The kinkier the hair, the more I'm going to charge you

[zzirvingj]

A coworker told me that she is natural and that her stylist charges more based on how kinky the woman's hair is.

Do you think this is fair?

 

[firecracker]

A coworker told me that she is natural and that her stylist charges more based on how kinky the woman's hair is.

Do you think this is fair?

WTF? I know some charge more by length.

 

[LondonDiva]

A coworker told me that she is natural and that her stylist charges more based on how kinky the woman's hair is.

Do you think this is fair?

In a word, make that 2 HELL NO!! And just how does she 'measure' kink? She's lucky I don't attend her salon cause pure bad Jamaican cuss words would come out of my mouth. See these so called hairdressers/stylists, I like to call em novice hair butchers, realise and see the masses of black women opting to wear their hair natural and are finding a way to cash in on it, this being one of them. What they need to be doing is educating them selves on proper hair care and stop trying to teef people.

 

[LovelyZ]

This seems unfair to me. There can be challenges to working with ANY kind of hair. Would she charge more for thin and limp hair with difficulty holding a curl? Of course not! She should not charge the client more because she does not have the proper skill level to style ALL kinds of hair.

 

[sillygurl18]

I think she thinks that kinky hair means hard to detangle, but I heard people with kinky hair say their hair is easy to detangle. If that's her reasoning, then she doesn't know what she's talking about. My coily hair tangles very easily.

 

[metro_qt]

that's pure hair discrimination...

 

[sunnyjohn]

that's pure hair discrimination...

Yep, sure is

 

[caligirl]

They try to get by the "kink" factor by saying they are charging for extra "thickness."

 

[Keen]

Well some salon's charge more for longer hair to do the same service. Some Salons charge African americans more for haircuts. I'm not saying that's right but charging someone more because they got more kinks is no different.

 

[goldensensation]

It is a private business, so they should be able to set their rules as they see fit. If, for whatever reason, they believe that kinkier or coarser hair takes up more time, they should be able to charge however much they want. If people dont like it, they dont have to go to this particular salon. But if business slows down enough, I bet you that stipulation will be gone and everyone will be happy.

 

[Nanyanika]

how does she decide which hair is kinkier or not? does she run her fingers up in peoples' head counting every coil, nap or curl in each strand of hair. IGNORANCE

 

[MeccaMedinah]

It is a private business, so they should be able to set their rules as they see fit. If, for whatever reason, they believe that kinkier or coarser hair takes up more time, they should be able to charge however much they want. If people dont like it, they dont have to go to this particular salon. But if business slows down enough, I bet you that stipulation will be gone and everyone will be happy.

I totally agree.

 

[balisi]

No, it is not ignorance on the STYLIST'S part. Why shouldn't the stylist be compensated for the extra time it takes to detangle SOME hair textures? I don't think anyone who is not a stylist realizes how much extra time AND product it takes to detangle some naturals, especially a stylist who cares enough to NOT rip through the client's hair. That alone can take close to an hour! Most of my clients are natural or in transition and I choose not to charge extra unless the hair is also very long, but I can certainly understand why some stylists do.

 

[nurseN98]

I think she thinks that kinky hair means hard to detangle, but I heard people with kinky hair say their hair is easy to detangle. If that's her reasoning, then she doesn't know what she's talking about. My coily hair tangles very easily.

Exactly! IMO kinky hair is easier to detangle, coily is a pain in the butt to detangle (at least mines is)

When I was relaxed and I would go in for braids w/extensions, they would charge me more too because my hair was longer That's unfair to charge on the kink but if someone doesn't like it, just don't go there.

 

[ChocoKitty]

I don't think it's fair. Hair is hair and if that's what you do you should be able to handle any texture IMO. I don't think a stylist should be paid extra money to "detangle" hair. Isn't that a part of the hair styling process anyway. I think charging extra money is a sign that somebody doesn't have that much experience working with kinky hair or they think they can get over on somebody.

I once went to a Egytian salon to get my hair done. Since they could tell I didn't have a relaxer they claimed they'd have to charge me an extra $10. Anyway I was desperate to get my hair done so I didn't even bother to protest. The stylist shampooed, deep condtioned, detangled, blow dried and curled my hair just like he did everyone elses. Then when I went to pay for my hair they didn't even charge me the extra $10 for being natural. This "kinky (or highly textured) hair is hard to work with" is all a figment of people's imaginations.

 

[wadadligyal]

Well if she is still going to this person to get her hair done then she apparently does not have a problem with. Seems quite ignorant to me also but some people put up with this type of ISH better than others. I would have told that stylist at hing or two. Some nerve!!!!!!

 

[Miss*Tress]

I always pay extra for "long" hair even when I was just shoulder length.

Anyway, as it happens the salon I go to has white clients and it always takes half the time to provide them with services than for us, so it does seem fair to charge us more.

 

[MizaniMami]

No, it is not ignorance on the STYLIST'S part. Why shouldn't the stylist be compensated for the extra time it takes to detangle SOME hair textures? I don't think anyone who is not a stylist realizes how much extra time AND product it takes to detangle some naturals, especially a stylist who cares enough to NOT rip through the client's hair. That alone can take close to an hour! Most of my clients are natural or in transition and I choose not to charge extra unless the hair is also very long, but I can certainly understand why some stylists do.

I agree, If you don't like it you can always go somewhere else.

 

[onepraying]

It is a private business, so they should be able to set their rules as they see fit. If, for whatever reason, they believe that kinkier or coarser hair takes up more time, they should be able to charge however much they want. If people dont like it, they dont have to go to this particular salon. But if business slows down enough, I bet you that stipulation will be gone and everyone will be happy.

ITA as well...

 

[Mizani_Mrs]

Wow. I thought that was against the law because it is actually seen as a form of discrimination? I go to hair cuttery and they do charge for longer hair, but they don't charge for kinky texture. I just don't think its right. I think that if a stylist is TRAINED PROPERLY on what products work well with kinky hair..then they would not have to fight with the hair just to tame it. That's all that is....

 

[Cheleigh]

I sort of see both sides of the issue:

Services that take a longer amount of time generally come with an additional price. Also, as many have pointed out, a private company/employer has the right to charge whatever s/he may want, and it's up to the consumer to make a decision on respective value. Like, I refuse to frequent hair salons/stylists that charge extra for a deep condition, but I know that many do, and many clients are comfortable with that.

On the other hand, unlike getting a deep conditioner, or having long hair, or wanting an extra massage, I have no choice in the texture of my hair. If my hair is kinky, there is nothing I can do, short of chemically treating it, to not make it kinky. However if I have long hair and I'm tired of paying extra, I can cut it, and the problem is solved.

Because of that last fact, I would prefer that a stylist just refuse to do the hair than to "penalize" me for having nappy hair, since it is a factor that I have no control over. My dear friend who cut my hair prefers to do relaxers instead of press and curls because it's faster and her presses always tend to have long hair. But she doesn't charge extra based on the relative nappiness of your hair. She just factors in that she will earn less money per head if she has a day full of press and curls instead of retouches. She also has the option to not include the press and curl on her product list.

 

[balisi]

Well let me ask you ladies this: in stores, women's sizes cost more than misses. Is that unfair, due to the fact that extra fabric, trims and time were required to make the larger size? Or how about when you take your car to a mechanic for repair, and the labor costs are higher the longer the mechanic claims he worked on your car. I mean, you're not there to know how long it took him so you take his word for it. At least if a stylist charges extra for hair that is harder to detangle, you are there to see for yourself.

Lest we forget how important detangling is, it should be done with care, the right tools/products and enough time to do it properly. Otherwise, as we all should know, breakage is a high risk. Certainly not ALL, but SOME natural hair types/textures do require more care and time. It is an individual thing, and is no reflection of how skilled the stylist is. Yes, detangling is a part of the process, a very important part. But without proper detangling, nothing else can be done properly, without undue breakage or hair loss. It can take less than a minute to detangle some hair, as opposed to 35 to detangle others.

When you're talking about what's fair, it should be equitable: what's fair to all parties involved (customer AND stylist), not just one (customer OR stylist).

I'm just trying to shed some light on what it's like from a stylist's point of view, since most of us have been the customer, but never the stylist dealing with a medley of different types and textures in their natural state.

 

[Crackers Phinn]

It's not fair, but then again, she would no longer have me as a client, so it all evens out.

 

[SwtnLow]

I wonder if she uses the "pencil test." I heard they used to do this sometimes in South Africa to determine who was "colored" and who was "African." They would put a pencil in people's hair to test the degree of kink. Supposedly if the pencil fell out your hair you could be considered "colored." Maybe that is how this stylist determines who has to fork out the extra bucks.

 

[LovelyZ]

Wow. I thought that was against the law because it is actually seen as a form of discrimination?

Yeah, that thought did cross my mind, too. I would think stylist have to be careful with this...

 

[MizaniMami]

Yeah, that thought did cross my mind, too. I would think stylist have to be careful with this...

That wouldn't work. Then people would say a whole lot of things are against the law-charing more for longer hair, charging more for lighter colors, etc

 

[ThursdayGirl]

I'm a little bitter about this very topic. I am newly natural. I think I take quite good care of my hair. Off hand, I don't mind paying a little extra because I know my hair is going to take more time than a white person's hair. I have a problem when a stylist takes advantage of the situation.

The lady that I USED to go to (that's right, after this last experience, I will not be going to her any more) handled my hair nicely, BUT I would wash and detangle my hair before I went to see her. All she had to do was detangle what ever curled up in about half an hour or less and cut. Typically, I got charged a little more, but I didn't care because it took her an hour to cut my hair (that doesn't include styling). No probs. I paid her $25.00 for a cut.

She suggested for this last appt. that she blow it out for me, give me a really good trim and we would see how it looked. Cool, I let her do it. It took about 2 hours for her to do, but again... I went in with my hair already washed and detangled so she did not have to worry about that. My hair is around shoulderlength. Do you know she charged me $75.00?!!! I felt like a damn fool. esp. since I can go somewhere else and get my hair pressed for $50.00 and that includes wash and detangle! She charged me what I used to pay for a relaxer and a trim! OUTRAGEOUS!

What I haven't decided yet, is whether to address this price issue with her and tell her she will not see my money again for this reason. Clearly she will not be blowing out my hair again. It didn't even last all that long. For what she did, I could do it myself!

Charging extra for kinky hair is reasonable to a certain extent, because you are paying for the stylist's expertise and time. I don't think a stylist should decide how much it is going to cost though, until she starts working with your hair...or has some hands on experience with it. Just because your hair looks extra kinky...doesn't mean its going to be so hard to handle.

 

[Bublnbrnsuga]

The 7,600th reason why I do my own hair!

 

[leleepop]

Wow. I thought that was against the law because it is actually seen as a form of discrimination? I go to hair cuttery and they do charge for longer hair, but they don't charge for kinky texture. I just don't think its right. I think that if a stylist is TRAINED PROPERLY on what products work well with kinky hair..then they would not have to fight with the hair just to tame it. That's all that is....

Thats the thing usually if a stylists wants to charge more she probably has a hard time performing the service and is not trained properly. It might be more time consuming for her. I dunno but this stylist doesnt sound like she embraces natural tresses. I wouldnt trust her capabilities. I guess unless I knew her work was the bomb, I would opt to find another stylist.

 

[caligirl]

Thats the thing usually if a stylists wants to charge more she probably has a hard time performing the service and is not trained properly. It might be more time consuming for her. I dunno but this stylist doesnt sound like she embraces natural tresses. I wouldnt trust her capabilities. I guess unless I knew her work was the bomb, I would opt to find another stylist.

That's true! The stylist that used to press my hair could detangle my hair in less than 10 minutes with a denman brush when it took me 2 hours at home. She was very skilled and experienced. Sometimes you just have to shop around for people who are used to natural hair.