- Salons mostly provide a professional environment but it comes at a price.
- Doing your hair on the street introduces personal safety and hygiene concerns.
- Creating DIY hairstyles at home are cost effective but if you’re an amateur it will show.
Black women have never been more spoiled for choice in terms of how and where they do their hair. From street braiders to upmarket hair salons and DIY-friendly YouTube tutorials, hair care for African women has come a long way.
However, when faced with the choice of the best place to do your hair, you have to consider the needs of your lifestyle, pocket and your hair’s health.
We explore the pros and cons of each of the most popular options.
At the salon
There is nothing quite like sitting back and having someone do your hair in a professional environment and the growing number of chic high-end salons popping up all over South Africa is a sign that more women are willing to pay for the treat.
The pros:
A few bad experiences with an inexperienced stylist or a burnt scalp from a DIY relaxer job will push most women to seek professional help. Also, the promise of replicating styles made popular by celebs such as Minnie Dlamini, Beyoncé and Rihanna is a big draw card.
“I recently went into a salon to get ombré highlights. I would never try anything like that at home,” says Patrice Peck, founder of hair blog Fussy.com. “For anything that requires any chemical treatments or a lot of heat, I go to a professional.”
READ MORE | How to prevent an itchy scalp when you have braids on
The cons:
Since the industry is largely self-regulated, there are still too many Black women suffering at the hands of supposedly professional stylists. In a blog for Atlanta Black Star, salon owner Najah Aziz said that Black establishments had failed Black women and, in often hilarious detail, shared salon horror stories, which included overbooking, “too much play, not enough hairspray”, a lack of attention and lateness.
These bad hair salon experiences are universal to Black women across the world, from London to Lagos and here at home. Black hair salons often leave much to be desired in terms of services and training.
While Black women lead the pack in terms of their financial contribution to the hair industry worldwide, the professional stylists don’t always return the love.
The street
The last 20 years have seen a burgeoning street hair culture in South Africa, mainly influenced by the influx of African immigrants who have brought with them intricate braiding styles from across the continent.
The Pros:
The biggest advantage of getting a street do is the cost – stylists don’t have to contend with exorbitant rental fees. You can pay up to 70 percent less than you would at a more upmarket salon.
Though most stylists tend to be self-taught and few have professional training, some offer a level of personal service comparable to a high-end salon, since owners are also the main stylist.
“I have been going to Rose for over four years. I would never go to anyone for my braiding,” says Ntombi Msinga, who lives in Alexander township in Johannesburg.
The Cons:
The biggest one is the lack of variety in styles and lack of training of stylists who tend to specialise in braiding only.
No access to running water or electricity can be difficult for these establishments, making chemical treatments such as a relaxer or colour application often somewhat unhygienic.
READ MORE | 4 hair relaxer rules to maintain healthy tresses
At home
Many women are turning to blogs, YouTube tutorials and social networks for tips and advice – and they’re getting amazing results. The rise of the natural hair movement in particular has spurred on hair blogger culture.
The pros:
Doing your hair at home is the most cost-effective way to maintain it in the long term – it unchains you from the hair salon chair. You may not be able to replicate the styles you see in magazines but through research and experimentation, you will learn what works for your hair.
Everyone’s needs are different and if you have troublesome hair, it may be unrealistic and very expensive to have a hair stylist give your locks the consistent attention they need.
The cons:
The biggest problem with doing your own hair is that you may not always be able to style your hair as fast or as expertly as a stylist. The arm ache from trying to blow dry the back of your head or the hand cramps from a three-hour Bantu knots job is a very real deterrent to DIY hair care for time-strapped women.
It’s also key to remember that chemical treatments seldom look their best when done by an amateur. Despite what the various home colour and relaxer kits at your supermarket claim, the results on the box are not always attainable and won’ t turn out the same for everyone.
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