HAIR EQUALITY

In my view, if you are a professional hairdresser, you must be able to work with all hair types. I have been working with clients with textured hair (aka African type / Afro / curly and coily, types 3 & 4), as well Caucasian and Asian type hair since I opened my first salon over thirty years ago in Oxford.

I can’t imagine how awful it must feel for someone to enter a salon and then to be told (however politely) “I’m sorry we don’t do your type of hair!” Totally unacceptable, yet it still happens.
Recently I have created workshops to help hairdressers who have not been trained in Afro hairdressing to make a start on learning this essential skill. Interested? Book here!

Whenever I can, I campaign for the need for greater diversity in UK hairdressing.
I continue to educate myself about textured hair and to go beyond the ‘hows’ to also consider the ‘whys’. Black hair is political, cultural and personal; it has been used equally as a symbol for resistance and as a creative outlet. There are diverse and complex histories to the wearing, care and styling of African type hair and I believe that it is important for all hairdressers to have at least some appreciation and understanding of this.

Lots of hairdressers lack confidence and skills with Afro hair, usually through no fault of their own and they are eager to learn. Its important to remember that you don’t have to be an expert on everything, but you should be knowledgeable about different hair types and how people talk about their hair. You should know about what is a transition period, what is the big chop. What is a protective style? Remember not every client walking through your door wants an appointment. They might want to buy products. So you must be able to advise them. It’s important to have the skill to work with all textures before the opportunity arises, otherwise you won’t be able to respond and grab that client or photo shoot offer Having the skill set will open doors for you and from the business point of view you don’t turn business away. So, book a day’s workshop with me now!

Need more business reasons to welcome clients with textured hair?

Since 2020, curl-enhancing styling products overall turnover growth has increased by about 12% year on year.
Curly haired women spend twice as much on products as straight-haired consumers.

66% of women with curly hair go to salons for treatments versus 40% of straight-haired women
Products formulated for curly hair to minimize frizz continue to be on the rise as people embrace their hair texture.
Approximately 65% of the global population has some form of curly hair. This means that almost 7 out of 10 people have at least some curl in their hair. So, if you have naturally straight hair, you should consider yourself in the minority!

91% of curly haired women continue to look for new products to address their top concerns such as dryness and frizz to achieve a more natural look.

So what are you waiting for? Open your salon doors to all, embrace hair equality!