Clutch Magazine: My Quest For A Stylist Who Doesn't Hate Doing My Hair
It's not much of a secret that I have a love-hate relationship with my hair. Great when it's done, but almost never have any interest in washing, styling or braiding it because there's no such thing as a "quick" way to do my hair other than to just chop it all off. And since I'm not interested in rocking a baldy I've spent most of my life searching for the perfect stylist, which I wrote about for Clutch this Thursday.
Here's a snippet:
I hate doing my own hair. Always have.
It’s thick and long and it sure is pretty when it’s all done up, but darn if I want to do it. I don’t want to twist it. I don’t want to braid it. I don’t want to blow dry it straight or flat iron it. But I can’t go the easy and cheapest way out (cutting it) because of a pact I made with myself six years ago that I wouldn’t cut my hair again. I did this because, every time I cut it, I regret it. Anytime I drastically change my hair, I want it back to how it used to be. So I decided to stop changing it so flippantly.
Therefore, I was left with a choice – lose four hours every weekend doing my own hair or pay a stylist to do it every two-to-three weeks.
I decided to eat out less and go with the stylist.
But I, and my hair, haven’t always lived in places where you have a great selection in stylists. In fact, I started out reporting in a lot of desert towns with small minority populations like Midland, TX and Bakersfield, Calif. Usually there were two licensed black hair salons and both treated you with the kind of disdain you get in towns where there’s no competition.
Of COURSE they weren’t good with your hair, were rude, late, overbooked, and charged insane prices for the most basic styles and treatments … but where else are you going to go?
But leave it to me, my hair and my money — I was willing to take it someplace else, any place else, really, than endure women who would slather perm on my head, but then argue with me over whether it was burning my scalp or not.
Danielle Belton | 5 Comments | Share Article | Email Article | Print Article | tagged Clutch Magazine, beauty, black hair, danielle belton, hair, hair salon, the snob 
Reader Comments (5)
Well, my hair is pretty similar to yours in terms of length, thickness, and volume(and has been longer), and I can tell you that most hairdressers hate doing it (even though they like my hair) b/c of the amount of time that it takes. I realized after the fact that one salon I'd gone to kind of kept it at a length that was more manageable for them instead of asking what I wanted. Honestly, most salons that I've been to that have printed prices kind of have a short price and a long price, but nothing for the person who takes 3x as long as everyone else b/c her hair is 3x as thick, and a lot of the others commit to a price without seeing me.
I've been to salons where stylists have tag teamed, tried to spread things out to give themselves a break, worked on my hair jointly, and some just come out and say that they hate starting b/c it is is going to be a long time to finish. I went to one salon where the owner would always cut and style my hair, but had one of her assistants blow dry (if I was getting it straightened). Or others where two women would roll my hair at once. When I told one stylist that I wanted my mom to visit her she was like "no" b/c she assumed it would be the same amount of work.
So I think you just have someone who is okay investing hours of their day in you. I can totally see why they don't like to, since I eat up so much time but don't have to pay for it. But I have met people who kind of enjoy it in the artistic/creative sense and actually like getting the chance to work on so much hair.
A while ago, I decided to do the washing, detangling, and twisting myself. I've met hairdressers who find that twisting hair takes too long, and in that time they can fit in 2 or 3 perms, lol!
It takes time, but once it's done, I'm very happy with the results. However, if life ever changes and I can't afford to spend four hours every weekend doing it, I'll either cut it very short, or pay to get it done.
I do the combing out on Friday night very late, then I go to bed. Early Saturday morning, I'll do the wash and twist, from about 7 to 10 a.m. or 10:30 a.m.. That way, I still have most of the day left. :-)
finger in the light socket :-}
Uh, about before, the two-word combo amounting to no word: "inattendance" I meant, inattention, inattentiveness, negligence.... There, I feel better.
Yikes!!! My first post did not post!!! What I was trying to say in the first post is that: You’re hilarious, as usual!! I have the same problem with my hair. I am tender-headed, as the old folks say. So, in my inattention/negligence, I sometimes put off washing my hair, you know, until it “snows.” LOL. As I was trying to say yesterday...may God continue to bless you with great success, you big-haired Black Snob!