Tag Archive for "black culture" - Beauty Schools Directory Blog

Posts Tagged ‘black culture’

Are Dominicans Taking Black Salon Business?

Posted on: June 29th, 2012 by Becca 3 Comments

When an African American woman wanted a weave or her hair relaxed, she typically ventured to a black salon, since non-black salons usually were not staffed with stylists who know how to do kinky or textured hair. It was there that she could socialize and gossip with other women and get her hair done in a manner that was best for suited for her. Now, Dominican-run salons are taking over a portion of the business that black beauty parlors used to dominate.

Black Hair Salon Customers

For example, Dominican salons use a special technique for straightening that works well on black hair. This technique is a blowout technique that consists of applying wet rollers to the client’s hair. For about 45 minutes, the client will sit underneath of a hairdryer. A blowdryer and a round brush will then be used simultaneously to smooth out the hair. This process must be done at the tip of the roots in order for it to be successful. When the technique is implemented correctly, it takes less time and costs less than your average black salon. The result of the treatment is super straight hair. Also, the steps that Dominican salons utilize help prolong the effects of the chemicals used in the chemical relaxing process, and if the hair is not already straightened, this process can have results that are just as positive as a chemical straightening. This leads to less frequent visits to the salon and in many cases happier customers.

An Atlanta hairdresser by the name of Jennifer Jackson states that she has noticed a huge change in the number of clients she sees due to the fact that there is a Dominican salon taking over in her area. She reported that clients have been canceling and doing no-call-no-shows more lately, since the rise in popularity with Dominican salons. She is adamant that the Dominican beauticians are passing out fliers to her customers.

“Bad Boy” Romeo Crews is stylist in Atlanta who says that the Dominicans have assisted him with gaining business, because the Dominican’s technique has been causing hair to fall out. It has also been noted that the way they style hair results in excess breakage.

Now that the trend of styling black hair has shifted more toward being open to Dominican hairdressers, many African American beauticians are seeing a drastic decrease in their business. Customers who traditionally would only go to a black stylist are now looking toward the non-black stylists more than ever before. This leaves those working at black salons with a decrease in business, and in dire need of something fresh to compete with.

Some say, “If you can’t beat them, join them.” Beauticians that work in black salons need to start bettering the services that they offer to compete on an all-new level. It sounds like the key areas they need to compete on are time, quality and cost. These are the key factors that are affecting the customers’ decisions in not “supporting their own” when it comes to choosing a salon. Better marketing for black salon businesses may also help. Step up your game and get customers back in your chairs!

At the end of the day, Beauty Schools Directory supports all hairstylists, and want to see every single hairstylist and salon business be successful, regardless of race. But we also support healthy competition in the name of innovation, so we look forward to seeing salon businesses run by people of both ethnicities thrive and grow and lead the charge in the beauty industry.

Are you an African American or Dominican stylist or salon owner? Make your voice heard! Weigh in on the comments below and tell us your story or experience.

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5 Questions About Black Hair that White Girls are Afraid to Ask

Posted on: June 25th, 2012 by Beauty Schools Directory 2 Comments

Ms. Pretty L Things is a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger from the UK. She is a self-professed beauty product junkie and a weave-aholic with no intention of going into rehab. When not guest posting here on Beauty Schools Directory, she can be found on her own site, PrettyLusciousThings.com, or on Twitter @MsPrettyLThings.

Is it real?

Lots of black women wear weaves and extensions, but whether it’s grown from our own head or purchased we still consider it our own hair. This means “No, you cannot touch it or pull it to see if it moves.” Why some women like to do this is beyond me. I’ve never desired to touch a random women’s hair outside of the professional realm no matter how fantastic or different it looks. Any attempts to touch a black women’s hair without permission will immediately result in a look that would wither Medusa.

Why do black women wear weaves, extensions or full-lace wigs?

Lots of women wear hair extensions, but for some reason it seems that the press focus on black women. Black women wear hair extensions for the same reason other women wear hair extensions – to look different, try out other textures and sometimes to protect our own hair from chemical treatments. Wearing weaves or extensions that are a different texture, colour or length to our own hair doesn’t mean that we want to be Caucasian – we just like to mix it up! Haven’t you sometimes wanted to be a ravishing redhead or have big voluminous hair?

Why don’t you grow your own hair?

The structure of Black hair grows in a helix (spiral) pattern, rather than a straight pattern like Caucasian and Asian hair. This can make it difficult for black hair to grow, as the hair shaft is prone to breakage. Whilst the hair shaft can be prone to breakage it is not impossible for black women to grow their hair long. Keeping the hair moisturized, limiting use of damaging chemicals, and using methods like Ayurvedic can help stimulate hair growth. I know several black women who have naturally long hair. But for some black women our hair just “peaks” and won’t grow any further. We then have a choice to accept it or to wear extensions. I choose extensions every time!

Why do you buy so many hair products?

Now this is a question akin to “Why do women buy so many shoes?” There is no explicable answer to this question! Most women are the same when it comes to taking care of our hair. Sometimes we need colour protection shampoo, shampoo with extra moisturizer, leave-in-conditioner, mousse or maybe hot oil treatments. So if you’re wearing hair extensions then you may need to buy double the amount of products for your own hair texture and the texture of the hair extensions. Boy, that’s a lot of products! I spend about £75 ($117 U.S. Dollars) a month on hair products, excluding the initial cost of the hair extensions. And like all the shoes that I’ve ever bought, I need every single one of those hair products!

Does your boyfriend know/care about you wearing hair extensions or your hair routine?

If you date a black man, then unless he was adopted by a non-black family or had no female relatives then he knows all about weaves, extensions and the black hair routine. And you know what? He doesn’t care. All of his life he has come home to his sisters or mum having their hair done. He knows its very important to black women to take pride in their hair and he understands it costs money and time. And if you date inter-racially, what then? Personally, my hair routine stays the same whomever I date. My hair takes time, my money and you don’t get to see my hair until I’m ready. (Am I right, ladies?) Yeah, that’s right. Unless me and my man have been together a very long time he does not see me with my hair “undone.” So off you go to the pub for the day or out with your mates until my hair is gorgeous again and I give you the all clear to come home. I’m not embarrassed about my real hair, I just like to leave a little mystery to the whole thing!

So there you have it! Hopefully this has answered some of the questions that you always wanted to ask your black friend (or classmates if you’re becoming a hairstylist) about black hair but were afraid to ask.

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Back to Their Roots: The Growing Trend of Natural Hair in Black Women

Posted on: December 28th, 2011 by Becca 1 Comment

From pomades to weaves, the buzz surrounding African American ladies’ hair continues to grow. Celebrity hairstyles fuel the fashion debate about natural hair as more and more women begin to embrace their roots, swapping their chemicals for more natural products.

For black women, natural hair simply means that it has not been processed or chemically altered through the use of products designed to straighten, soften, or cause it to relax. Smooth, straight hair has been in vogue for years, but this trend is starting to reverse.

Products, wigs, and weaves make up a more than $1 billion industry revolving around African American hair. Fashion, politics, and personal preference are behind this push to go natural.

From 2010 to 2011, the number of women who admitted that they do not use any type of chemical relaxer on their hair increased by 10percent. Over the past five years, relaxer kit sales have taken a 17 percent hit. These numbers may not seem so large now, but give it a few more years, and the market may shift entirely.

Numbers like these have caused hair product manufacturers to give ear to what the women want. Companies will have to begin developing products that cater to this expanding market of naturalists. Already, several companies, such as Soft-Sheen Carson, have taken advantage of this trend and introduced some new hair care products that meet the needs of this growing population. This change will be beneficial for smaller companies who specialize in natural hair care.

Chemical relaxers have been shown to damage hair, leaving it dry and lifeless. Constant heat from irons, dryers, and pressing combs leaks to breakage. Braids that are too tight not only cause headaches but also may lead to hair loss. Weaves and hair extensions that make use of heat and glue are extremely harmful to hair’s health. Natural oil is essential, while rubbing oil on the scalp can actually clog pores and lead to hair health issues. Spritzed hairstyles that leave hair feeling crunchy and stiff are losing popularity. Women are rebelling against the looks and styles that do more harm than good, as they look for ways to boost hair’s health and strength.

A definite shift can be observed in the African American community, as women want to go as natural as possible. For those who want to tame their mane without the use of harmful chemical products, dozens of books, blogs, and websites, including YouTube, offer advice on hair care as well as natural styling tips.

The celebrities may be the most prominent faces of this trend, but black women everywhere are taking their hair back to its natural roots and embracing its unique style.

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Review of Chris Rock’s “Good Hair”

Posted on: October 27th, 2009 by Beauty Schools Directory No Comments

Chris Rock’s three-year-old daughter Lola asked him, “Daddy, why don’t I have good hair?” This launched the comedian headfirst into the topic of ‘good hair’ – commonly thought of as straight, shiny, European-looking locks. This topic has fueled debates within the African American community for generations.

Rock records this search for truth in African American hair culture in Good Hair, a thought-provoking and entertaining documentary produced by HBO Films and directed by Jeff Stilson. Good Hair tackles the topics of texture, hair relaxing, weaves, and the booming financial business of African American hair care to explore the way that hairstyles impact the relationships, lifestyles, health, wallets, and self-esteem of African American women.

It’s a bold topic – how American culture defines beauty, and the lengths that women to which women will go to in order to conform to that standard. As cosmetologists, we have a hand in this. We know how expensive and painful weaves can be. We know that often, women look even more beautiful rockin’ their natural hair than getting it relaxed. But still, African American hair is a big business – with special standards, techniques and training for stylists.

What’s great about Good Hair is that it doesn’t point any fingers or take sides. The film advocates self-love and appreciation, no matter whether women choose natural or relaxed hair.

Have you seen Good Hair? What do you think?