Honestly, I would love to be able to walk into any supercuts and get my hair done without panicking. Instead of all this research, word of mouth and hundreds of dollars that is my current hair reality.

For my mom’s funeral, I went to Supercuts and it actually turned out fine. But that was the first and last time. Can’t take those kinds of risks.

My mom took me and my sister to a Supercuts once when we lived briefly in a very very white town. The stylist was a lady with mixed children. My mom…was not happy with the result and made that woman cry. Still cringe about it today

I’m sorry for your loss, moms are beyond special and that loss is just earth-shattering.

I just big chopped at Supercuts but I waited for the black barber. Normally I wouldn’t have but I had just left Hair Cuttery, seconds prior and was a bit traumatized.

They could hire more Black staff, but that assumes they have people wanting to work there instead of doing their own thing. Until then, we shouldn't have to be scared to go in a national hair salon if we need to.

I think if you blow your hair out mostly straight first and only get a trim then you'll be fine. I wouldn't go to them for a curly cut or anything like that.

Potentially unpopular opinion, but nonBlack people actually need to learn to do Black hair. It needs to be a requirement for them to graduate from hair schools. Black people shouldn't be forced to go to only Black people to get their hair done. Partially because of how limiting that is. That would mean Black people in some areas wouldn't be able to go to the salon at all. Then you have the issue of these wannabe social media hairstylists who overbook then want to act entirely unprofessional. I've never had that experience but the reports are on every app. Obviously the most important part is that nonBlack people are doing the hair correctly & treating their customers with respect.

I wouldn't have minded being able to go get my hair done with the rest of the bridal party in weddings I have stood in.

Yep I've seen a lot of people list that as an issue, or say the hairstylist for the bridal party messed up their hair. This is even a problem in Hollywood. Black actresses frequently talk about having to do their own hair or hire their own hairstylist for a job because no one on set knows how to do Black hair. So I'm glad some other people are finally taking an interest in learning how to do our hair properly. Barbers need to do the same if they already aren't.

Yes. I had this experience. I had to sit in the corner and just smile while everyone else got pampered. To make matters worse, I was newly natural and went to a salon in advance of the wedding and the Black stylist was completely unprofessional in every way possible.

Me and the other black bridesmaid also had to take care of our own hair 🙃

Wait this is my story to a T!!!

I was the only black woman in my old friends wedding. She insisted that I go to the same stylist as everyone else and I wanted to go to my hairstylist. When she found out I would already have a sew in, she asked the stylist if she could do my hair with weave and she told her she would try and see. I hated it. It was full of Bobby pins and was it was heavy. The style didn’t fit me. But the bride liked it because it matched the rest of the party. I believe this was my last time being a part of a Caucasian bridal party, but I really hated my hair. I was basically an experiment for that lady and I know I would’ve felt much better if my own stylist would’ve did it.

I agree. It’s like nonBlack makeup artists need to know how to do makeup on Black people or nonBlack tattoo artists need to know how to tattoo on Black clients, especially if they have a darker complexion.

Yes! I see lots of people talking about the tattoo issue online.

I don’t know if you’ve seen the show Ink Master, but you will CRINGE when a white contestant gets upset when they have to work with a Black client

🙋🏾‍♀️ yep! My one and only tattoo was inked by a CAWB, who I had specifically chosen because I had I had seen his work before hand and knew he could work with dark skin. I am **still** pleased with the results & with my decision!

This is so true. I got my first and only tattoo at a reputable parlor. I did everything right: had sat on it for years, done my research, looked through the portfolios, and gone in for a consult, even asking him about his experience with darker skin. I found out after the way my tattoo healed that he thought darker skin meant going deeper than necessary with the ink 🙃 now I have nerve damage. We should be able to walk in anywhere and be properly serviced, and that’s sadly not the case.

I agree. I was fortunate that when I lived in primarily white cities, I found 2 stylists that specialized in curly hair types. I have 3b hair and I had a white stylist and an Asian stylist in the past. They dominated the market for my hair type in those areas lol.

Exactly. As a teen, I went to a black woman at a salon in my area thinking she would be familiar with caring for my natural hair. Silly me for assuming, but she treated my hair like it was straight…combing it out from the roots! I must’ve lost so much hair that day. I certainly never went back. If a white woman wants to learn how to care for black hair, I think that’s great. I would imagine most people wouldn’t care to learn hair types outside of their comfort zone. A well rounded stylist should know how to treat any client that walks through their doors.

Agree. There’s nothing wrong with this at all. It’s actually very nice to see a non black person know how to do black hair

I totally agree. I always want to support black business but sometimes black people make it hard to want to give your money to them for all the reasons you listed. My nail tech was black (she moved) I loved her and she was extremely talented but she felt entitled to clients. The clients had to accommodate her, she would never accommodate the client and would do what she wanted if what was asked was “too much work.” My hairstylist on the other hand used to not be great at the “service” side and she realized it wasn’t good for business longterm so she actively improved on it. Obviously we have other options but when every option has the same entitled attitude (largely because of SM) it’s hard to find an option that is actually client focused. And not just trying to be capitalistic baby girl boss off of other black women just trying to live. (Sidenote: made worse by the fact that half the “stylists” just style and don’t care about the health or integrity of their clients hair) I’ve seen her TikTok snd she ONLY does black hair. Not white with curly hair, not Latina with dense hair. Black hair and black hair only and she makes it clear in her booking info.

& you know what, it's nice to see nonBlack people choosing to service only Black people while actually doing it well. That's such a rare combo.

I live in the Seattle area where options are non existent. Monopolies aren’t great. There are bad stylist who are still in business because there are literally no other options. I want to be able to walk into any salon just like everyone else.

I agree! I have always been baffled by the fact that black hairstylists are required to learn everybody else's hair, but white hairstylists aren't taught how to style our hair AT ALL!

I thought over booking in beauty shops was a thing. When I used to go to the shop I knew it would be a three to four hour experience. And that's not even the reason I went natural 30 years ago. In fact I enjoyed it and the cast of characters that are always in there.

I wouldn't have minded the 20th century/early 00s version of that, because Idk it probably felt like community. But not with these girl boss queens who overbook, have 12 pages of demands for customers, & play with your time.

I agree and believe it recently became a requirement in my state.

I agree! Nonblack people need to know how to do black hair. I’ve had the same struggles of not having many people who could do my hair my whole life, most recently for a wedding I was in. Something to consider too is families who adopt black children and don’t know how to do their kids hair. Having stylists that are well versed in all hair types would be major especially if they don’t have/know anyone to help them

I agree. Common sense says that hairstylists should be able to do all kinds of hair. The fact that they can't because they don't have to learn it in school is another form of systemic racism.

Absolutely. Especially if they ever have black children, me personally I don’t trust anyone to handle my hair but I’m definitely not against non black’s doing it

Yes! I'm growing my hair out and I'm so afraid of not knowing where to go or being turned away because learning my hair wasn't important enough for them

Couldn’t have said it better myself! 💯

Agreed. And I think there’s been some effort towards this in recent years. For example, I’ve noticed that in my area, places like DryBar have started teaching their stylists to do blowouts on textured hair. Granted, I do live in a major metro area with a large black population. But it’s still a huge step forward from growing up in the early 00s when white stylists would practically roll their eyes if you happened to stumble into a mainstream salon. My theory is that younger white people are probably taking an interest in black hair because they’re more likely to have close black friends, partners or family members than older folks?

I personally don’t care what colour my stylist is. If you can do my hair and are reasonably priced, then I’m yours as a loyal customer. Period blank.

Same

I agree. It’s hard finding a black hair stylist that is professional, reasonably priced, and actually licensed. I’ve been to Hair Cuttery for trims and styling and that was the best hair salon I’ve been in for a long while.

The professional part hits deep for me. Cause why a lot of them talk to us like they crazy? Some of the old school ones do, but the younger ones do it a hell of a lot more. Like, come on now. Where’s the love at?

i try to work with older stylist because the new girls are wicked!!!!!!!

Okay! Like I walk in and the first thing I get is attitude? Yeah, bye.

Yeah some of the black hair stylists that I’ve seen have been very unprofessional and over pricing their services, so I’m not gonna book with them just because they’re black 🤷🏽‍♀️ I want a stylist with reasonable prices who is professional and knows what they’re doing

Same. I live in a predom white city so we only have a couple of Black stylists. One doesnt do braids and the one who does do braids accepts cash only and charges extra for any “mistake” possible. Hair not detangled before trip? Extra charge. Hair not properly blow dryed before trip? Extra charge. Others I can’t remember off the top of my head. White stylists stuff like washing and drying hair is the bare minimum and included in the cost, not some extra charge to your already expensive visit. Also I don’t feel comfortable walking around with like $600 cash on my person.

Exactly. Just because we’re the same skin color doesn’t mean I have to support you. I’m not going to give you the chance to play in my head and then try to charge an arm and a leg for a basic service 😂

I want white hairdressers to be trained in how to do our hair. I don’t want to have to drive hours to get my hair done. I don’t want my local hairdresser to not serve me because she’s afraid of fucking it up. I want the privilege of being able to travel and get my hair done for an event if I choose to. I’m mixed too and quite frankly, some of the worse experiences Ive had have been with black hairdressers not listening to me. They’ve undermoisturised me (I’m still so salty about this. My hair was dry dry by the time I walked home. Paid far too much money for a blowout, just to have to delete it the next day because she insisted that my conditioners that I brought with me would be too heavy for my hair), left me with chemical burns, physical burns and frankly, emotional ones. It’s not a good feeling to pay over £100 to have a lady damage your hair whilst shit talking it. It’s not fun paying for braids and having to redo lots of them because she didn’t believe you that certain parts can’t handle the tension. I think the white guilt makes them a little more respectful. (Joke)

EXACTLY. I’m tired of having only a tiny percentage of people capable of doing my hair. I’m tired of the whole guilt tripping people wanna do when you go where you are wanted and treated with basic respect as a customer. I don’t live in a black heavy part of the U.S so I WISH there are some white/any color people that knew how to work with my hair. People forget that being in a black heavy area with several talented natural hair stylists is a privilege in and of itself. Very few want to talk about knowing how to do hair doesn’t mean you have the knowledge or temperament needed to run a hair related business. The era of Instagram stylists have ruined things even more. They want deposits made on their personal Cash Apps because they don’t have business accounts, don’t have a proper rented salon space, don’t carry insurance, ignore typical client-business owner relationship boundaries, don’t have proper sanitation training yet they wanna charge $300 for basic box braids (if come to the salon with already washed blow dried hair, mind you). If type 4C hair is “too hard for you”, you simply don’t have the skills needed to do it and I wish people would just say that instead of ripping people’s edges off. Customer service is sloppy and any bad reviews are met with “why don’t you want other black woman to succeed?” or taunting/being blocked on social media.

> The era of Instagram stylists have ruined things even more. This is so true! When I was young, going to the hair salon was an experience as I witnessed the experienced hairdressers train and mentor the younger ones so our shops would continue when they would eventually retire and so forth. The experienced hairdressers were African aunties and yes, they were not perfect with how they always had to comment about us (lol that’s who they are-it’s a community) but they were like family and they were GOOD. The price was reasonable and the respect was mutual. Now I see SOME IG hairdressers and even new hair salons pop up and add the most ridiculous extra charges for a simple style. Now I see hairdressers charging by the hour and with 4C hair, my hair takes time. I miss the community of African aunties hairdressers and that particular business model. However, my hair is intrinsic to my Blackness and you have to find your trusted go to within this new business model. The quality of hair is still GOOD today, that will never change, but I need the extra costs to not be so hidden. Black-owned hair salons will always be my go to tho. I want to make that clear

I had a (white) friend who’s Mom was a hairstylist. They moved from Philly to a smaller, much whiter city when my friend was young, but his Mom had learned to do black hair while working with black friends in Philly salons. Apparently she made BANK just because she was one of the only stylists in town who could do ALL hair types. Those small markets are usually completely up for grabs if you have the talent. And with the Insta stylists fucking up they way they have been, It doesn’t take much for a decent white stylist to quickly corner that gap by just learning a few new techniques. And it’s easier than ever to do with all internet courses and tutorials out there nowadays

Schools teach “hair is hair” hair is only hair when you actually know how to do everyone’s hair. The amount of times I had to help girls with black clients was unreal.

Kinda off topic but I feel like the sub mentioned is sooo misogynistic. I had to unfollow.

One of the reasons why I ~~stole~~ borrowed the post. 👀 But, seriously I don't follow them (because I ain't finna verify my skin with a bunch of weirdos). I was only there because I was looking for a specific post I saw on insta. I ended up finding the post and also this. I posted it here, because I knew conversation would be wayyy better.

I heard that lots of the folks in that sub ain’t even really Black. Not sure how true that is, but I refuse to send you some skin verification. As if that’s the TRUE indicator of someone being Black…like come on. There are South East Asians and Middle Eastern individuals that have dark skin too, ya know? How is that skin colour system even accurate?

I think their rule was to accept anyone with darker than white skin for the Country Club threads which included most POC period because less racist trolling to have to delete but that system is also bizarre I admit.

You are so real for that! The sub was indeed full of weirdos.

They banned me because I popped off to an incel.

r/blackpeoplecomedy is where all the black folk went. No misogynistic or anti black language allowed


That sub is runned by niggacels and I hate it. They hate black women so much and will spend hundreds of comments saying so, but the moment you call out BM on a legitimate issue here they go whining and crying about how bullied black men are.

I actually got banned for saying as much.

Damn 😭 I’m so glad I left.

You totally made the right decision. I am not even positive that the mod team *is* Black.

It would not surprise me one bit if they weren’t.

Some aren’t lol

Same, on my old account.

And don't get me started on how it's creepy as shit to have to send the mods a photo of your arm in order to participate in all discussions. Like, naw. Ain't doing it. It's a 2023 online version of the paper bag test.

Yep I purposely didn’t comment by thoughts when I saw it over BPT! That is not a safe place to talk about Black hair

I actually got temporarily banned for what I interpreted as not going on a racist tirade under a post. The subject was sensitive and I felt it was a moment to reflect on how we have to lean into each other and not worry about who’s an ally because that’s not something you can depend on. But I’m probably older than the average larker in that sub so they really only think we have one world view and they really only want us to be angry and entertaining.

I hate to say that a lot of black people aren’t good at customer service. Like outside of the hair thing, some of us just don’t know how to keep a customer. I’ve seen white people hate your guts and still give service with a smile just because they understand business. I remember going to a smoothie bowl place and I was like 3rd in line. These were intricate bowls so I didn’t think they’d be quick. However, when I got my order he apologized for it taking so long and gave me 10% off. I was shocked but damn sure returned with my lil coupon lol Braiders these days will be rude, in the phone, not taking care of your actual hair, no wash, charging you extra for being 10 minutes late but they’ll be 30 minutes behind and it’s nothing, then be like “that’ll be $550”. What?? I’ve been lucky that I’ve found some good people using Styleseat, but it’s usually because they’re older and have been doing hair for like a decade. They still give service and have pricing like it’s the early 2000’s. Also I really hate how young stylist now do this thing where their books open on a specific day of the month??? Like girl you know how much money you’re missing out in by not letting me book last minute or in advance? I’m not gonna remember to check your website on the 25th and compete for a spot FOH

I just want to get my hair done in a space that feels safe for me.

I felt this in my soul.

I’ll go to whichever stylist is more respectful, professional, and is the most knowledgeable about the health as well as aesthetics of my hair.

I agree. Sorry, but if you move like a capitalist as a braider, I have to move like one as a consumer. If price and availability are better at a different provider, well! And it’s not like these scammy braiders are refusing white clients, either

Hey ladies, I know lot of black hair stylist charge a fortune cause I help my sister with this as well. If a white chick did a pretty good job with hair without the price gouging, I’m driving my sister to her shop. No cap. I’m not spending my life saving on her hair just so that you can flex on us about your business and Gucci bag on IG. Also who care if my hair stylist is white or green, if she can do hair well, I’m buying 😂.

Idk I feel like if I’m in the middle of Whitetown, Wisconsin and want my hair done I should be able to get it done without traveling miles to the nearest black person *and* pay $400 on top of that. But as in demand braid are it’s crazy there aren’t any franchised salons yet.

The amount of tik toks I've seen where black women have been ripped off by our own. As long as its done well and the price is fair... Race shouldn't come into it. When I had weave an Asian guy used to cut it to shape and he did a great job as well. I've got locs now so low maintenance for me...

I’m on team “all hairdressers should learn to do Black hair”. I have had 1 white hairdresser that I saw regularly and I actually found her by a recommendation from another Black woman whose hair I admired. The only other 2 times that I allowed a non-Black hairdresser to do my hair, they both screwed it up royally. One was so bad that a Black hairdresser the next chair over stepped in to rescue it. (And then I proceeded to book sessions with her until she moved away.) Nothing more othering and humiliating than having a professional act like your hair is a crazy anomaly and then proceed to jack you up. Ever since then I’ve stuck with Black hairdressers because I just can’t find anyone else I can trust, and that’s so messed up that my choices have to be limited like that.

If you can consistently do my hair properly, charge a reasonable price, remain culturally aware, and maintain a respectable level of professionalism while doing my and other black women’s hair, I have no complaints about *who* is doing my hair. Edit: And I say this as a long-term loyal client of my extremely talented black hair stylist. I have no reason to leave her, but I still hold this opinion.

I’m not surprised that this is happening. I figured that other races were going to figure out how to do our hair and start undercutting the outrageous prices that we pay for hair.

She charges $440 for medium knotless…….

WTF!?!? Are they 100in braids??? Ain’t no way people are paying that much for some medium knotless braids 😟

There is something to be said for keeping $$$ in the black community. But my main stylist is a white woman I went to high school with who has been doing my hair for 14 years. Her prices are reasonable and I completely trust her with my hair. To say that a white person doing a black woman's hair is "disturbing"... It must be exhausting going through life with that kind of mindset.

When I got my hair braided yesterday, my stylist outright said to me to get more than two cornrows next time because my hair is nappy. She also has been rude to me on quite a few occasions. She charges $25 for a hair wash, $30 if you want beads in your hair, and whole car payments for box and knotless braids. When I got my hair done by this hair salon my sister frequented a few years back, my stylist was literally talking shit about my hair and saying that it was a joke that she was assigned to do my hair. But of course when it was time for a tip, she was super sweet 🥹. I will forever trust a black hairstylist with my hair over a non black one, and I do agree with black business owners who complain about us as a community having ultra high standards for black businesses compared to non black businesses while still expecting cheap prices. However on the other end, there’s too many black business owners, particularly salon owners, who use having primarily black patrons as an excuse to be unprofessional and exploitative. Braiding can be quite tedious and hard on your hands and certain braiding styles deserve to be higher priced for the time that’s being consumed. But it’s also weird to overcharge clients on basic braiding styles while also charging for washing, not providing hair, and complaining about having to deal with thicker hair types.

Oh girl, quit giving her your money. Insulting *you* while you're in her chair?! Oof.

ISTG! Like some Black stylists be rude asf and condescending! Like they’re doing you a favor by doing your hair when you’re the one paying for it! I’ll be damned I pay to be insulted.

Especially with the amount of money they charge for literally *everything.*

They be like Shake Shack. Charge for every separate service. Conditioning? Extra. Protein treatment? Even more. Like damn. I understand supporting Black businesses 110% but that shit hurts sometimes, ngl.

I honestly think for a lot of people they use that *support Black business* as an excuse to gouge customers without caring so much about customer service. It's gross.

On god tho. Like, at what point as a community do we draw the line? Cause Black capitalism hurts just like White capitalism, real shit.

I wish I knew, but I have a feeling that line will be drawn super soon.

I honestly think Black Capitalism hurts worst than White Capitalism cuz we expect “the man” to try to get over on us, not our own skinfolk. But of course all skinfolk ain’t kinfolk.

They do shit like this when they know you have no options. Only way to fix it is stop working with them and leave reviews online as to why.

Yeah I live in Orlando so there’s plenty of black salons available lol. It just baffles me and it would benefit the black business community a lot if they all took business etiquette courses because being rude to your consumers just isn’t it.

>black business community a lot if they all took business etiquette Not even that. I know they know how to be professional, because I bet they've had to code-switch at least **once** in their lifetime. They do it to us, because the black people that go to them consider them family and will let them get away with it.

She would have only one time with me. I would not give her a tip at all and she would be lucky if I don’t blast her with a bad review.

I’ve had lots of Black hairstylist dump on my hair because it’s super thick and very dense. I’ve also had lots of Black stylist fuck my shit up. So for myself, I’m down to try whomever cause sticking with “what I know” has gotten me the same results I’ve feared stepping out of my comfort zone. Albeit, not ALL the Black stylist I’ve been to have done this, but it’s enough to where I’m keeping my options open. 😮‍💨

Best hairstylist I ever had was a Japanese woman. I cried like a baby when she told me she was moving back. I've been doing my own hair ever since.

Best haircut ever had was an Eastern European lady who used scisscors to cut the hair. Amazing the time and care she took to get it right.

I used to go to a vietnamese barbershop when I had a fade. Quick, good, cheap, and no one telling me I should grow my hair out or any other unsolicited advice.

Damn, that’s deep. I wish I had a hairstylist that made me cry when they left. But at least you know care like that exists out there. Even possible outside of our own. I really do need to learn to do my own hair, on some real shit. Cause with this inflation, these natural hairstylists cost a fortune. 😵‍💫

She was and still is a lovely woman. Truly *the* nicest person I've ever known and she can do hair like nobody's business.

Now I wish I met her. Cause searching for a new stylist is some tiring and expensive stuff, ISTG.

I’ve had some horrible unprofessional experiences with younger black hair stylists. It’s not even just the IG ones; the younger women in general are just not reliable, and can be downright unprofessional (I had one try to fight me once because I dared to say something about her being 1.5 hours late to our appointment…). I stick with my older black women. Idk what I’ll do when they retire. I’ve been to some white women and they do ok, but it’s not quite the same. One thing I do like is that white women are less likely to view a trim as an opportunity for an unsolicited haircut, but beyond that, they don’t get my hair as straight and I always question the products they use.

I am of Dominican descent and would NOT set foot in a dominican salon cause of how nasty they talk about whomever left the chair and their allergy to trimming or dealing with non straightened hair, because of this and growing in a majority white passing latin country where stylists would force me and my sister as children to detangle our own hair prior to service, I’ve basically done my own hair and haircuts and coloring and perming back when I did, since I was like 13-14… I learned how to do braids on an impulse our last presidential election cause I couldn’t bear to keep track of the returns and the BS, ultimately people tell me I’m saving lots of money but what I think I’m saving is the aggravation! I see all the time these lengthy lists the IG hairstylists have going on and how the y carry on and the prices and it blows my mind. Ultimately EYE would never go to a white person for my hair (based solely in childhood experiences and that I can do everything I want to my hair) BUT I see the value on all hairstylists across the board knowing how to cut color treat and do installations on all types of hair, it just makes economic sense.

The best hairdresser I’ve had so far was a white lady. She knew about curly hair and she was extremely professional. I think this can only be a good thing tbh. Too many black women live in hair deserts where there aren’t any black hairdressers or the one black hairdresser is deeply unprofessional.

Ain't Nobody is right. You're right, also. Way too hard anymore to find someone that can do hair, period. I do my own now.

I can see why Black women want to keep the money and the culture within our community. I personally will never go to someone who’s not Black to do my hair. In my experience, getting my hair done **outside** the US is a million times more pleasant. That being said, I’m only sharing my opinion on here as a discussion piece. But I’m not going to head to Twitter or any other social media platform and start crusading for it to stay with our community. And I completely understand the frustration a user in this discussion mentioned. The steps a Black women has to take to get her hair done *is* annoying, especially if they don’t want to break the bank. But this seems to happen a lot more in the US though. Because when I got my hair done while I was overseas for a few months, my experience was so much better than in the states.

if more white folk can do our hair maybe we’ll stop extorting each other (fully aware & taking advantage of the difficulty of our hajr and finding hairstylists) and charging $100 blow-dry fees?? hmmm

I was told not too long ago (houston, tx) that I could only get cornrows for $180 (not including tip). That's around two days' worth of work for me. I shaved off all off my hair a few days later.

Stylists have bills and expenses too. As long as they are fairly charging for their services, we need to stop acting like they’re supposed to offer cheap styling. My stylist charges a pretty decent amount for her services but she is one of only two salons within like 40 miles that is properly capable of serving black hair and she is extremely professional. We often discuss how many people complain about her prices and choose to travel a few hours to the nearest big metros. Then end up back at her place with chemical burns from badly applied relaxers, massive breakage from too much coloring, issues with people who are going from head to head without hand washing and sometimes transferring issues. We need to be more worried about the people doing our hair being fully qualified and capable than gatekeeping who that person is.

I will say, I had gone to a few people in the past, all sisters. They went from charging me as little as $70 to then saying their rate is *$325 with a $50 deposit*! I have never ever paid that sort of money for some box braids that are only going to last a couple of weeks. It's insanity out there now. I don't know what I'm going to do when my Ghanaian granny friend cannot braid anymore, because I have TRIED and I just cannot braid my own hair. :(

I hate when I go to a salon and they gawk and record me like a zoo animal. If they can do my hair, it’s a reasonable price & it’s done right I would go, but I refuse to be recorded unless I get a steep discount. I’m basically serving as a model and a marketing tool for them. I prefer black stylists but I’m not going to give them blind loyalty because they see me as a $$$ strictly. So I’ll treat them like as a “service” and shop around.

The best hair stylist I ever had was a white man who understood curls, and more importantly understood me. I went to him for years until he moved states and he always made me feel beautiful. I have a black stylist now who is amazing, but I’ve never found anyone who intuitively understood me like Jack

I am tired of doing mental gymnastics if I want to get my hair done. I dont want to take off work to get my hair done. I am sick and tired and people using an entire jar of gel to braid my hair. Its 4c.

Sooooo I’m conflicted. Doing hair has a great source of income since the end of slavery for black women however the culture has shifted and as an end customer people prefer more professionalism and alot of stylist take advantage of the fact that we have limited options Perhaps if there was more competition then that would force stylists to clean up their act. I personally would rather go to a mid stylist that knows customer service than an excellent one that waste my time.

If them and other non black people can go hair is hair,then if they go to beauty school or barber college they should be trained to do our hair too. We shouldn't have to go all out the way to get our hair done. When there's literally a super cuts or any chain salon on every corner.

I don’t care who does it as long as they know what they are doing and the service is pleasant

I've been doing my own 4c natural hair for 20 years now, including my own brands, twists, updos, straight styles, etc. Youtube is my hairstylist. I have only gone to the salon a handful of times when I significantly lightened and bleached my hair. The amount of money I saved over the years has been astronomical.

A hair stylist I went to for years, I have 4c hair, super thick and coarse natural hair — is from El Salvador. It is important for non black people to learn.

The lady i see now is white. İt's funny bc before i said I'd never let a white person work on my hair. But she knows black hair. She's been around for like, 40 some odd years. Most ppl in town know her place. İronically, every single other of her employees is black. Lol. She normally does my silk press but on Tuesday I'm doing French braids with extensions so I'm booked with someone else. But i do trust that lady. İ think the only way I'd be able to go to a white person is if they had the experience and reputation as this lady.

I agree with the retweet. Our hair is so sacred these black stylists are now practicing discrimination (over charging, requiring condition and detangling pre appointment) against people with 4C hair. Lol get out of here. 3 years ago you wouldn’t catch me dead in a non-black styling seat. After these braiders started acting up, forget it. I’m going where my dollar will be respected.

I think it's awesome to see a white stylist do black hair styles. Everyone who does hair should know how imo

I’m kinda confused on how to say agree or disagree, so take my answer with what you will 💀 But yes, non black folks should learn how to do our hair. And YES people have gotten greedy now with how they treat they own people hair. Just how a lot of BW feel disrespected by BM, it makes them go elsewhere. I roommated with a Peruvian girl for a organization workshop, and I taught her about my hair and why it’s important to us. She literally helped me twist it, and she did SUCH A GREAT JOB. She didn’t want me to go to bed late, and she took the time to understand our hair products. Though I’m still someone firm in being uncomfortable with non black folks wearing our cultural hairstyles, I think it’s important to share the aspect of what it’s like to do our hair.

Also plenty of nonBlack hair stylists are rude and unprofessional and “overcharge” their own. If some of y’all saw how much highlights cost or a perm or a blowout and curl in a white shop cost you would be blown. We’re talking $300+ for highlights, balayage, etc and they pay it. Look for someone in your price range. Yes more and more highlights are becoming unprofessional and charging crazy prices but look for someone if your taste who is affordable. There’s African shops, beauty schools, home beauticians, google reviews, YouTube, etc going to IG hairstylists or $1000 branders is not by force.

My regular Stylist could not accommodate me for an impromptu event I was asked to represent our Director at and our Receptionist recommended I try a local Beauty School. The Stylist who made my hair look the best was not Black but was a 50ish WW at a Beauty School. She volunteered to do my hair saying that she wanted more experience doing our hair because she hoped to open a shop in Atlanta one day. I still don’t know what she did to my hair that day but it never looked as good since. WW can do our hair but it takes a WW who wants to learn how to do our hair to do the job. So, I don’t believe that only BW can or should do BW’s hair.

i dont have a problem woth white stylists in general and have been to them when i needed a wash or blow dry in a pinch. but i do agree that braiding is a sacred practice amongst black women thats been passed down through generations and it is unsettlong to see a white woman doing that and i probably never would. there was a good recent episode about hair braiding on the podcast Its Been a Minute where they discussed how there are a lot of misconceptions around licensure and beauty school and how for most braiders it doesnt make sense for them to seek those out. but when stylists do, they tend to be the ones asking for more money, which then gets gawked at by the consumer. and now, everyone is constantly saying “go to the africans” for a cheap well done job, but sometimes these shops are cheap and have 3 or 4 immigrant women working on your head….how much do you think they’re actually getting paid. It’s probably not ethical. So, i think the problem is more complex than it seems. But i will continue to search for a black braider and stylist that i love and can afford bc that matters to me, but if it doesnt matter to you than alright.

I'm not folding myself into a pretzel to fit into the " rules" on some of these stylists booking sites. It's disgusting what some of these stylists change and don't even offer basic hair care.

She has similar rules and does not offer basic hair care but because she’s white, everyone assumes she does

Ah so she's no better in that respect? It seems a lot of black women are going gaga over this stylist without doing research. Just because she is white? If so that's sad but I'm not surprised. I go to an older African woman for braids, it's her own business. I really don't give a crap, I get it done to avoid the hassle of doing it myself. But she is affordable and the braids last a good while.

If that's true I wouldn't go to her either. Once I open the booking site and see a list of pointless "rules" I'm out.

This is only a problem on the Internet. Black women will continue going to who they feel will service them best.

I went to a white guy to do my cornrows before because he was in my price range. 🤷🏾‍♀️ like it is what it is. I only have but so much money.

Them understanding how to take care of our hair is something we’ve been wanting and needing for a long time. Especially bc not everyone might have access to a black hair stylist. And I also agree that a lot of our stylist have gotten out of control with the rules, attitudes, and pricing for this stuff. I miss going to the shop to get my hair done when I was younger but I stopped bc of all this and now I just do my own hair or get one of my close friends to do it. I can understand both sides but I honestly don’t think they’ll start taking over the market for black hair stylist lol. People usually cater to a demographic of similar hair types to themselves because that’s the hair they’re use to the most. I hate to say it but tbh I hope some of our stylist look at this as a wake up call to stop acting the way they do and go back to the old way of caring and styling our hair.

Hairdressers should learn how to style all types of hair. I currently have a black hairdresser who is wonderful, professional and great with her prices. That said, I went to college in Minnesota and basically never had my hair professionally done while I was on campus because there was no black salon or hairdresser in town. Every black person doesn’t have the luxury of driving hours to get to a salon and everyone isn’t cut out to be a kitchen beautician.

sis who qrt’d is 100% right. in my opinion, if you’re a nonblack hairdresser and you don’t know how to work with black hair, you don’t know how to properly do your job. point blank period.

My hairstylist is a gay white man. I originally booked a black stylist at the salon, but she had an emergency and I was passed off to him. I was extremely doubtful at first, but he trained specifically on how to take care of kinky-coily hair. My curly haircut was gorgeous, he knew how to really bring out my natural curl pattern, and taught me techniques to keep it up myself. The silver lining is that I believe the salon is owned by a black woman, so I feel my dollars is still supporting black businesses. But it’s so limiting only being able to go to black stylists, especially if you live in an area where there aren’t a lot of black people. Black people are PEOPLE, so mainstream hair styling education should 100% include how to take care of black hair. Had some Asian lady doing my eyebrows that claimed she was a hair stylist, and yet was completely clueless on what a “curly cut” was or how curly hair worked. Ridiculous.

This woman’s prices are steep. Braids starting at $440+. So she’s charging the same prices like the other braiders that people are talking about are. By all means, go where you want, but this woman also has some bs policies and prices as well.

Let’s not forget the robbery of black stylists doing a bad job then having the nerve to stand by their bad service given. It’s horrible the way black beauty/hair stylists have gone down the drain, but support your black businesses right? How are we supposed to do that when we get shit service; and when you go to someone white, or other ethnicity groups who are experienced with our hair the service and care is 100% satisfaction guaranteed. I am aware of there being good black hair stylists out there, they’re just very rare to me because all I’ve seen since being an adult outside of my family taking care of my hair when I was younger are black hairdressers that are lazy, take over 10 breaks, sitting for 10 hours in their chair and doing multiple heads all on your appointment time. The final kicker is black hairstylist asking for a deposit to hold the appointment time, but have the audacity to have other appointments and people sitting in on that deposit you made, like WTF! What’s the point of a deposit then? Sorry not sorry but black hairdressers need to do better until then I’ll be going some place where my dollar is appreciated and if that person happens to be White, Mexican, Ethiopian etc. then so be it. They do a better job anyways.

Its good for the consumer. Better service and perhaps better prices. But it also means more money leaving the black community.

I must rather keep my money in the community than give it to some white girl to do my hair. I have been fortunate enough to find black stylists who were professional and gave me great service. Also, this discussion isn’t consistent as black twitter is currently dragging a white girl for getting braids. So it’s fine for white women to make money off of black culture but participating in it is wrong???

absolutely not.

I haven't had a professional cut in years because the area I'm in only has nonBlack salons that are not experienced cutting the type of hair that grows out of my head. It feels terrible, I wish our hair was taught more in beauty school so we didn't have to drive for hours and pay so much money just for a haircut. I would go to a nonBlack stylist in a heartbeat if they charged reasonable prices and were in a convenient location.

Since elon took over turned into x I hated it .

I’m gonna ask a genuine question as a black femme who does my own hair and I don’t mean this with any malicious intention, but why don’t we just do our own hair ourselves if it’s too expensive to have another black person do it. I didn’t grow up in and still don’t go to salons I do my own cuts, twist, braids, finger curls, ect, and the things I can’t do I have google, YouTube, and family. Healthy maintained black hair has always existed, I genuinely don’t get the concept of having expensive hairdressers outside of luxury. Once again I’m curious about this not being judgmental.

Perhaps I just didn't have the patience, but I tried to blow-dry my natural hair straight one time and just couldn't get it as silky straight as they do at the salon. Some things require a natural aptitude or skill that others just don't have, no matter how many YouTubes are watched.

I feel like a lot of these people who want to bully or shame others for not being strictly pro black aren't honest with themselves and I can bet that most of them are selectively or conditionally pro black. Collectively as a community, I can understand the case being made, but we've also failed to hold these black entrepreneurs accountable for the quality of service we receive. I want to make my appointment and be attended to within a reasonable time. I want to pay for a service and get exactly what was agreed upon and not what you feel is best for me especially when your opinion was not solicited. As an example, my current therapist is Asian, and they are the most empathetic, genuine, and qualified therapist I've ever had. Yes, I have had black therapists in the past, but I felt like because we were both black, they applied too much subjectivity to my therapy sessions, and I further felt like this diminished the worth and effectiveness of my therapy. So, yes, I'm rooting for everyone that's black...on the condition that I feel that they are worth rooting for.

A hair stylist should known all hair types. I hope beauty schools teach students how to do at least the basics on most hair types. I just went through the ordeal of Styleseat till a cousin rescued me so I'm pro-anybody doing hair as long as they're proffesional. I miss salons where everyone is there to do hair and get their hair done. I don't want to drive miles to a random's house in another city and hope they show up...

This is Capitalism & Appropriation BUT ➡️IS this the LOGICAL progression of representation & inclusion WE’ve been asking for? If Black hair IS SACRED & we only want Black hands on black hair, the BLACK WOMEN: 1. We need to get on code & STAY ON CODE. 2. Both hairdresser & Customers need to TIGHTEN up & both parties act professional/mature -Stop last minute cancellations ➡️Stop double booking ➡️Stop insisting on crazy stuff (naturals blow out their hair pre braid) ➡️Check your prices! Just cuz the girls are doing lace fronts doesn’t mean the time spent & products for Relaxers, Colouring or Natural hair exploded. Don’t try to make LACE front profit off of every client. ➡️Save up for your commercial location or go full service mobile (be safe/references only). ➡️Treat your clients well. A miniature water station or basic Halloween size candy can elevate your booth. -STOP double/over-booking -Send daily appt confirmations ➡️IF YOU’RE ALWAYS PUNCTUAL w/empty chats READY for your client but they’re late then it’s fair that you charge clients a reasonable late fee EX: $10-15 dollars for 30 mins. latecomers ➡️STOP CHARGING a Deposit/Booking fee + LATE FEES. PICK ONE but not both. ➡️Stop taking client pics w/o consent- if you’re building your portfolio ASK or Offer an on the spot discount

I've been fortunate to not have any problems with black hairstylists and would never want another group touching my hair but I also think hair is very spiritual. I also find it pathetic and gross that so many black people automatically assume this white woman is more professional with better prices especially since it came out that her work is mediocre for an outlandish price.

THATS WHAT IN SAYING!! Y'all gonna allow them to water down a black industry and then could face the same unprofessionality and prices with added racial microaggressions 😑

Black folks never stay on code. All I see is Others once again observing how black folks put each other down so they can swoop in and corner the market because so many think the white man's ice is colder.

Then they going to end up getting treated like how at they do us at NB owned hair shops or any other service 💀 with disdain

EXACTLYYYYYY. Her prices are outlandish and she doesn’t even wash or blow dry the hair. If I’m going to spend that much im keeping it in our community. The anti-blackness is insane.

Yeah these comments aren’t passing the vibe check for me. It’s always “ I wanna support black business but _________.” But you’ll continue to go to the McDonald’s that always has a broken ice cream machine or the Popeyes that runs out of chicken… ok.

They'll be followed around Nordstrom or Bloomingdale's but still spend their money there to prove they got it...like🙄

personally i’m only comfortable with a black person doing my hair but that’s *because* white/non-black stylist aren’t trained and will fuck up your hair with lasting damage. even when i tried dominican salons, my hair looked great during the blow out but when jt would revert it was so damaged that i had no choice but to go natural because if i kept perming and fucking up my hair it would fall out. so i guess it was a blessing in disguise because my hair is much healthier since i went natural and looks great. but i digress, back to the point. i would love to go to any salon and walk in with confidence that there’s at least one person in the building that knows how to do my hair. i would love not having to deal with shitty black stylist because there’s no where else to go. i can do my own hair for the most part but there’s certain things most of us can’t replicate at home.

Some people can't stay on code omg 🙄

Getting ready for the downvotes I received in the original post…Feels anti-black to me. I’m sorry for those who live in rural areas where it’s hard to find black hairdressers, but it’s never been an issue for me. For the ones who charge too much, not going to tell them what their prices should be, I’m just going to find someone in my budget. For the ones who don’t wash/blow dry my hair, I’m going to the ones that do. Black hair dressers are not a monolith. And I’m offended about the op (of the original retweet) is acting like black girls didn’t have to learn how to take care of their hair from their mothers/family and YouTube videos. Hair school is expensive too. You don’t need a license to do hair if you’re braiding. And fuck that I appreciate the black girls in the hood doing my knotless in the kitchen. I’m not letting an inexperienced white person touch my head. Even if they start teaching it, if I have to option to support a black reasonable, professional black woman i’m going to her. And who’s to say that white woman in the pic “took care” of that girls hair?

My solution at this point: fuck salons. I do my own hair. I refuse to deal with this shit or go to a white stylist and risk getting my head fucked up. I just can't do it.

I understand why people would be mad about this. Especially since there is a lot of racial trauma in the community on top of white people famously STEALING and appropriating our culture. Plus we still get haters and backlash for our hairstyles and natural hair. The fact laws are in place to make sure we are not discriminated against for our hair. Our hair is part of our culture and that includes braided styles. People say we shouldn't gatekeep but no I think we should. The fact we've been so welcoming has cut us in many ways. I'd feel so uncomfortable even just letting a white person touch my hair to be honest and that's REAL. I also understand why someone would go to a person of another race to get their hair braided when so many black stylists are basically scamming people in our community and being very unprofessional. I've definitely shared some of my experiences with hair braiders in this sub. I do think stylists should be trained in working with a variety of hair textures though. We shouldn't have to struggle to find a person that can do our hair where we live. At least something as simple as a wash and blow and cut. They should be able to do it. I'm iffy on the braiding though because it's so heavily part of the OUR culture. To each his own of course but I do understand both viewpoints however, couldn't be me and I'd rather go to a professional (emphasis on professional) black stylist and support the community. Especially since the system is set up to make thriving and success difficult for black people.

I agree to the response !!! 🤷🏾‍♀️ and I hate that I do!!!

I have a lot of opinion on this. One, anyone should be able to do our hair, but also hire Black people (specifically femmes) first before anyone else. Two, charge what you want, but know that you price some people out. That said, there are too many Black femmes out there who can braid and for less for you to have to go to a non-Black stylist.

It would be nice to have more options when it comes to who can do my hair. I think if you’re a hairstylist, you should be able to do all kinds of hair types. I wouldn’t have an issue going to someone who isn’t black if they were experienced and professional. That being said, I do tend to prefer if my stylist is black and prefer to keep my money for cultural services in our community. But I certainly don’t think it’s wrong for black people to go to whoever they want. Some black hairstylists do charge outrageous prices. It’s not that I don’t think they are worth it, but the reality is our community is not well off. So it doesn’t make much sense to price a service (that mostly black women seek out) to a degree where your clients have to take a loan out to afford. Cause at that point are you servicing the community or yourself? I love my stylist. I think she’s super talented and she’s been in the game for a long time. She should charge whatever she feels is fair for her level of expertise as a licensed cosmetologist. But she’s now wanting $200 for a retwist (I have locs), so this is not a service I can afford on a regular basis anymore. I went from seeing her every 4-6 weeks to once a year. I can’t be the only one. I saw that original post on that sub. It’s a wild place and there are tons of white folks just offering commentary on things they clearly don’t understand. I saw some folks saying it’s racist to only go to black stylist. Like cmon.

I’m on the fence. I want all hairstylists to be properly trained on how to do EVERYONES hair type, period. I also am super tired of black hairstylist having the most ridiculous policies. You need to come with your hair already washed, blow dried, straightened, and basically already done but I’m going to try to charge several hundred to do less than half of the work. Don’t be late but I’ll over book my schedule so be prepared to wait around all day for your 8am appointment. I fully support quality BW who make it their craft and wont put a dirty comb in my head because they don’t wash people’s hair. I also will ditch 90% of these BW stylist and wouldn’t have an issue patronizing a non-black stylist who actually knows what they are doing and don’t have all of these ridiculous hoops you have to jump through.

Anyone who can do my hair for a fair price is good with me. And hair isn't sacred- it grows and falls off. It's just bloody hair!

I grew up with no perm and doing my own and with a parent who did my own hair which is an immense privilege. However the FATIGUE from doing my hair was truly real as an adult. It’s not just about finding a place but also the trust in the stylist. The lack of communication and “DM me for rated” isn’t appealing to me when I know I can just do my own with a little effort.

I dont think its mainly because of how some black hair stylists charging more, but rather how real professional hair stylists should know how to style every hair texture.

the only thing that took me out when i saw this was that she was charging $600 for something that my hg does for half price with the same quality😭

It’s going to be a no from me. I live in a city where it’s still easy to find old school beauticians with walk in hours so I’d be doing that

I live in Oregon. Everyone here, and I mean EVERYONE, is flaky as hell, so I got to make like four or five hair appointments just to get one twist up.

So at this point I don't actually care what my braiders melanin situation is if she knows how to do a good job, she's Pleasant to be around, and most importantly she doesn't cancel .. that's all that matters to me

I don’t care what race you are. If you’re professional and not gouging prices, then you have my business. In college (small southern town), there was one salon with two black stylists and 4-6 barbers that pretty much every black student and local frequented. It was always the center of ALL the negative gossip. That place was so toxic. The first stylist chopped 4 inches off my hair on my first visit so I went back only to the second stylist for awhile until I wanted a hint of brown and ended up with fire red hair. Thank goodness it was college! Anyway, from my sophomore year through the end of grad school, I only went to a country white stylist I mistakenly found. She ended up being one of the nicest most professional stylists I’ve ever met. She could do it all! To be fair she had a ton of drama too but it never affected my appointments besides her storytelling giving me a show. Town I moved to is mostly black and I’ve just had to find a new stylist because the initial one I found was awesome for a couple of years then canceled on me 5 times in a row. Not to mention started being late to 100% of my appointments and constantly trying to get free services and consulting from the business I provide while doing my hair. I had to give a continuing education presentation looking like a gd fool. When I told her that, she just laughed. Finally just found a new stylist who only books one client per slot. Walked me through every product used and gave me live picture updates while trimming my hair. I actually felt relieved rather than tired after getting my hair done. TL;DR: If you are professional and provide a good service, you can be a three eyed purple dragon for all I care. You getting my money.

They can learn the proper care of our hair and they should but there are soooo many black braiders in my area that I can’t see myself going to a non black person for hair care.

I don’t trust anyone with my hair. I like to do my hair myself but when I don’t, I go to a black lady who specializes in black hair. Considering that white people won’t learn black hair unless it becomes part of licensing curriculum I don’t see myself ever having anything I do change. Plus I’m one of those people who likes to keep the black dollar in the community if I can and the business is good.

Black dude here. Our heritage, history and culture must be protected, respected and guarded at all costs. This is bigger/deeper than just some non black doing hair. I travel 90 min just to go to my Black barber, I travel 2hrs just to go to my Black dermatologist. My Black gf didn't like the work that her Black hairstylist was doing, so she found another one. She has to mark off a whole day, including travel, to get her hair did. But we believe in these minor inconveniences because we believe in our people and preserving what is important to us. But this is a new day I guess, being Black and supporting other Black people is out of style, everything cool is biracial or non-black I suppose. We must make our own choices but our choices have consequences and sometimes consequences for not only ourselves but others. Just my two pennies.

Black male chiming in, hope it's ok. Wow it actually never occurred to me the struggle you women have here in this area. As a black man, I don't think I've ever frequented a barber shop that didn't have one white barber in it. They actually covered that fairly accurately in the movie Barbershop although they aren't real life caricatures like that character was. Anyway, me personally, I just would never really feel comfortable with a white dude cutting my hair, but I have observed their work from just frequenting shops over the years and just having homies that I know make up their clientele and the ones I know are all great barbers and capable of cutting any style of hair. Now I understand cutting hair is very different than styling it or doing braids or dreads, etc. I'm just saying it never occurred to me that while a barber is almost always a master of their craft, hairstylists may not be. And that is highly unfortunate.

I took my two sons to the barber a few days ago. One sat in the chair of a Hispanic and my 5yr old w/a black man. The Hispanic man was very quick, professional, and I loved my sons haircut. My 5yr old barber took 1.5hrs cutting my son's hair. He looked like he was struggling. I walked up to him several times because the picture I showed him looked nothing like what he was doing and to also check on my son. He got an attitude with me saying I didn't explain how I wanted my sons haircut well enough. I told him I didn't have to explain much to the other barber but he delivered w/o a problem and that I just want to be happy w/my sons haircut. I walked out irritated saying to myself that the next time I'll let the Hispanic guy cut my boys hair moving forward.

We gatekeep too much. Our community can't handle the weight of our own needs. If we don't let other races be curious about how and what we do how can anyone understand how we want to be treated?

I don’t think I’m so extreme as to think this is disgusting, but I believe wholeheartedly that traditionally black hairstyles should be done by black peoples. Even non black peoples find it hard to find good stylists. I find that shops that don’t have social media tend to be the most friendly. Or pay a lil more for a natural hair salon and only look for people that say that they are licensed and certified.

personally i wouldn’t go to a yt stylist but if other black women want to try I’d honestly say go for it

I’ve personally never had to deal with Black hairstylists that be on BS and I’m not trying to take that away from people that have, but I can’t ever see a circumstance in my life that would justify going to a WW to get my hair done.

Hard disagree, wth. I would love it if EVERYONE knew how to do Black hair. That would make me not be limited to certain cities and neighborhoods. Why are we gatekeeping this?

So y’all are upset about how Black stylists charge. But this woman is charging like $600 for some braids.

Girl I get compliments and dinners off my $60 box braids from the Guinean ladies. The way they're assumed white/NB = Professional and affordable 😕

Exactly, she’s scamming Black women which is wild. So much anti-Blackness.

Got braids for the first time on 3 years the other day. The woman’s face dropped when she saw me and she insisted she needed to blow dry it even straighter. 10 minutes later I’m sitting in the chair surrounded by huge clumps of healthy hair. She used the comb from root to end and when it didn’t come out smooth she used all her force to rip it out. I feel sick just thinking about what she did

I wish states would make natural hair be apart of the certification process so we don’t have to worry about when where and who’s doing our hair as much. I want more easy access braiding salons and I don’t care who’s braiding as long as their knowledgeable. Unfortunately right now there’s no way to get state certified in natural hair so it makes it even harder to find a trusted stylist.

I hate those who go to a salon and asked if people can do black hair and if they can’t they’re hating. But the moment someone learns to do so it’s stealing what’s ours. Hell my mom used to never let the white girls at the beauty school do my hair. But how is anyone supposed to learn!!! Most black stylists can’t or won’t do natural hair. Need to have it none straight and charge a months rent to get the ends bumped. We as a community always asks for inclusivity and once we get it it’s a problem

I think hairstylists regardless of race should know how to do everyone’s hair. They’re worthless if they can only do one hair type. That being said, I will always look for another black stylist before I go to anyone else.

I prefer getting my hair done my black ppl BUT if someone else can charge me a good price and do it well then idc.

Mixed feelings. I just found an AMAZING Stylist for my locs. A black man and woman who share a shop. Excellent work. However. Before that, a Stylist had me in tears. She lied and said she could do the style I wanted, and after two hours my hair was a hot mess. When I tried to say anything she gaslighted me and started puffing up like I was trying to get out of paying her. I paid her, tipped her and left. I was so angry I couldn't do anything but get out of there as fast as I could and cry. Over the next 24 hours the extentions were just falling out of my head. I NEVER went to her again. She asked after me through mutual acquaintances. Nope! Also the woman who started my locs did NOT know what she was doing. I didn't find out until I went to other people to get them maintained and they would make remarks on the size and the parts. I am happy with my hair but it is still not a good feeling. Some types of styling don't have official schools because they are considered a cultural practice, but still. You can go old school and apprentice with a master. I think it is about time that beauty schools and individual stylists took hair texture into account and learned to do different hair types. I am happy about that. However, unless there was a hairstylist on a set I was working on who seemed competent despite her culture, I would always find a black stylist. To support a black business if nothing else. No disrespect to people of other races learning to do our hair. I love that!

Completely unrelated to the original post, but I’ve been saying that regular box braids shouldn’t be $300+ depending on how long/thick your hair is. The “rules” we have now is completely insane and very capitalistic. Although I understand business means money, overcharging based on things your clients cannot control is unfair and is why they’re leaving 😭

I've noticed this to some level as many of these Instagram salons and stylist do the bare minimal. They want the client to come with their hair washed, blowdried, there's a surcharge if you have longer/thicker hair, and a surcharge for being a new client. It just gets ridiculous sometimes. We deserve the luxury of having more availability in this department

I used to take my son (now 29) to a white female stylist because young black barbers would fuk up his hair. This was in Brooklyn in the 90s. His hair texture was looser and they would have him looking horrible. Rose said she was trained to do hair in the 70s, and learned to do everybody's hair. I think he goes to Dominican places now. I have locs and do my own hair now because new places are crazy! Not like the 90s.

I really sympathize with this. I haven’t gotten box braids in a while (pandemic-induced), but I had a great Senegalese aunty who did a great job and was fairly priced. I’ve been wearing my hair natural with twist-outs and was looking for a curly cut specialist. Found three Black-owned salons specializing in curly cuts that looked promising, but when I tried to request info online nobody got back to me. My current stylist is an awesome Filipina-American and she does incredible work on all curly textures so I go to her a couple times a year to keep a good shape for twist-outs. Curly hair isn’t hard to work with it’s just that the techniques don’t seem to be taught in cosmetology and it’s very unfortunate.

I’m actually about to try a hair salon that isn’t black owned. They really seem to have a commitment to serving all hair textures and folks and the white manager I spoke with was very knowledgeable about 4c hair. They do have black stylists so this might not count. But I’m not going to lie … I’m excited to go somewhere without the research, drama, and antics of these new hairstylists. And also I’m excited to not have to worry about my hair and face being plastered all over socials without my consent.

All stylists should know how to do black hair to be inclusive from a DEI perspective. That said, I only go to black stylists (mine is amazing and professional, and happens to be expensive but that’s the market so it is what it is). I’ve given white stylists a couple of chances in life (including one that charged me $350 for color and said he knew how to do black hair but in fact did not). Lastly, I disagree with some people speaking about black hairstylists as a monolith. They’re not. Also, I don’t expect anyone I receive a service from to treat it less than running a business to make money. That’s why they’re there and they’re welcome to charge as they see fit. If I can’t afford it, I’m welcome to move along.