Sometimes you should run from the salon chair!

I saw this video doing the rounds on forums and blogs. Ladies, do yourself a favour, never ever ever sit down in a salon which does not specialise in your hair.

The stylist Shirlena actually says and I will quote her, 'The curl formation was tight and so kinked that it was nothing I could do with it. So I decided to straighten it'

Issues

1. The client has tight curls but they are not super tight (seriously someone who thinks that this client's hair is as kinky as it gets, does not deal with kinky hair!)
2. The stylist feels she has to straighten the hair to deal with it (highlighting she knows diddly squat about curly hair).
3. The stylist proceeds to chop.....(no not cut) curly hair when straight but expects to restyle it to curly (again showing she knows diddly squat)
4. The client is finally styled with what looks like wet hair, how exactly her hair will look when completely dry is a mystery.

The stylist has shown her lack of knowledge but still this client chose to sit in the chair. I feel sorry for her since if she had gone to the right stylist she would have received some styling product advice and an actual hairstyle. Instead she ended up with shorter hair and I do not for one second buy that she was happy.

Comments

  1. Just from the start, the stylist has such a flat affect as she's talking to the client. Her body language speaks volumes as to her not knowing how to deal with the client's hair pattern. You must interview these stylists before you sit in that chair. There's no glue to holds you to the seat if you don't like what you're hearing or seeing done to your hair.

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  2. Kimmy this is so true! The client actually looks quite uncomfortable at points but does not leave the chair. She really should have just gone!

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  3. No1 clue the "stylist" is wearing a wig of straight european type hair! Warning - she obviously doesn't like curly hair. I haven't been to a hairdresser yet - I just don;t trust anyone in my hair at all - am going to get my white girlfriend to trim it - she's the only one not terrified of it!

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  4. lol Anon - many people said the same thing on other forums and blogs. I do know of naturals who wear wigs and weaves to give their hair a break. I do not consider it to be an automatic sign of lack of knowledge.

    I know that curly hair stylists are few and far in between which is why many of us have to learn. I do think that there are some good ones out there, we just have to stop accepting that the bad ones are all we have and staying in the chair

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  5. The hair looked like it was packed with grease and to me it really didn't have shape...it wasn't cute to me and as others have stated, the client had a "just smile for the camera" look...I know she wasn't happy. The video didn't even explain how she did those curls but it just look like she would stain the back of a cloth couch :(

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  6. "Tell me about this *(disdainful pause)* hairdo"

    The implication throughout the entire video was that her hair was unmanageable due to her hair texture - has she never heard of Youtube?
    Not only that...but she straightened her hair...only to put water on it again!?!?!
    *facepalm + headdesk combo*

    Plus, oval face shapes tend to suit
    almost all styles. Thus, she doesn't need to 'find another curly look' for the woman. Which she didn't any way...*falls to the floor, frothing at the mouth*

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  7. Sooo....why was I looking at this mad b/c I'm like - if you're a "top" stylist, you shouldn't have to straighten someones hair to cut it for shape PERIOD.

    You style hair to make money. Know your craft! ADDITIONALLY, everyone knows that even if you do cut hair while it's straight, your hair will look totally different dried and curly, probably not showing the layers that she saw when it was straight.

    SMH at this stylist and another SMH for stylelist for actually posting this. I would have left this one for the birds!

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  8. Thanks for the comments.

    Myblueskiez-I did not notice the grease before, but actually it does look quite greasy

    A Simple Thing - lol you make me laugh!

    Monique - Totally agree, I wonder about them actually posting it with the way the client really did not look happy

    Hybridomatech - Your comment made me laugh but unfortunately I cannot post it up. Part of it would be considered grounds for libel. I have to be fair to the stylist even if she did massacre this woman's hair.

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  9. It's interesting how they did't show what happened when she wet the hair with water. I bet what happened was once it got wet, it didn't look right so last option was to slap a bunch of grease in it and pray. The stylist is obviously not a professional, because a professional would never say that a client's hair is unmanageable, if that was the case, it would not have been able to be styled.

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  10. This gave me a laugh. What the hell was even the point of that? Her "unmanageable" hair looked exactly the same in the end only greasier and uneven. The poor woman looked like she was smiling through gritted teeth. Sad..

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  11. I would have ran as soon as she said that.
    Right on to this blog post!!

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  12. I am so UPSET that this woman who is black and looks like she has a relaxer. Will act like her hair is something that shouldnt be touched and more less disgusted.
    When she was straightening it she was barely touching it.
    The lady in the chair I dont feel sorry for because she was acting like she wasnt happy with her hair to begin with.
    This "hair dresser" doesnt use a heat protectant. the thing is if this lady would research natural hair she would find a world untouched by many people.

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  13. lolz @A Simple Thing and now I just have to know that @Hybridomatech said!

    I've had Caucasian stylists in my hair before. In fact, my current loctician is a white Canadian who is fascinated with all things Iceland. She's great and if she moves to Iceland, I'm picking up my kids and moving too :wink:

    Case in point, not all stylists are bad but they get such a bad rap.

    As to this video, the client seemed to not know what to do with her hair anyhow which is likely why she submit to having anybody in her hair as long as they promised to "fix" it.

    She doesn't look bad with the new do but I do think she started off with a good style in the first place.

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  14. I cannot believe she said that her hair was "so tight and so kinky that there was nothing she could do with it". That should have been a red flag right there! Unlike all the other commenters, I do think the ending style was cute, but I agree that it was just shorter. Also, it would have been impossible to know how it would have looked curly again. Did she have to use a straightening comb?? I think that was too harsh!

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  15. Thanks all for the comments!

    Just for some clarification. The stylist in this video Shirlena Allen is a qualified stylist. She was probably selected for this series of videos because she is a 'celebrity stylist'. Sadly she has no clue how to handle curly hair which is not part of the cosmetology course that hairdressers undertake.

    As Natasha said, some stylists do know how to handle natural hair. We even have our own celebrity stylists who do natural hair like Felicia Leatherwood (who should have got the job!). I also remember the intricate video of Goapele getting her hair braided, this lady too would have been a better option

    This article is not meant to disparage stylists but really to bring it to our collective attention that when you get a bad egg, you need to run!

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  16. Hi JC, sorry i wrote a comment you cannot post, but glad it made you laugh, u see i live in Amsterdam where quite a bit is legal so i didn't think about libel! i'm a biochemist too (now a science teacher in international schools) and i love your blog!! :)

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  17. lol that is ok hybridomatech! I just have to wary of the people who do not have a sense of humour :)

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  18. awww...felt so sorry for the client! All throughout the process you can tell her heart was no longer into what the stylist was doing to her hair. Why in the world would she straighten the hair...and THEN wet it to revive the curls?! Clearly she doesn't know how to style curly textured hair, so pass the client on to someone who actually does! I've met many hairstylists who THINK they can tackle any kind of hair, even with their limited knowledge...most would rather experiment on your hair first rather than admit they have no clue or sense to styling textured hair. And sadly, the client suffers in the end.

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  19. SMH at the way she said she couldn't do anything with the client's hair. The client's curl pattern is not even that tight. I would hate to see what Shirleana would do to someone with a tighter curl pattern.

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  20. I remember going to a salon that claim to "specialize" in natural hair. I stated I wanted a cut and wanted more information about the price etc. The "specialist" had the nerve to tell me that my hair needs to be straightened before she can cut it. After hearing that, I never went back. If they truly specialized in curly kinky hair, then you do not need to straighten it. As stated by many of the other commenter’s, that lady clearly does not know what she is doing.
    I think a reason that people stay rather than getting up to leave is because the person may feel “obligated” to stay. Just a thought. . . We need to learn how to express ourselves and know what will and will not work for our hair rather than allowing an “expert” to take control.

    Luvs

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  21. When the stylist says "A new haircut for you"....she says "OK..." with a nervous look. I'm guessing she's thinking...this may not end well :(
    I actually preferred her previous look with the afro puff. The length she had was more versatile IMO. With her texture she could probably do a twist or braid out let loose or pulled up into a curly afro puff. I don't understand why she seems to think an afro puff is such a bad thing? It's what her hair wants to do naturally! And yeah, oval faces go with almost anything, you don't need a "new" shape!
    Overall, I am not at all surprised by this. Many celebrity videos or books have a sentence similar to this: "The client's hair was kinky and out of control so I tamed it by straightening/perming". Most just have no idea!!
    I would hate to have been the woman in the chair. A stylist like Felicia Leatherwood or Goapele's braider who's got mad skillz would have been a better bet!

    Anonymous 2

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  22. JC, I'm a huge fan of your blog and long time lurker <3! Okay, I've been sleep deprived for a few days (studying for a histology exam); therefore, this might be the reason I thought this video was HA-LARIUS! I kept going back to replay the quote you posted: "The curl formation was tight and so kinked that it was nothing I could do with it. So I decided to straighten it". LOL, the stylist was a hot mess and what's up with her slogan: Would you like to stay sexy (she uses it in another curly video also), lol?

    Anyway, I can't lose sleep over this hot mess of a stylist because first impression is very important and the client's first impression was not a good look as well. Look at the descriptive terms the client uses to describe her hair. The stylist even compliments the client's hair, but the client insists that her hair needs to be "fixed and more manageable". *Sucking teeth*, all homegirl needed was some product recommendation and styling tips! She clearly thought wearing a puff was the only option, which it's not. IMO, there was no reason to cut her hair to begin with. Moreover, the stylist hot combing the client's hair brought back a lot of traumatizing memories.

    I agree with everything you said, but I'll add that IMO the client chose to sit in the chair because she was ignorant about her hair. With all the research available, some of us naturals need to admit there are a few women who are just lazy (lol, I know a few)! We all go natural for different reasons, and in my view, the client seems to be the type that regardless of being relaxed or natural, she'd solely rely on a stylist to fix her "unruly hair".

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  23. Chai this is the sad part. I bet this woman probably knows exactly how to handle relaxed hair or install a weave. She should just admit that she cannot do natural hair or better still, turn on some youtube and learn

    Anon who signed off as Luvs - Well done for walking out! I agree that we need to manage our own hair but it would be good if we could also get pampered too which is why I want stylists to learn

    Anon2 - Felicia Leatherwood and Goapele's braider all the way!

    lol Lissie - hope you get some sleep!!

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  24. I've seen another one of these videos before, when they cut the hair to match "face shape". The girl came in with big curly hair that looked gorgeous, and when she was finished, the girl had straight feathery hair, that looked better curly. IDK what the purpose is for them to make these "face shape" hair videos, but they never look good afterwards.

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  25. Obviously the stylist doesn't know what she's doing. She presses the hair which made me cringe, cuts it, than washes it back to it's curly state. For what, it was a waste of time if you ask me. On top of that it looks like her hair suffered some heat damage. smh.

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  26. Ignorance looses you a lot of things. Very sad the young lady.

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  27. this video brought me out of lurkdom. OMG i was sitting here in horror throughout the video AND my mouth was agape at the reveal. THAT CUT IS MY NUMBER 1 FEAR and prevents me from going to get my hair trimmed.

    1. she didnt even do a good enough job pressing her hair
    2. she used a fine tooth comb
    3. ive seen her in another video and she did the same thing to another curly (her curls were bigger)

    i srsly almost cried.

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  28. I'm confused. What was the stylist supposed to be doing for her?

    I think of all the curly naturals on YouTube that could have given the woman really good advice. She has soft, fine, curly hair. All she needed was a wash, some Kinky Curly, or whatever, and she's good. Whose hair was the stylist talking about being kinky and difficult? Weird.

    The straightening looked damaging, unnecessary and awful. I was going to flat iron my hair to change up my look for a while, but this video frightened me.

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  29. Golden - I personally do not do heat but I think that it can be done safely. This stylist was just bad, don't let her hold you back from experimenting.

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  30. That video was ridiculous and hilarious all at the same time! I hate when people overuse the term "LOL", but I literally LAUGHED OUT LOUD at the end when she said she was wetting her hair and came back with the smashed, greasy fro! I mean really? It was sad but interesting that caring and styling natural kinky hair is not only ignored n predominately white beauty schools but also those where most where mostly african-american women attend! SMH

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  31. I'm the odd woman out but i like the final outcome to be honest. I don't like what she did to make a simple wash and go look that was weird to me, she straight pulled out a hot comb. If I see a person, and when I have in the past seen a person pull out a hot comb I hop out the chair like they burned me, yes ma'am LOL. IMO The chic just needed a different makeup look because to me the one they did aged her, as did the straight hair look as she pressed it...with the freaking hot comb...SMH Soap opera smacks for them both for pulling that out for the end result to be a wash and go.

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  32. This was a nightmare scenario for me. I'm sure I'll have a bad dream about it in the near future and wake up in cold sweats. Nooooooo!

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  33. This woman's first mistake was going to see a stylist with enough Hawaiian Silky weave in her hair to cover THREE heads. I refuse to see a stylist who isn't secure with her own head of hair...natural or relaxed. I need to see what YOU do with YOUR hair. The second mistake was not knowing what works for your hair and what doesn't work for your hair BEFORE getting in the chair. My curl type/texture is such that I can in fact straighten, cut and then style curly; whereas I cannot cut curly and then expect it to look the same. You have to know what works. I'll leave a chair real quick if the stylist tells me they are going to do a wet cut on my hair. No maam. You have to be in-tuned with yourself and your hair and you have to be able to pick up on when a stylist doesn't like your hair (this woman is forever changing curlies to straights and saying it looks better or sexier. That's a fail). You also have to be able to pick up on when the stylist really has no clue what she's doing. Talk to them before. Demand a thorough consultation. And always demand credentials and examples of their work. That is all.

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  34. So...if the client doesn't like the afro puff...

    ...a wash 'n go afro is better????

    Stop playin.

    Ya'll have said it all for me, so I won't even go there. Thanks for sharing, Jc.

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  35. heggas-to-megatroid ... absolutely NOT!

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  36. That "stylist" had no clue what she was doing, from the way she was touching her hair you could see her heart wasn't in it. The sad part is the lady has really pretty hair, it looks soft and all she probably needed is curl cream and her curls would pop out. Her final look reminds me of a matron in the 1960's, looks like she wanted to flee but she couldn't probably coz the cameras were rolling and a bunch of people were in the studio and she felt embarrassed so she just grinned and beared it.

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  37. lol anon I do not know what heggas to megatroid means but it sounds funny lol

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  38. Wow that stylist got it so wrong. All she needed to do was give the client a twist out and maybe a trim/cut to add more shape to her hair. Straightening and then rinsing because she didn't know what else to do? That's shocking. I would have left and never returned to that salon again.

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  39. this is just plain sad! how can a stylist say "i didnt know what to do with it" pertaining to hair, if you dont know keep it moving.

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  40. I'm with DA Jade -

    I think her hair looked better at the end. I don't know that it was grease as much as perhaps undried gel. My hair used to look like that when I was heavy handed with gel until it dried. I used to have to smoosh the crunch out with hair milk.

    The hair cut was much better than what she came in with. I think most older women look better with shorter hair anyway, but that's me. I am an older woman, I am not trying to grow BSL hair. That's for the younger set.

    Now I will say, when he/she I think it was a man, said "It's so kinky there was nothing I could do with it." I would have jumped up out of the chair. I definitely would not have let him put heat on my hair.

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  41. I can feel the lady's pain through out the video...OMGGG!!! The stylist really liked those scissors a little too much for me....i probably would have had a panic attack and jumped up out of my chair!!

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  42. this just brings home the point: stay.away.from.stylists!

    her hair looked just like the beginning, but without the elastic...is the client bonkers? she just ended up with mad short hair...if she had left her length, she might have had even more versatility.

    and in closing, run, don't walk, when your stylist is wearing an unbelievable full head wig!

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  43. Wow are you serious. That video was horrible, the stylist butchered her hair. While she was straightening it, I could almost smell her hair burning. After the cut I really couldn't see much of a shape except the mushroom shape.I would have been out of that chair so fast.

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  44. Just to give you an idea of how stressed this video made me, my heart was beating out of my chest during the intro. It was ALL wrong from beginning to end. She didn't even press it properly! All she needed was a twist/braid out. Maybe a cut @ an angle. She looked my grandmother which is a real shame b/c she looks a lot younger than whatever her age is.

    So are students not taught how to deal with curly hair of any type, or just ours?

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  45. been there done that, sadly there are too many hair dressers who don't know what to do with black hair; From how to comb, condition, and braid tight curls, the list is endless. What's more sad is the fact that the stylist are also black.....one more reason why I need to learn to style my hair myself.
    Great Post.

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  46. This has to be a joke! Who in the heck?! But SHE CUT HER HAIR!! I'm not throwing shade.. well maybe I am but she made that woman's hair look like a big circle. I mean yeah thats a basic shape, but not for HAIR. Oh my word. I feel bad for the lady, I bet the drive home was one to remember.. =/

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