When To See A Stylist And When To Do It Yourself

Some of us are do it yourselfers by nature, while others are more comfortable leaving certain things to the professionals. Hair care is one of the topics that people usually have very strong opinions about when it comes to pros versus diy’ers.

While natural hair has taken the bulk of the black hair care audience’s attention when it comes to maintaining hair at home, there are still a large number of women who also care for and style their relaxed hair in the comfort of their bathrooms.

While both groups have proponents and naysayers alike, there are some things to examine when you are trying to make the decision about whether or not you should seek out a professional to do your hair.

Chemical Treatments

Remember the scene in What’s Love Got To Do With It when the stylist rinsed the bleach from the woman’s hair only to have the hair flow down the drain with the product? The fear of that type of potential catastrophe is what drives most women to seek out a professional to apply any type of chemical treatment.

Chemical treatments range from light color application to full on whole head relaxers. All of the processes covered in that range can and are done at home. Just take a gander at any given aisle in your local Walmart or Sally’s Beauty Supply and you will see that retailers carry ‘at-home’ versions of just about everything under the sun.

Although the products marketed to us as consumers, claim to be safe for at home use, there is still always the potential of improper application or some type of bad reaction to the product.

With that in mind, unless you are very well versed in the particular process you are thinking about doing at home, you may want to at the very least seek out the advice and guidance of a professional. At the most, you would want to search and find a suitable, licensed professional to do it for you. Just to be safe.

Cutting Your Hair

This is another tricky one. There are many, myself included, who cut their own hair at home. Full disclosure here, I have completely butchered my hair before. But, I have also gotten the hang of it and I know how to maintain my cut at home. And just for the sake of argument, I will point out that I have gone to a licensed professional and had my hair cut come out looking like asymmetrical when that was NOT the intended style.

There are two sides to this coin, ladies. For many women, cutting their own hair is where they draw the line. Some fear the outcome and having to live with a bald spot in the middle of their heads, while others won’t even consider taking the scissors to their heads at home.

As mentioned above, however, the natural hair community has taught us all that through trial and error and with much research and self-education, pretty much anything can be done by a kitchen beautician.

I will say that cutting your own hair is an advanced skill and if you are just starting to maintain your own hair, please do seek out a stylist who is skilled at cutting hair so that you will get the outcome you desire.

Routine Maintenance

Washing, conditioning, deep conditioning* and styling your hair, can all be done safely at home. This one is pretty straight forward. Consult your stylist and work with them to come up with a schedule and set of products that will keep your hair healthy and strong in between salon visits.

Shampoos and conditioners come in an array of different price points. They are readily available and the side effects of a poor choice at this level is something that can be easily fixed if you are also still visiting your stylist for major processes or treatments.

It is also easy to tweak your routine when it comes to store bought products such as deep conditioners or moisturizers. Outside of long-term, cumulative damage, you should be fine buying, testing and applying products that cover the basics of hair care at home.

All in all, what you choose to do to your own hair is ultimately up to you. If you feel uncomfortable doing anything, then you should definitely seek out a licensed, professional hair stylist who can take care of your hair for you.

If you want to go commando, there is no one stopping you! Everything you need is available and your bathroom is waiting. Just remember that whatever happens to your hair will be at your own hands. The decision of how much you do at home and how much you have a professional do at a salon should remain between you, your stylist and your hair. Comment below and let us know what you absolutely must see your stylist for!