Spinoff:Why are SO many hair stylists incompetent?

[MizAvalon]

This thread is inspired by the "What the worst thing you've ever seen done in a salon" thread. I'm not picking on stylists, am certainly not implying that they are ALL bad and I don't want this to turn into a bashing thread. But I think this really needs to be addressed.

What is it about this profession that draws people like this? That thread had me absolutely appalled. I mean, how many other professions are there where such a huge amount of the practitioners are so incompetent? These people have gone to school, trained for this and are still destroying people's heads?

Why do you all think this is? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[sassygirl125]

Good question. I'm interested in reading the replies.

Surely they are not learning these things in beauty school. Anyone who can read knows to detangle hair with a wide tooth comb starting at the ends and not to apply a relaxer on top of a jheri curl... I think a lot of them are motivated by greed. They take shortcuts to get as many butts as possible in and out of the chair.

 

[Tracy]

Disclaimer - this is not going to be a popular view. I apologize in advance. I don't think this of all stylists, but I think it's definitely true of a lot of them....
------------------------------

I think it's a bunch of things.

I think some of it is their fault, and some is not....

Obviously, you bring to the table WHO YOU ARE when you embark on a profession - and if you're ghetto, unfortunately, you bring that with you too.

I think too that because it's a vocational career, the profession itself (sometimes - NOT ALL stylists are this way) is pursued by those for whom the profession is a last resort. They didn't like college, they couldn't keep other jobs and this was something that they could do - just like Pookie and Jequetta did - and "be makin' bank".

They braid some hair in their kitchen, some friend they didn't charge tells them they should go to beauty school, and they do. In my view it's a class thing...many stylists of all ethnic persuasions are just GHETTO (trailer trash, straight off da boat - just to be all inclusive ethnicitywise). They don't come from much, and they don't have a lot of class as a result. Simple as that.

I know that sounds elitist, I'm not saying anyone who doesn't go to college is ghetto or anything like that - but a lot of people who attend beauty school unfortunately aren't really there because they love doing hair. They're there because nothing else worked out for them, and they want something easy that will guaratee them a way to make a living....

SOME, not all.

The other problem is the ghettofied nature of the clientele...

Many of our sisters and friends are up in the salon themselves chowing down on a chicken box - which is just as inappropriate IMO. We show up late, we "break" on a stylist that doesn't meet our expectations, rather than handle the situation calmly and discreetly. So to some extent I think what we find in a lot of salons is a DYNAMIC that exists between the stylists and the clientele.
Clients are ghetto and loud and inappropriate and stylists respond in kind - almost as a defense mechanism.


I think overall, it's a class thing.....


And for some of them it's not even that deep - they're just not good people and they'll do whatever to make a buck.

 

[AllMine]

Just like all the Racial Thread floating around on this board.
People only remember the "bad experiences" they've had and dwell on it more than the great experiences.

Also the experiences of the ladies on this board does not account for "SO MANY"
Just less than a few

 

[MizAvalon]

Excellent points Tracy.

 

[melodee]

It's kind of like the question "why are there so many bad drivers if everyone needs to train and take a test?" You learn basics at beauty school, but you can pass by the skin on your teeth. And let's face it, some have the talent and some just don't.

Another reason is that bad stylists have a client base. Most likely they have customers who don't return, but also they habve many who don't speak up. It is so hard for us to speak up when our hair is being handled in a way we don't like. Many people wind up with horrible haircuts, because although they saw the stylists begin to mess up and they were too timid to stop them.

 

[brownhaired_bonanza]

Just like all the Racial Thread floating around on this board.
People only remember the "bad experiences" they've had and dwell on it more than the great experiences.
Also the experiences of the ladies on this board does not account for "SO MANY"
Just less than a few

Hear, hear! I, for one (hope i'm not bragging here) have never had a bad salon experience. I've been getting my hair relaxed by stylists (several of them, in fact) since i was around 8 years old and not one of them ever overprocessed my hair, took it out, pulled it out, spackled gel on it, etc.

Or perhaps I'm just lucky?

 

[sassygirl125]

You're very lucky! Every woman I know (black and white) has at least one salon horror story. You need to tell everyone who your stylist is.

 

[naptrl]

Since my natural hair was just "burned" straight in some parts. I don't think I can comment in this thread because I am leery of alllll hairdressers right now and am afraid to even go get a trim. I don't want any of them to even remotely touch my hair. I've had lots of bad experiences. It makes me sooo mad!!!!!

 

[ms_kenesha]

I so agree wit Tracy and Mel.

The class issue definitely, a lot of the girls that I knew that went to "hair school" just couldn't do anything else. Definitely not all, I wanted to be a cosmetologist and my mother wouldn't let me because she said they didn't "make any money".

Secondly, I know that I am guilty of not speaking up when someone is doing something wrong to my hair...why, because a lot of times you're gonna get argued with/taked about/cursed out/ or intentionally sabatoged if you do.

 

[lalah]

Also, when we see something not being done right, we complain to each other or the stylist, but not the licensing boards or the people who regulate stylist. Just like every one always talk about calling DCFS when it comes to children being mistreated. We need to find out the agency that regulates hair stylist and "CALL THE PEOPLE" when they mess up. This will start to eliviate bad styllist. Stylist will start loosing their licenses or have to go back to school and take more hours. Some stylist can risk loosing their shops.

This all will make stylist become more professional and take other peopl's hair seriouly, especially if they know their money is at stake. They continue to do these things because we are not making a big enough deal about it and they know that we, as African Americans, tend to not go through the proper channels and take action and just talk about it instead.

 

[melodee]

LOLInternationally sabotaged!

I was in a braider's shop and a lady took issue with the fact that the braider didn't curl her ends like she had asked. That braider let that lady have it, so was so evil and nasty about the whole thing. I felt really bad.

 

[sassygirl125]

I'm all for reporting them to whoever regulates them. Maybe Tracy can school us on the law in situations when a stylist screws up. The few times I read about stylist's being taken to court, the client might get a refund.

I can't stop thinking about the girl in the other thread who was left with fuzz and a raw scalp. That stylist should be barred from ever touching someone's head!

 

[MizAvalon]

Hear, hear! I, for one (hope i'm not bragging here) have never had a bad salon experience. I've been getting my hair relaxed by stylists (several of them, in fact) since i was around 8 years old and not one of them ever overprocessed my hair, took it out, pulled it out, spackled gel on it, etc.

Or perhaps I'm just lucky?

You are VERY lucky! Please be happy that you have never had to deal with any bad issues. If you have a regular stylist now, don't let her go!

 

[brownhaired_bonanza]

You are VERY lucky! Please be happy that you have never had to deal with any bad issues. If you have a regular stylist now, don't let her go!

I'm definitely sticking with her. If she picks up and moves I do believe i'll be going with her. I might have to live in a cardboard box but my hair WILL be looking fly.

 

[Tracy]

I'm all for reporting them to whoever regulates them. Maybe Tracy can school us on the law in situations when a stylist screws up. The few times I read about stylist's being taken to court, the client might get a refund.

I can't stop thinking about the girl in the other thread who was left with fuzz and a raw scalp. That stylist should be barred from ever touching someone's head!

Unfortunately I think the law is pretty vague on it, and it's not meant to protect the "hairdo" so to speak - but more the physical safety of the client. So if you went to a stylist and got third degree burns on your scalp, you might get some compensation for that, but if they overprocess your hair that's not as big a deal - see what I mean?

So the most egregious of situations - like that poor child in the other thread who had raw patches etc. - she might be able to recover...

But someone whose stylist burned their real hair with the braid ends, or who told them that permanent color and relaxers could be done on the same day, or who trimmed 4 inches when they wanted 1, or used Bantu relaxer when you asked for and paid for Affirm...the law doesn't really give a what about that stuff! It just doesn't anticipate or protect against all that trifling shyt.

In the eyes of the law that governs this capitalist society - your remedy is just to not patronize that establishment with your business anymore.

 

[JenJen2721]

I'm curious about natural hair stylists (those who cut, braid, twist, etc.)...since they aren't taught natural hair techniques in cosmetology school, what does the license mean? ..and does it make a difference (with natural hair) if the stylist is licensed or not?

 

[MizAvalon]

I'm curious about natural hair stylists (those who cut, braid, twist, etc.)...since they aren't taught natural hair techniques in cosmetology school, what does the license mean? ..and does it make a difference (with natural hair) if the stylist is licensed or not?

I think many natural hair stylists, especially those who only do braids, don't even have licenses.

 

[Dreamn]

Hear, hear! I, for one (hope i'm not bragging here) have never had a bad salon experience. I've been getting my hair relaxed by stylists (several of them, in fact) since i was around 8 years old and not one of them ever overprocessed my hair, took it out, pulled it out, spackled gel on it, etc.

Or perhaps I'm just lucky?

ive never had a bad experience either. i just know what ive seen. but im a complainer, if somethings being done to me that im paying for that i dont like i complain. if i have to pay you for service and you're not doing it right, i complain. i think a lot of people are afraid to speak up, i dont know why, in the end it's your hair and nobody else's. i was actually shocked when a lot of people told me that they were afraid to tell stylists not to trim their hair. i dont know what people are afraid of.

i think that there are just bad stylists because they are taught to style, not to care for hair. therefore ripping through your hair with a small comb, or leaving relaxers on while they run out, etc etc is fine to them because theyve been taught to do xyz at xyz school. i think it also goes back to looking at what school they were trained at. if theyre taught to do hair one way, theyll continue to do hair one way, until they learn otherwise.

in the case of my stylist (that ive been going to since i was 12) shes an excellent stylist. she cares for hair ( not as good as i would like but she does does). unlike most, shes a great stylist but a terrible business person. she hires her other stylists who are just as good as she, but are just like her in personality and business. she tries to take the cheap route, she runs out on clients, she runs next door to her house, she talks on the phone about her personal business, she tells other people's personal business. her shop is gorgeous and she can do hair, but shes terrible at conducting business.

 

[aqualung]

The service standards are low because the clients are desperate.

Many more type 3 and type 4 black women wear their hair relaxed than can relax (or even wash and set) their own hair.
Many more type 3 and type 4 black women can NOT style their hair at home than type 1 and 2 women of other races, so salons that cater to type 3 and 4 black women don't have to try as hard to attract and keep clients.

If a woman can't wash and style her own hair easily at home, or if she is helpless on her own at touchup time, then she'll default to even a not-so-great stylist.

If the clients had another styling option that they could do at home easily, or if they had wash-and-go hair, or if they all went natural and wore easy upkeep low maint. afros, then the salon stylists would have to pander to the clients and not vice versa.

 

[ms_kenesha]

Fortunately a lot of them *not braiders* learn natural hair techniques online, go to seminars *like Taliah Wajid* and learn from books. My natural stylist whom my FI goes to now, has lots of natural styling books, is a member of Nappturality, and has done the tapes. She's really good at what she does.

I put him onto her because the lady he went to before was a "braider" and she blew out his hair everytime to twist or cornrow *not neccesary* was rough during the blow-out and told him he had dandruff, when he just had a dry scalp from the wack products she used.

I'm curious about natural hair stylists (those who cut, braid, twist, etc.)...since they aren't taught natural hair techniques in cosmetology school, what does the license mean? ..and does it make a difference (with natural hair) if the stylist is licensed or not?

 

[Tracy]

The service standards are low because the clients are desperate.

Many more type 3 and type 4 black women wear their hair relaxed than can relax (or even wash and set) their own hair.
Many more type 3 and type 4 black women can NOT style their hair at home than type 1 and 2 women of other races, so salons that cater to type 3 and 4 black women don't have to try as hard to attract and keep clients.

If a woman can't wash and style her own hair easily at home, or if she is helpless on her own at touchup time, then she'll default to even a not-so-great stylist.

If the clients had another styling option that they could do at home easily, or if they had wash-and-go hair, or if they all went natural and wore easy upkeep low maint. afros, then the salon stylists would have to pander to the clients and not vice versa.

VERY true!

 

[Bunny77]

The service standards are low because the clients are desperate.

Many more type 3 and type 4 black women wear their hair relaxed than can relax (or even wash and set) their own hair.
Many more type 3 and type 4 black women can NOT style their hair at home than type 1 and 2 women of other races, so salons that cater to type 3 and 4 black women don't have to try as hard to attract and keep clients.

If a woman can't wash and style her own hair easily at home, or if she is helpless on her own at touchup time, then she'll default to even a not-so-great stylist.

If the clients had another styling option that they could do at home easily, or if they had wash-and-go hair, or if they all went natural and wore easy upkeep low maint. afros, then the salon stylists would have to pander to the clients and not vice versa.

I think you've hit it on the head the most. I remember feeling LOST if I had to go to some big event or was way past touch-up time because I CANNOT do my hair (in a straightened state). My need to find a stylist was desperate and sometimes I would go waaaaaay down my list of stylists just so somebody could do my hair as opposed to it looking what I thought was a mess.

That feeling of dependence made me put up with a lot of stuff that I wouldn't take at a restaurant, nail salon, hotel or any other service-oriented industry.

If more women just got up and walked out (or protested), we'd see a major change in stylist behavior. If that relaxer is burning and the stylist refuses to wash it out (or is eating fried chicken/smoking or on the phone), walk your butt over to the sink and start washing it yourself! Bet that will make them move with a quickness.

If you're sitting too long under the dryer with wet hair, get up, pay for a shampoo and conditioner and just WALK OUT. If you're sitting in the salon for an hour after your appointment time and you still haven't been seen, tell them you're going someplace else where your time will be valued.

But we don't think of these things. Because of this dependence, we put our power in the hands of these stylists, instead of realizing that WE are paying THEM and that they need to work for our money!!!!

We need an official "Million Woman March Out Of Bad Salons" movement!

 

[sassygirl125]

That feeling of dependence made me put up with a lot of stuff that I wouldn't take at a restaurant, nail salon, hotel or any other service-oriented industry.

Same here. But as I got older and meaner I would leave in a hearbeat. I even brought my own comb to the salon.

 

[MonaLisa]

Same here. But as I got older and meaner I would leave in a hearbeat. I even brought my own comb to the salon.

LOL@older and meaner! I heard dat! Me too girl!

*Mo reminisces on when she tore that African braider a new one...*
*sigh*

 

[jasmin]

I agree Tracy and megonw.

You're very lucky! Every woman I know (black and white) has at least one salon horror story. You need to tell everyone who your stylist is

I know sooo many of these people. There are good stylist but I find it to be so rare.

 

[Healthb4Length]

as consumers we must remember that we have the power to aide in the growth of a business or aide in it's decline. As many of the ladies have stated, a lot of us as clients are too afraid to really speak up about what we want and in the end we pay for this. Througout my life I've had 2-3 really bad stylists, other than that I've had really good experiences with stylists. Right now I have a stylist who cares about the health of my hair rather than the lenght and that is important to me. The first thing I do prior to going to a new stylist is have a consultation, that way I get to see how knowledgeable they are about hair and if we see eye to eye. I believe alot of stylist are incompetent because they have been trained to syle hair wrongly; lets face it, up until a couple of years ago cosmetology schools trained stylists to do hair on causcasian hair and used that as the standard to style all hair. Thankfully that is changing...another thing I think is also important is how a stylist feels about him/herself, if you don't like yourself, why should you care about your clients? If they have hatred of their hair (i.e. natural texture) then they may feel they are doing you a favor by overprocessing or underprocessing your hair. Some hairstylists are insecure and may not want you to look as good or even better than them! I feel that some stylists are simply talents and they will go far in their careers, and some are not and they will have 'ghetto' clients and always move from shop to shop.

 

[musiclova]

I agree with alot of the ladies that have already spoken. I think that many of the "bad stylists" do not further educated themselves about haircare as well as hairstyling. They do what they have to just to get by and get their license and take it from there. I have experienced stylists who are so pressed for time that they hurry through a wash and condition and do not take the time to do deep condition treatments or just don't leave conditioner on long enough. Or they take their time getting to you (1 hour sometimes) I used to think to myself...Why do I even bother wasting my money??? Then they have the nerve to charge an arm and a leg for terrible service!!!

 

[bellydancer]

i feel what you said Tracy. My friend used to go to college with me and things didn't work out. She is great at styling hair so she is going to cosmetology school. I let her do my hair sometimes, but I have noticed that she has a LOT of bad hair habits that I know will be carried on into her career as a hairdresser. She used to give me the worst hair advice ever! "Girl if you got a perm you could do more styles with your hair instead of wearing that bun all day!" (which I wear by CHOICE because natural hair is very versatile.) and "if your hair is dry just put some grease on it." I tried to give her a little advice, but she didn't listen. I hope that one of yal don't post about a bad experience at her shop lol! She doesn't have the internet, but I'm going to make sure she gets aquainted with the women of LHCF before she opens a shop.

 

[Tracy]

You know, that's another thing...

They not only take their general attitudes into the profession with them, but they also take their specific mis-informed approach to haircare witht them as well.

We all came here and learned things we had never heard before moving in our own circles - that black people should avoid water and shampoo as much as possible, that you NEED to grease your scalp, that you HAVE to trim once every 8 weeks or your hair won't grow...so some of them, god bless their hearts MEAN well....they just don't know any better. They assume that what they learn in beauty school doesn't apply to black hair - after all they should know - they have black hair, their Momma has black hair and so does their Grandmama..so they do whatever they know and ignore what they learn because they feel it isn't tailored to black hair. And to some extent they're right.

But as many of us know, whatever the cause, it doesn't translate well to the client who has a rampant dandruff problem and is being told the problem is that she doesn't use enough grease.....grease every night instead of once a week.....