Finding The Right Salon For Natural Hair Care Services

Where are the natural hair salons? And not the ones that only offer services catering to locs, braids or straightening natural hair. But the natural hair salons where there are multiple stylist who know how to really style natural hair. The ones where creative stylists are anxiously waiting to get their hands into a head full of curls and come up with an amazing hair creation.

Is this all just a fantasy?

A few years back I began to notice salons marketing natural hair styling as part of their service packages. Twist outs, flat twists and bantu knots made their appearance on price lists of black salons. At the time I was natural and I had been for a couple years. And although I didn’t go to salons to get my hair done, I did still pop into salons I had frequented when I wore my hair relaxed.

While there, I watched. While I watched, I took mental notes. While I took notes, I tried to calm my rising anger. Why so mad, you ask. I’ll tell you.

What I saw were marketers, not stylists. Salon owners had taken note of the popularity of the natural hair movement. What they did in response, was make a business move. Initially, the rise of the natural hair community was thought to be something that would come and go. Once it had been accepted as something that was here to stay, stylists and salon owners looked at how they could earn money from what was taking place with black hair.

During one session, I watched a stylist comb out a head of 4c hair with a paddle brush* and rat tail comb*. She parted the hair into sections and took the brush, followed by the comb, and starting at the root of the hair, she proceeded to forcefully yank through the naked strands of hair. No conditioner, no moisturizer, no detangling, nothing.

When I looked at the front of the salon, there was a prominently displayed sign, advertising ‘Natural Hair Stylists Available’. I was so irritated. That led me to think about if going to the salon for natural hair services could be beneficial in any situation. Are there natural hair salons that really know about and care about the health of natural hair?

Questions and concerns

As with any service or industry, there are good and bad who proclaim to be professionals. So, to answer the question above, yes, there are definitely natural hair salons who are in it for reasons that don’t solely revolve around profit. Although finding those salons may sometimes be difficult, it is possible.

Can natural hair be maintained professionally, the same way we are accustomed to seeing relaxed hair cared for? Yes, natural hair can be taken care of with weekly, bi-weekly or monthly salon visits, just as relaxed hair is. It’s all about finding a good salon and pairing up with a stylist who understands you hair and your needs.

Should I give up on ever going to a salon for hair services if I’m natural? No, you don’t have to eliminate the luxury of having your hair styled professionally, simply because you’re wearing your hair in its natural state. Going to the salon is a pampering experience for many. It’s not something you have to do without.

There are some things you may want to look for when searching for the right natural hair salon. As with any service, you won’t truly know if it’s a right fit for you, until you go and experience it for yourself. However, you can take a few notes that will help you narrow down your choices.

A quick internet search will likely bring up the most popular salons in your area. Keep in mind that these are also probably salons that have the best marketing, which is why they show up in the search results. This doesn’t mean they are not qualified to do your hair, but you want to mix in word-of-mouth recommendations with technical searching methods.

Once you have a few you want to try, go by the salon and take a look at their work. Speak with the stylists and ask for a one on one consultation. Talking with someone about your natural hair care needs is a good way to feel out whether or not they know about natural hair in an in-depth way, or whether they are simply marketing to you in order to get your business.

If you’re comfortable, make an appointment for a simple service. Start slow with something like a wash and deep condition. You’ll be able to sit in the salon and observe and experience things hands on while not doing anything too risky to your hair’s health.

There are excellent natural hair salons out there. Be careful when searching and you will find a salon that is perfect for you.