WHY SOME CURLY-HAIRED PEOPLE ARE SCARED TO GO TO THE HAIRDRESSERS

The thought of going to a hair salon or visiting a hairdresser leaves some people sweating, shaking and quaking in their boots, and this is perfectly understandable. There are so many reasons for hairdresser anxiety, including introversion (and hating small talk), the overwhelming amount of movement and noise at the hair salon (some people hate the sound of hairdryers), and self-consciousness.

Beyond the general populace’s occasional fear of going to the hairdresser’s, there are people with curly/coily hair whose fear of going to the hairdresser’s is next level. Unfortunately, more people of colour are assailed by this fear than people from other races. And this fear is often linked to the trauma they have suffered at the hairdresser’s in the past.

Why?

Past aggression: A lot of curly/coily-textured hair people have had their hair treated aggressively in the past. If the hairstylist is not familiar with natural kinky hair, it is possible they pulled or yanked too hard at your hair, giving you this baseline fear of salons. Some hair stylists handle natural hair with aggression, often braiding too tight or combing too hard, while some take out their frustration with kinkier hair by combing coarse roots aggressively with a fine-tooth comb.

Your location: If you live in a predominantly Caucasian neighbourhood, odds are that there are not enough hairstylists around your neighbourhood who have experience with natural Afro hair. In this case, it is understandable that you are reluctant about sitting in the chair of a hairstylist who has no idea what they are doing with your natural hair.

Texturism: Even in the afro hair community, there is a bias against very textured hair. While some hairdressers are happy to work with well-defined or loose curls, they are not quite happy to extend the same grace to some 4c hair. So, it is possible you fear the hairdresser’s because of a comment or comments that have been made about your kinkier hair in the past, or you’ve been told to come with your hair straightened before appointments, or you’ve been charged more money than others. In this case, your fear of salons is understandable.

You tend to lose confidence in your decisions: Perhaps you are the kind that very often sets off for the salon with a clear vision of what you want done, and then the hairstylist just overwhelms you with a preponderance of ideas and suggestions, causing you to lose confidence in your decisions. And because of this, you are just quite happy to style your own hair, not caring for hair salons.

You just don’t know what price you will be stuck with: Sometimes, you end up paying way above what you expected to pay for your hairstyle, and perhaps this has made you wary of going to salons. Maintaining afro hair can be a little more costly than maintaining other hair types, and if you are not sure what bill you will be stuck with in lieu of the natural hair products that you use, you might be reluctant to patronise salons.

What you can do

Ask for recommendations and research your salon: Ask other people with curly hair to recommend their stylist. And if you can’t find someone to recommend a hairstylist, research, research, research! Look up online reviews from regular clients and make an informed decision as to which salon to approach.

Don’t be afraid to communicate: Talk honestly and openly about what you want, and ensure that your chosen stylist understands this. Beyond the first consultation, ensure that you speak up if anything untoward is being done to you or your hair. Don’t put up with snide remarks about your hair, and gently correct your hairstylist if they are pulling too hard at your roots.

Go with your own tools: You might actually want to go to salons with your own wide toothed comb and other styling tools that make it easier to handle your hair.

Establish the cost: You and your stylist should clearly and openly establish the total costs for your hair do before proceeding. It helps to eliminate any embarrassment after the session is over.

In conclusion

Hair is much more than hair, and you should leave a salon feeling like you are worth a million dollars. If you have had any experience in the past that you left a salon feeling angry, disappointed or both, now is the time to change the narrative.

Learn to stand up for yourself.

Learn to stay in the driver’s seat of your styling, treatments, and how your hair is handled.

Advocate for your hair!