4 Reasons It’s Time To Ditch Your Stylist

I am totally inept when it comes to styling my hair. If it’s not in a ponytail or hanging down, I have to consult with my mother. When I was younger, I would frequent hair stylists in order to achieve the look I wanted. Now that I’m almost 4 years into my healthy hair journey, I’ve learned that stylists can be a blessing or a curse.

I’m sure a few of you may be in the same boat, particularly if you are at the beginning of your journey. You are wondering if you should go down the DIY or the stylist route to healthy hair. It’s not easy to give a definitive answer as there many variables. Check out these tips that suggest it may be time to part ways with your stylist:

1. She acts as if heat protectant doesn’t exist. Curls and waves are nice but sometimes you may want to rock a sleek, straight look. While there’s nothing wrong with that, a problem can arise with how you achieve that look. Some stylists don’t use or have ever heard of heat protectant*. They will fry your hair to within an inch of its life, send you home with damaged tresses, and then charge you to do “treatments” to fix it.

Heat protectant should be applied before each blow drying, flat ironing or curling iron* session. There are myriad types of heat protectant ranging from creams to serums to sprays. The type you use is a personal choice but don’t elect to skip it. If your stylist doesn’t use heat protectant*, don’t be shy about bringing your own and advising her how and when to use it.

2. She recommends frequent relaxer touch ups. Let’s do some quick math. If hair grows between ¼ inch and ½ inch each month, the most amount of growth you’re going to see in 8 weeks is 1 inch. Max. If your stylist recommends you make a touch up appointment every 2 months, your hair is going to suffer. Avoiding relaxer overlap is challenging enough when you have at least 3-4 inches of new growth; with 1” overlapping basically a forgone conclusion.

If you’re new to relaxer stretching, 1 inch of new growth can be a daunting obstacle. Instead of fighting your hair to make it bend to your will, embrace textured styles until you’re able to get back to the salon.

3. She uses the same comb on your hair whether it’s bone straight or 12 weeks post. If  your hair responds to different products whether you’re off a fresh touch up or well into your stretch, shouldn’t your stylist’s methods change, too? I avoid fine tooth combs, except for wet sets, even when my hair is straight. I have visited stylists who used the same comb on straight hair and curly hair, usually with disastrous results. Don’t let your hard work end it up her comb.

Bring your own comb/brush and be vocal about what she should use. The saying, “A closed mouth doesn’t get fed” is fitting when you’re in a hair salon. Unless you let her know what you do (or don’t) like, your experience will be affected.

4. She skips the DC sessions unless you request it. Before I started washing my own hair, I was clueless about what steps a successful wash day should consist of. I was more concerned with how my hair looked when I left the chair than any pampering during the process. Now that I take care of my own hair, I realize the importance of moisturizing and protein treatments.

Any stylist worth her shears knows that deep conditioning* is a necessity for healthy hair, not a treat. A deep conditioner* (or protein treatment) should be standard with getting your hair styled. Period. I was never a fan of the up-charge when you ask for a DC but I understand that times are hard. I have been to salons where they look at me sideways if I request my a DC. A good rule of thumb is if you have to beg for a deep conditioner*, it’s time to look elsewhere for your hair care needs.