Naturals - Has anyone REFUSED to do your hair?

[Vinyl]

My normal braider is temporarily out of commission, so I made an appointment with a new lady about a week ago. I get there today, she examines my hair and says, "Your hair is natural and very long," and then proceeds to explain to me that she can't do it because it would be too difficult and not net her a profit! She said she would have to make the braids too long and it would take too much time.

I'm sitting here going, "?! I can't believe I just drove all the way out here for this!" At first she tried to go on about extra cost, I guess she thought this would deter me because when I asked her how much more she flat out refused to do it!

Lesson learned: From now on, whenever I schedule an appointment with someone new I'm going to say from the start, "I have bra-strap length, natural hair, so if that's a problem for you let me know now so we don't waste both our times!"

I'm not mad though. It was an experience I'll look back and on.

 

[so1913]

Yep...I went to a dominican salon that I hadn't been to in YEARS, but used to go to every once in a while for a roller set blow out. I went to see if I could have one done and the lady asked "can I see your hair?" walked over and she sure enough said "We only do relaxed hair....but you can go to <insert ghetto named salon> down the road, they'll take you".

 

[malachi74]

i was standing in a friend's wedding and we were all to get our hair done at the same dominican salon. The lady doing my hair kept huffing and puffing, telling everybody, me included, that i needed a relaxer while she was rollersetting my hair. She made it seem like i was forcing her to do my hair. If she couldn't handle it she should have just said so instead of giving me that loose-*ss roller-set and then having the nerve to get mad when i got up and told the owner i would rather do my hair myself than let her weak stylist have me looking a fool.

 

[cocoaluv]

I am not natural but I have had similar issues with the dominicans


Yup. A dominican salon tried to refuse to do my hair UNLESS I would let them perm it. I was 7 weeks post . Then they did it after I told them there were like 5 more like them on the same friggen block. But they still gave me an attitude.


The same salon later refused to give me a relaxer because I got a permanent color on the front of my hair. They said "permanent color no good....only rinse is good and we no make hair fall off". Wtf ever ok ! I got a "rinse" from them once and it didnt look like anything happend to my hair at all. I went somewhere else and got a perm.

 

[QT]

Yep...I went to a dominican salon that I hadn't been to in YEARS, but used to go to every once in a while for a roller set blow out. I went to see if I could have one done and the lady asked "can I see your hair?" walked over and she sure enough said "We only do relaxed hair....but you can go to <insert ghetto named salon> down the road, they'll take you".

My sista had this same issue...... Their CUSTOMER service sucks

 

[Allandra]

Yep...I went to a dominican salon that I hadn't been to in YEARS, but used to go to every once in a while for a roller set blow out. I went to see if I could have one done and the lady asked "can I see your hair?" walked over and she sure enough said "We only do relaxed hair....but you can go to <insert ghetto named salon> down the road, they'll take you".

This is a darn shame.

 

[fuchsiastar]

Yes, and it sucks. But I would rather them tell me than to be looking crazy and have to pay them when they are finished. All of this was when I was a BSL natural.

 

[BostonMaria]

I'm afraid to post now cuz I'm Dominican LOL

I went to a Dominican salon in June because I found out my old stylist from back in 2002 was working there. I got all excited cuz she used to do a fantastic job years ago when I was relaxed. When I got there she wasn't too happy to see me. She was huffin and puffin, not too happy with all my new beautiful nappy hair that doesn't like to sit straight on a roller LOL

At the end she did a great job, but you can clearly see she wasn't too happy. Mind you her hair isn't relaxed either. I won't go to her ever again. I need somebody to give my hair the TLC I give it. Plus I am paranoid that somebody will slip some relaxer in my conditioner or some ish LOL

 

[Ms Lala]

I had a friend who went to shop to get her hair washed and blowdried. She explained to them that she was natural, her hair was pressed out. THe lady asked her "what does your hair do when it's wet, does it curl up". My friend explained her hair texture she is like a 4a I would guess w/very thick mbl hair. The beautician said" Oh no I don't feel like being bothered w/all that", and this was an African owned shop she figured they would be able and willing to do her hair. She was so upset and saddened by this. But honestly I told her it's better to have them tell you up front than for them to mess up your hair because they don't want to do it or don't know how to.

 

[Pookie25]

I learned not to ask for the price of certain hair style until they looked at my hair and texture in person. It always go up. I did have a hairstylist stop taking me because she couldn't convince me to get a perm everytime i went to hair. So I've stop going to salon altogether and learned how to do my own hair.

 

[tocktick]

i ask hairdressers if they do natural hair before anything else, even as a transistioner. i they all say yes but it seems they don't really know what they've signed up for until they see my hair in person. cue questions as to why i don't relax, if i will blow it out, complaints etc. i ignore it and have had great results (excluding one time) anyway.

eta: i'm not bothered nor feel slighted when i find out (indirectly) that someone doesn't do natural hair. usually, all most are familiar with is relaxed hair. that's practically to be expected, imo.

 

[Phoenix14]

YES! I used to get my hair braided and I've had women comment on my hair and refuse. Once a braider in Brooklyn told me halfway through my head that it would cost me $30 more because my hair was so thick and long. Another time I was getting my hair done in Harlem and the women were from Cote D'Ivoire and kept talking in french about how big and thick my hair was and how they wished they hadn't done it. Too bad they didn't know I know french

 

[naturalmanenyc]

Yep, I had an experience a few weeks ago at a Dominican salon (attempt at trying out a new place) and was made to feel like my 20+ week, soft, curly new growth was 16 inches of kinky, coarse 4xyz hair.

This place was an LHCF referral and I wanted a wash & set, then flat iron the roots. I went there with my hair in a curly bun and the stylist would not even do my hair. I explained that I rollerset my hair all the time and she looked shocked. She then told me that she "only works with relaxed hair"? I have only a couple of inches of new growth (at the time about 2 inches) and the rest texlaxed/relaxed but you would have thought I walked in there with an Angela Davis afro?

I left without having anything done.

 

[SmartyPants]

I know this is annoying... but, I'd rather have them tell me they aren't doing my hair than to jack me up!

 

[Allandra]

I know this is annoying... but, I'd rather have them tell me they aren't doing my hair than to jack me up!

I know that's right.

 

[NewYorkgyrl]

No this has not happened to me yet. I have been natural for over a year now...but I have only straightened my hair once. And I did that at a natural hair salon in Philly (that later burned the ish out of it....but that's a whole other story). I have gone to the African braid shop a couple times to do braids and twists. They are really cool with me and my sister so I don't think they will have a problem once my hair gets longer.


I don't plan to EVER go to a Dominican salon. EVER! I use to love it when I was relaxed but I refuse to even waste my time tt have someone potentially ruin my hair while criticizing me at the same time (I can go to the last salon that messed me up if I want my hair fried and without them talking down to me).

I don't plan on going to a salon that does not have experience with natural hair. And when I say experience I mean...a large percentange of the clients have natural hair.

I will not go to a natural hair salon if EVERBODY in there has straight hair. Because from my observations and stories I have heard....that is the only thing these types of natural hair salons know how to do.....straighten. That's it! SO they are more prone to frying your hair in attempt to make it straight. Because there clients mostly wear their natural hair straight almost 100% of the time. So they are not worried about heat damage of loosing their naps/curls. If anything they want to train the hair.

My ideal salon would be one that has alarge percentage of natural clients. I don't mind if they do relaxers there as well. I want the salon to have clients with locs as well as other natural hair styles...this will give me greater reassurance that they are not just trying to "train" my hair.
I hope to find a salon like this one day

 

[Ediese]

Yep, I called a stylist that I found in Craigslist and told her that I wanted to reuse my Extensions Plus hair, and that I was about 90% natural. After I said that, she didnt' say anything for what seemed like eternity. She told me afterwards that it was because natural hair is more work, and she was concerned that my hair would be difficult to manage.

 

[nikkivale]

I've had similar experiences when I went natural. I even had the folks look at my hair first while making an appointment only to get in the chair the next day and they tell me " I didn't realize your hair was so long/thick/kinky " or whatever, I'm thinking. then they complain and tell me I should relax my hair each month and if i was relaxed it would be easier blah blah blah, I mean just tell me up front when you see me you don't know how to do my hair or it would be too difficult. Like someone else posted i'd rather have someone tell me up front than b%@#ch and moan when they are doing my hair and mess it up.

 

[phyl73]

Well not refused....when I went to get a blow out at the beginning of summer, the girl was clearly frustrated that she would have to work for her money by rolling my hair. She kept huffing and puffing and finally said, "Mommi you want a texturizer?" I looked her in the eyes and said with a not so pleasant look on my face, NO, I love being natural. I then proceeded to talk to her in a voice as if she were a pre-school child. I said, "It's not that hard to roll, you can do it!" She was not too happy, but once she blowed it out, she started smiling. I said, "I told you you could do it!" She now looks forward to seeing me come in, or maybe she looks forward to that nice tip I leave.

 

[mscocoface]

I would love to say this has never happend to me, but I have had this happen not once, twice, or even three times. I don't have enough fingers and toes to count.

This started happening to me when I was a teenager and I am waaaaay past that time in my life.

I have always had thick hair and would always get refusals and even complaints even from the stylist who think they can do thick hair either relaxed or natural.

When I did go to a salon either relaxed or natural I would get the, woooo chile you got too much hair, or it holds to much water, or it holds too much heat, or it takes too much work.

I think in all my life there was only 2 or 3 stylist I have ever enjoyed the complete service I got from them.

To me stylist are like car mechanics when you find a good one that will do a great job and won't charge you a fortune, you have found someone worth their weight in gold.

 

[facets]

My mother's longtime hairdresser refused to press & curl my hair. I'm very 'type 4' and most of her clients are either chemically relaxed or 2 - 3 like my mom.

'Too much work.' I was mad/hurt at the time.

 

[msa]

I grew up in Los Angeles and I've never had that problem here. But, I went away to college in boston (yay Tufts lol) and I swear everybody in that state must be relaxed because no one wanted to do my hair beause it was too difficult.

Every salon I called the first thing I asked was if they did natural hair because I learned my lesson the first time I made an appointment somewhere and the girl didn't even know how to blowdry natural hair. She even told me that most hairdressers there (dominican and otherwise) do rollersets almost 100% of the time because everyone is relaxed.

Even though there are places to get natural styles here in LA they are extra expensive, like it's something special to put some braids in with no extensions.

 

[Country gal]

They must not do kid's natural hair. My hair stylist does a lot of lil girls hair who are not permed. So she has patience when doing my hair.'

I went to a Dom Salon and they were talking ish about my hair. They wouldn't do a rollerset only a blowout. At the end they were so surprised how straight my hair came out.

 

[BillsBackerz67]

I never made it to that point of being refused...as soon as i get these looks at the salon:
blush:

I walk right out the door.

 

[envybeauty]

Girl....put the place on blast! Which salon?

There is no need for anyone to be patronizing a place (and referring others) if they REFUSE to work with new growth or natural hair. A Dominican shop at that?!?!? Please. With as many nappy heads down in DR..........I would have put her on blast in that shop that day.

Yep, I had an experience a few weeks ago at a Dominican salon (attempt at trying out a new place) and was made to feel like my 20+ week, soft, curly new growth was 16 inches of kinky, coarse 4xyz hair.

This place was an LHCF referral and I wanted a wash & set, then flat iron the roots. I went there with my hair in a curly bun and the stylist would not even do my hair. I explained that I rollerset my hair all the time and she looked shocked. She then told me that she "only works with relaxed hair"? I have only a couple of inches of new growth (at the time about 2 inches) and the rest texlaxed/relaxed but you would have thought I walked in there with an Angela Davis afro?

I left without having anything done.

 

[LiveLoveLife]

when i was natural in high school i remember this one stylist purposely running a small tooth comb thru my hair, ripping TONS of hair out, then rolling her eyes and telling me that the next time i came back i better have a relaxer because my hair was taking too long to do. i used to HATE that. the majority of the stylists i used to go to when i was natural aaalways had something to say about the fact that i didn't have a perm, and I've been refused service numerous times.

 

[MizAvalon]

This thread is very disheartening.

 

[facets]

LOL! It is sad but I'm glad to know I'm not alone. I really did think I was the only one that this has happened to!...This lady had been pressing or blowdrying my mom's hair for years and knew me but it was a no go for a P & C. ...It was the lye-way or the highway for me.

 

[lilsparkle825]

thats funny...this chick named nelly at my DS is actually the one who urged me to transition. another stylist looked at me one day and asked if i was gonna get a relaxer, and i said no, so she went and got nelly, i suppose to get someone else to tell me that i needed one - but not only did she personally do the roller set, but she told me that she would cut a little bit of my ends every month so i could keep the length. too bad i stopped going to salons...lol

i DID go to a black salon to get a mini chop in april and wore my hair in a pony puff; they were trying every trick in the book to get me to press/blow dry my hair straight, then on top of that they did a bad job cutting. i mean, i could have done that cut myself, and when i BC'd i DID do it myself. you know i caught them trying to pull a small tooth comb through my DRY hair!!! last time i ever went there.

 

[jamiss]

I had a lady who used to braid my hair and complain the whole way through. We were in Alaska at the time, her husband was military, and I had just married a military guy and was going to move. She said when I got to the lower 48 no one was going to braid my hair until I got a relaxer- no one was going to deal with naps.

She was wrong. But she always did a really good job on my hair. And she was Dominican!