T
Tee
Guest
I've been looking for a new hair dresser since my last one jacked up my hair. I've had several consultations with different hair dressers, and I had each one do a wash, deep condition, and set/wrap, just to get a feel of how they work. So far, I haven't found "the one". It's been about 10 weeks since my last relaxer, so I feel like I have to make a decision soon. Here are my impressions of the hair dressers I've seen so far.
Hair dresser #1 (male, owner of the salon):
His idea of a deep conditioning was to slap some conditioner (refused to tell me what brand. Strike one!) on my hair, and leave me with my head in the shampoo bowl for 10 minutes. Didn't even bother to put a plastic cap on me. He styled my hair well, but I didn't like his answers to some of my questions. He said he doesn't use anything to protect previously relaxed hair, he "goes by feel". He also wanted to use the relaxer brand that *he* liked (Designer's Touch, I think) instead of the one *I* liked (Affirm, since he doesn't have Motions).
Hair dresser #2 (white female; sounded black on the phone /images/graemlins/blush.gif):
I liked that she mixes conditioner into the relaxer to buffer it and also condition the hair while relaxing. But, when I asked her how she determines where to start applying the relaxer, she said she always starts from the edges and works her way in! /images/graemlins/shocked.gif She said she does this because body temperature is higher at the crown than other areas of the head, and therefore the heat would activate the relaxer causing it to take too fast in that area. /images/graemlins/confused.gif I've never heard of that in my life! The outer areas of my head are extremely easy to relax, and the crown is more difficult, so I didn't like the sound of that at all. She was also confused about lye vs. no-lye. I did like how she styled my hair and even picked up a new wrapping technique from her, but I don't feel comfortable going to her for a relaxer. She was also very knowledgeable about color, conditioning, and styling, so I may go to her for coloring and styling.
Hair dresser #3 (female):
When I went in to schedule my consultation appointment, she left her client, who had relaxer in her hair, to come up and check her schedule on the computer. Strike 1 /images/graemlins/shocked.gif, 2 /images/graemlins/shocked.gif, and 3 /images/graemlins/shocked.gif!!! I did schedule an appointment since she was right there, but later cancelled.
Hair dresser #4 (male, owner of the salon):
Ouch!! /images/graemlins/mad.gif Homeboy really hurt me and I didn't even get a relaxer. All I had done was a wash, deep condition, and curl, and my scalp is so sore! I'm talking relaxer burn sore! He tore my scalp up with his Lee press-on nails while shampooing me (yes, dude had acrylic nails, with a french manicure. I kid you not!). Also, he talked me into using heat since, in his words, "those roots aren't working for you, honey!". He also was confused about no lye vs. lye. And he was a bit too pushy. He wanted me to pre-book bi-monthly apointments to get special "amino acid" treatments. I asked him, isn't that a protein treatment? He said no, protein coats the hair, and amino acids strengthen the hair. Okay, whatever... /images/graemlins/confused.gif Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but amino acids = protein, right?
So anyway, I'm at 10 weeks of new growth and I have to make a decision asap! If you were in my shoes, would you go to one of these hair dressers or would you keep on looking? Or would you give up and do the relaxer yourself? I have a consultation with another hair dresser next week, and I desparately need her to be "the one". I'm so tired of looking for someone I can trust.
Hair dresser #1 (male, owner of the salon):
His idea of a deep conditioning was to slap some conditioner (refused to tell me what brand. Strike one!) on my hair, and leave me with my head in the shampoo bowl for 10 minutes. Didn't even bother to put a plastic cap on me. He styled my hair well, but I didn't like his answers to some of my questions. He said he doesn't use anything to protect previously relaxed hair, he "goes by feel". He also wanted to use the relaxer brand that *he* liked (Designer's Touch, I think) instead of the one *I* liked (Affirm, since he doesn't have Motions).
Hair dresser #2 (white female; sounded black on the phone /images/graemlins/blush.gif):
I liked that she mixes conditioner into the relaxer to buffer it and also condition the hair while relaxing. But, when I asked her how she determines where to start applying the relaxer, she said she always starts from the edges and works her way in! /images/graemlins/shocked.gif She said she does this because body temperature is higher at the crown than other areas of the head, and therefore the heat would activate the relaxer causing it to take too fast in that area. /images/graemlins/confused.gif I've never heard of that in my life! The outer areas of my head are extremely easy to relax, and the crown is more difficult, so I didn't like the sound of that at all. She was also confused about lye vs. no-lye. I did like how she styled my hair and even picked up a new wrapping technique from her, but I don't feel comfortable going to her for a relaxer. She was also very knowledgeable about color, conditioning, and styling, so I may go to her for coloring and styling.
Hair dresser #3 (female):
When I went in to schedule my consultation appointment, she left her client, who had relaxer in her hair, to come up and check her schedule on the computer. Strike 1 /images/graemlins/shocked.gif, 2 /images/graemlins/shocked.gif, and 3 /images/graemlins/shocked.gif!!! I did schedule an appointment since she was right there, but later cancelled.
Hair dresser #4 (male, owner of the salon):
Ouch!! /images/graemlins/mad.gif Homeboy really hurt me and I didn't even get a relaxer. All I had done was a wash, deep condition, and curl, and my scalp is so sore! I'm talking relaxer burn sore! He tore my scalp up with his Lee press-on nails while shampooing me (yes, dude had acrylic nails, with a french manicure. I kid you not!). Also, he talked me into using heat since, in his words, "those roots aren't working for you, honey!". He also was confused about no lye vs. lye. And he was a bit too pushy. He wanted me to pre-book bi-monthly apointments to get special "amino acid" treatments. I asked him, isn't that a protein treatment? He said no, protein coats the hair, and amino acids strengthen the hair. Okay, whatever... /images/graemlins/confused.gif Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but amino acids = protein, right?
So anyway, I'm at 10 weeks of new growth and I have to make a decision asap! If you were in my shoes, would you go to one of these hair dressers or would you keep on looking? Or would you give up and do the relaxer yourself? I have a consultation with another hair dresser next week, and I desparately need her to be "the one". I'm so tired of looking for someone I can trust.
