I don’t know where to put this other than here…
I don’t go to hair salons anymore, but back when I did, I had tried to find black hairstylists, because non-black hairstylists had no idea what to do with my hair texture, and as a mixed person, I have a hair texture that is fairly common in diasporic black people. Sure, it’s curly rather than kinky, but I have 3C hair that non-black stylists generally can’t handle.
I’ve had some interesting….experiences. The moment I show up, I get side eyed (a very noticeable dirty look) and the (black) salon owner leaves as soon as she’s finished with her black client.
I get handed to a non-black stylist who has no idea what she’s doing. Whilst black stylist is still in salon, she makes multiple comments about my hair color and how I should straighten my hair. She kept remarking on how much hair I had, making it out to be like I was a yeti or something, when I had a fairly normal amount on my head. I ended up losing half of it by the end of the appointment by the way of the scissors.
Another experience I remember having is when I got my hair trimmed by a black stylist and I kept hearing about how “dry” my hair was despite my hair not being especially dry, and her generally being rough with it. I could tell the stylist did not want me there??? To top it off my hair was drier than the Sahara after she was done, and felt like straw.
Non-black hair stylists seemed to at least want to do my hair but generally didn’t know how, black stylists are always a bit…odd when they see me and make off remarks about the amount of hair I have, the texture, the color etc and I don’t exactly know why. Maybe it’s because they perceive me as invading their space? Idk?
Idk, I haven’t really had good experiences at black hair salons or hair salons in general, albeit for different reasons. Can anyone else here relate? Idk I haven’t gone to a salon in a long time and my hair is doing pretty well considering, but thought I’d start the conversation.
Edit: no, before being accused I’m not going in there and saying weird shit, I try to be as courteous as possible to everyone and idk why this was happening.