Black Hairstylists too Slow!!

[tthreat08]

You know, I think there is a cultural difference that contributes to the "slowness". Our salons are like our barber shops. It's a place where women go to gossip and seek therapy on some level. Now if you are into that, then the black salon experience is for you. I must admit when I go to the salon (every six months or so) it's like my stylist and I are catching up on the lateset this or that. However, because I don't enjoy the ritual of sitting in a salon for hours all day on saturday (or whenever), I do my own hair. And yes, I used to go to Super Cuts back in the day when I wore a blunt bob. The price was right and it took all of 30 minutes!

 

[Dearlove]

My last regular stylist was the fastest. He would have me based, relaxed, DC'd, rollerset & blown out in two hours. He had to work quickly because my scalp is super sensitive and I had an hour's ride on the commuter rail to get home. He was all business: no eating, gossiping or chatting on the phone. When I moved, I cut my relaxer out because I just didn't want to deal with finding anyone else.

 

[mango387]

Happy New Year! After just returning from Alabama for the holidays and visiting the hairstylist there that I have had since I was 5 (I'm 22), I have to chime in on this topic.

My stylist is around sixtyish and she does those old fashioned press and curls that are out of this world in addition to doing some of the cutest wraps/doobies (strange combination of talent). Well, I went to her on a Wednesday morning, because I did not want all of the hustle and bustle. As soon as I entered, she asked me what I wanted and told me to sit in the chair. A few minutes later (less than ten) she started on my head. My stylist is slow, but that is because she is busy doing little things that matter in my book such as the following:
A) Asking me how everything is going in life
B) Asking how my family is doing
C) Telling me about the grandkids
D) Asking me if I want anything to eat
E) Asking me if I want to place an order from the BS guy who comes around to deliver products ranging from Soft and Beautiful to Mizani and Keracare (That way I can get the products w/o going out and at a discount)
F) Actually listening to my responses

Now to be fair, if I was in a hurry trying to get to an interview or something, I would tell my stylist that in advance. She does respond appropriately. Another alternative that I have opted for is to get one of the faster stylist in the shop to do my hair if I know I really need to be in and out. To make a long story short, I do not think that having a slow stylist is necessarily a bad thing.

I lived in Atlanta for three years and I went to some of the best and quickest black hair salons (some featured in respected black hair magazines). Even though I went faithfully and asked for the same stylist, I became a bit jaded when sista-girl felt that I was unimportant enough to even remember my name. Then to make things worse, each time I went to her she said that I had split ends. Mind you, I was allowing her to trim my ends at the time.

Anyway, I do not always count being slow as negative.

 

[mvonnesha]

I don't have the patience for beauty salons. I used to bring my own rollers, let them wash,condition and set it. Then leave with my hair still wet and let it air dry at home.

I finally stopped going to beauty salons about 3 years ago, when the stylist put me under the dryer then went home and went to sleep.

I was through after that.

 

[mango387]

I don't have the patience for beauty salons. I used to bring my own rollers, let them wash,condition and set it. Then leave with my hair still wet and let it air dry at home.

I finally stopped going to beauty salons about 3 years ago, when the stylist put me under the dryer then went home and went to sleep.

I was through after that.

Okay, I feel alright defending the slow, professional stylists of the world, but the bolded part is too unprofessional.

 

[jengrady]

I'm going to keep this so real. I don't do black salons anymore. There's too much gossping. Too much playing around. And after they get used to you (yes I know this is a generalization) they start messing your hair up. I've liked most of the stylists I've dealt with. But I don't go to them to talk or be my friend I go to get my hair done. I spent years getting my hair done at different black salons before I figured this out.

This is not to say I won't use a black stylist. OF COURSE I will. Just not in a black salon. I've gone to "white" salons or multiethnic salons with natural hair (my hair is very coarse) and got flat ironed and blown out with a wash and condition in half the time than I've ever had in any black salon. Vidal Sassoon on 5th Avenue gave me the best haircut I've ever had period. I'm done. The tips I read on here many of them are the total opposite of anything I heard in a black salon and I'm sitting there with people who are supposed to be professionals damaging people's hair and charging them for it.

I do my own hair. I trim and dust my own hair. Black salons are a no-no and my hair is much better for it.

 

[Barbara]

At my former hair salon, I’ve seen two hairstylists (guys) go outside to the back of the salon to take a break and get high while their customers are waiting on them to resume their work--not knowing where they are or if they’re coming back. While I was driving toward the side or back of the salon, I’ve seen them do this on several Saturdays.

I prefer a slower stylist when it comes to working on my hair as opposed to one who is fast (getting me in and out in an hour without a trim), because the slower stylist will not tear my hair out by handling it gently, especially when it comes to blow drying type 4a/b hair like mine. I just bring a book, because I know I will have to wait regardless of which salon I go to--so I don’t plan anything that Saturday afternoon.

Even though I make an appointment, I noticed a few times that my stylist will work on someone who comes in after me . . . because she has much shorter hair, and it’s easier to get her in and out quickly.

In fact, my hair stylist did this more than once with a few new customers and some regular ones. I told him about this, stating that I overlooked this the first time without saying anything, but I won’t overlook it anymore. “Those new customers can wait.” Yes we got into a heated debate, but from that point on he remembered. Then he went back to his old ways a year later.

The only reason why I still go to him is because he handles my hair better than any other stylists I’ve ever had. Other stylists will not press and curl waist length hair. In fact, my stylist has several customers with thick waist length hair that he presses, and he’s not "scissor happy." That’s why we put up with him; besides his prices are reasonable, and he's easy to get along with.

 

[RoseGolden]

no story to add, but the girl Yasmin on the show was cutting some ladys hair and she was like yea "when you cut the hair, it conditions the hair" wtf

 

[shunta]

You can't really tell how much is being cut. It looked like the usual amount when she was cutting it but I realized it was way too much when it was dry. I guess this is because of the fact that when it is wet it has a curl pattern which makes it seem less almost like the difference when people wear their hair curly it seems shorter but when it's straigtened you can really view the length.

I think you may be right because I visited a stylist once and after she rinsed the relaxer out and proceeded to style etc, I asked her if she was gonna trim. She then told me that she waits until the hair is dry to trim.

 

[ChoKitty]

I wish I couldn't agree, but I do. I have to clear 4 hour time slots to get a relaxer, when I'm the only one there! She spends to much time watching TV and talking on the phone. Not only that, EVERY time I ask them to cut my bangs a certian way...they cut them straight across..blunt cut and far to short. I stopped going. I now relax my own hair because of it, following SouthernGirls tips...and I'm going with my mother (Who is white and goes to a mostly white salon) to have HER stylist cut my bangs since I already know she listens.

How sad that most of us have the experiance with such slow service.

 

[MiWay]

no story to add, but the girl Yasmin on the show was cutting some ladys hair and she was like yea "when you cut the hair, it conditions the hair" wtf

Yeah, I thought maybe I missed something in LHCF class.

 

[Junonia]

I get my hair done in Harlem. My stylist is black and he is great. He cuts just enough of my ends and never goes overboard. I am usually out of his chair in two hours with a relaxer and roller set and in one with a wash and rollerset.

I used to go to Dominican Salon's and find they are slow(I guess because they have more clientele) I think it depends on how these salons manage their time and how efficient they are. I am still uncomfortable with the idea of going to a white salon. I read they charge more to do African-American hair because of our texture.

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