell]

A combo of what everybody else said. Time, extreme overbooking, immature gossip, men always in there staring in my face, skimping on products(mainly on the mid protein and deep conditioner steps), which thinned my hair over time, treating her friends' hair much better. I was still going to her when I first started my hhj and figured ok all I have to do is take care of my hair and she'll relax it, no biggie. After stretching and retaining so much length after 4 whole months she chops off all my progress. I was devastated! Been doing my own hair ever since.

 

[bunnie82]

After the second time i had my "ends clipped"

 

[Angelinhell]

Oh and that time when she was neutralizing my hair and her and her boyfriend were making out over meerplexed
WTF! How unprofessional!

 

[virtuenow]

3 reasons: I just know I can do my hair better than any stylist. Also, I believe stylists have a hard time being gentle w/kinky hair. They think its tough, strong hair and therefore, they rip through it and abuse women with kinky hair! Finally, I know that most stylists specialty is relaxed hair, so if I was relaxed, I would probably still go there (once in a while); but they know almost nothing about natural hair care, so DIY it is.

 

[Nonie]

To answer the question in the subject line, I stopped relying on a stylist to do my hair when I left Kenya. I had a regular stylist and knew she'd not be around. I had already mastered how to braid my own hair with extensions just out of interest so it was an easy transition to me taking care of my hair in a foreign land.

Why now I have no intention of ever going to a stylist is, after mastering my hair and growing it to a length I was happy with, all by my damn self, a stylist that came highly recommended not only gave me the ugliest hairstyle my poor head has ever worn in all the years of my life, but she also chopped off my progress within a few hours.

I still kick myself for letting someone else do my hair when I'd been doing it myself and managing OK for years. Curiosity at what my new length was capable of and a bit of not trusting in myself to be able to figure some of the new fun things I was seeing around like shingling on my own is why I sat in that chair. NEVER AGAIN!

 

[LJBFly]

I was still going to her when I first started my hhj and figured ok all I have to do is take care of my hair and she'll relax it, no biggie. After stretching and retaining so much length after 4 whole months she chops off all my progress. I was devastated! Been doing my own hair ever since.

This is my story to a T!!!!!!!!perplexederplexed I finally looked back over my progress pics and my hair has been the same length ever since I have been letting her do my hair these last two years.

 

[bunnie82]

Oh and that time when she was neutralizing my hair and her and her boyfriend were making out over meerplexed
WTF! How unprofessional!

EW!

 

[NaturalPath]

Because....I am a college student and do not have the money to spend it like that. Besides, everything a stylist does I can do it my own self except for trimming my hair.

Besides...I only wear my hair either flat-ironed or do wash n go's. I dont see the point in going to one.

 

[MsLi@512]

After realizing my hair was not bad and would actually grow longer than neck length if i simply moisturized,deep conditioned and texlaxed. After i realized that after 15 years I was paying good money tho folk who knew and cared nothing for my hair.

 

[c*c*chic*]

I stopped going to stylists because I got tired of goin in to get something I wanted And coming out with something they felt I should have. I also grew tired of them not knowing how to cut, the difference between a trim and clipping ends.

 

[tenderheaded]

I really would like to treat myself to a salon visit but I've had nothing but bad experiences. Relaxer re-applied 3 weeks LATER. I felt this same woman' hand moving quietly across my shoulder blades - she was "evening" my hair up again 3 weeks later!!!!

I'm done unless a LHCF trained stylist appears!!!

 

[Blyss_curls]

3 reasons: I just know I can do my hair better than any stylist. Also, I believe stylists have a hard time being gentle w/kinky hair. They think its tough, strong hair and therefore, they rip through it and abuse women with kinky hair! Finally, I know that most stylists specialty is relaxed hair, so if I was relaxed, I would probably still go there (once in a while); but they know almost nothing about natural hair care, so DIY it is.

Whichever cosmetology book states that kinky hair is rougher and tougher than any other texture of hair should be burned, and immediately removed from the curriculum.

For years, a stylist was jackin' me up---using super strength relaxer on my hair. Yes, it's kinky but thin, soft and very fine. I was practically bald after that heifer was done w/me.

Don't get me started on the one's that come after you w/those ridiculous combs w/the teeny tiny teeth.

 

[Blyss_curls]

I stopped going to stylists because I got tired of goin in to get something I wanted And coming out with something they felt I should have. I also grew tired of them not knowing how to cut, the difference between a trim and clipping ends.

The bold... So true.

 

[Babysaffy]

Too many times having to tie my hair up/ wear a cap/wash my hair again after leaving the salon.

Having to justify not trimming at every visit.

Having my request for a trim turning into a 3 inch cut on one occasion.

Getting stared at, whispered about like a alien unicorn by other customers and stylists when they realise the length of your hair. Some looking like you've personally offended them.

Burning scalp (once burnt to the point of severe scalp sores and hair loss) being dismissed and told to wait longer before rinsing.

Fine tooth comb being ripped through tangles and told I could afford to lose hair because I have plenty.

Ridiculous prices for services I can do better myself.

The list could go on. Never again. Have only been three times in past four years and two of those were just to get the front braided during my pregnancy stretch.

 

[SmilingElephant]

My last salon visit was February 29, 2008. The same day i found LHCF.

I had gotten SO many unwanted hair cuts. Suffered from chemical burns, at one time i wanted to go blonde back in the day...stylist JACKED my hair up!!! My whole nape fell out! And was oozing.

Sometimes id get my hair relaxed and flat ironed and it would look ashy. I endured so much. And yes, i was over the "chile....you got too MUCH hair!" remarks. When i researched and found out what i needed to do to get my hair all the way down my back...it was game over!

I have been doing my own hair for over 4 years now. The only other person who touches my hair is my sister when i want braids. But i do my own flat ironings, my own color, my own trims, when i was relaxed i did my own relaxers, my own rollersets. Nothin like diy baby!

My mom still was trying to recommend stylists to me...but i guess seeing that im growing my hair down my back twice on my own...she sees i know what im doing. I can't stomach another salon experience. I always hated it. Everything y'all talkin about....i have seen it. I cannot even....anymore.

Sent from my N860 using LHCF

 

[Rae81]

The long wait times and my hair looking like something i can do myself

 

[Babysaffy]

I relaxed my hair on Wednesday night, Thursday I'm walking to work when I hear someone running behind me feel a tap on my shoulder, I see this woman all out of breath, "Excuse me, oh my gosh, your hair looks gorgeous! Where do you get it done!?!!"

When I'd thanked her and told her I do it myself her face fell!! She was so disappointed!

"Oh..", she said, "I thought you were going to tell me about some secret hot salon."

She asked me how I blowdry it, I told her it was freshly relaxed and that I use the pik attachment then a flat iron but I could see she wasn't really listening anymore. Just saying "Woooooow" like it was something unattainable.

She seemed to have just below shoulder length hair with about a centimetre of regrowth but her hair was gelled heavily and stiff looking although it was down.

She'd already gone before I could decide whether to point her to LHCF.

It just brought home again how reliant a lot of our community is on salons and how much of a minority us DIYers are. That lady didn't even want to hear that you don't need a stylist to make your hair look good!

A lot of my friends won't even wash their own hair. Laziness a lot of the time. So frustrating!

 

[Blyss_curls]

I relaxed my hair on Wednesday night, Thursday I'm walking to work when I hear someone running behind me feel a tap on my shoulder, I see this woman all out of breath, "Excuse me, oh my gosh, your hair looks gorgeous! Where do you get it done!?!!"

When I'd thanked her and told her I do it myself her face fell!! She was so disappointed!

"Oh..", she said, "I thought you were going to tell me about some secret hot salon."

She asked me how I blowdry it, I told her it was freshly relaxed and that I use the pik attachment then a flat iron but I could see she wasn't really listening anymore. Just saying "Woooooow" like it was something unattainable.

She seemed to have just below shoulder length hair with about a centimetre of regrowth but her hair was gelled heavily and stiff looking although it was down.

She'd already gone before I could decide whether to point her to LHCF.

It just brought home again how reliant a lot of our community is on salons and how much of a minority us DIYers are. That lady didn't even want to hear that you don't need a stylist to make your hair look good!

A lot of my friends won't even wash their own hair. Laziness a lot of the time. So frustrating!

Girl, so true. Many wouldn't believe you if you shared. They'd think you have some super powers, or magic cape...so many are trained since childhood to believe "someone else does their hair."

Sad, but true.

 

[loved]

Repeated instances of stylists wanting to make my 4z hair bone straight thereby causing significant damage.
Frequent trims. They wanted to trim with every relaxer.
I didn't like the atmosphere & the wait time. It wasn't my scene at all.

The last stylist was the last time. I went to her first thing at 6 or 7 on Sat. mornings & paid a huge tip to get her to open a little earlier so that I could be first. She talked about "marinating" my hair in relaxer to get it straight & did another corrective a few weeks later. She would leave relaxer on so long that my scalp was on fire but she would spray oil sheen on it instead of rinsing. My hair was stripped as if someone had taken a razor & ran it down the length of my hair. I never thought I would wear wigs or weaves but I wore them after the damage she caused. I had a few thin hairs left in the middle of my head but I was bald all around. I think she wasn't rinsing the relaxer out around the edges.

The person before that gave me styles I was doing at home & did nothing for the health of my hair. Even my SO at the time said so. I was big into hair at the time & I could replicate anything I saw in a hair magazine.

The person before that told me my hair was so damaged that he had to cut it down. He shaved the sides and the back off. When it finally started to grow back he cut it again. His assistant told me my hair was so thick that I needed a relaxer every 4 weeks.

And so on and so on and so on.

 

[Blyss_curls]

I've seen lots of comments about the triflin' things stylists do (and don't do) to our hair. But little to no mention of the state of some of the salons they do it in.

That was another reason for me....got tired of taking my health (and sometimes life) for granted to go to some of these salons. My last salon was clean, with the exception of the lack of ventilation (dirty air). The parking lot was tiny to non-existent. Had to worry someone was going to back out of their parking space, and side swipe your car.

I won't give anyone flashbacks w/all my stories of various braiders--their neighborhoods, homes, state of their homes, etc.

Whew....talk about hot messes...

 

[MrsJaiDiva]

I've seen lots of comments about the triflin' things stylists do (and don't do) to our hair. But little to no mention of the state of some of the salons they do it in.

That was another reason for me....got tired of taking my health (and sometimes life) for granted to go to some of these salons. My last salon was clean, with the exception of the lack of ventilation (dirty air). The parking lot was tiny to non-existent. Had to worry someone was going to back out of their parking space, and side swipe your car.

I won't give anyone flashbacks w/all my stories of various braiders--their neighborhoods, homes, state of their homes, etc.

Whew....talk about hot messes...

*shudders*...the braiders on 125th...

 

[MicheePrings]

I never relied heavily on stylists anyway but after a bad hair cut after I requested a trim, that was the last straw, haven't been back since then (2008 ). I now trim and style my own hair. The only thing I would do professionally is get my hair colored if I ever chose to.

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF

 

[InBloom]

Relaxer burns.
Long wait times.
Expensive.
Hair styles I never liked.
Deep cuts I didn't want.

 

[ChoKitty]

The first one I was using would would not show up for appointments. You'd call and she wouldn't answer. She'd call back two or three days later and say she was busy.

The second would be too busy watching soap operas while talking on the phone and eating pork rinds to pay attention. I'd literally go home with pork rind crumbs in my hair. I'd tell her how I wanted my hair cut, and she'd just cut it the way she wanted, saying she knew better. I just got so sick of it. I know my hair better than anyone, and I don't want your food in my hair.