My Reasons to Justify Leaving the Hair Industry

Correction

I deleted an article last week because I stated that Paul Mitchell had removed the panthenol from their Extra Body hairspray, but I was wrong.  Paul Mitchell actually added more panthenol to this spray but also added more dimethicone according to the revised ingredient list.  Regardless, the formula of the hairspray has been altered under the same name within the last three years.  I have tried to get away from hair products with heavy dimethicone in its ingredients.  I find them to eventually cause dryness to the hair.

So as you can guess that one of my biggest reasons for wanting to leave the hair industry is that the hair products keep changing on us.  

We as hairstylists can not deliver consistent final finishes to our clients when the products that we use are being altered without our knowledge.

Other Product changes

Sebastian changed its Cellophanes Semi-permanent hair colors a year ago.  Thank God that they really made the hairstylists aware of the new changes, but the new formula does NOT give the same coverage that the old formula provided. 

 I have tried about five other product lines trying to get the coverage that Sebastian Cellophanes used to deliver, and I have not found a replacement yet.  It is so frustrating to have to constantly look for product alternatives because "something stopped working."  We as hairstylists can not control these product changes.  The manufacturers just shove the changes down our throats, and we are forced to try other product lines.   I have seen unannounced formula changes in shampoos, conditioners, sculpting foams, hairspray, semi-permanent hair colors and more.

Paraben-Free is NOT "Going Green!"

Paraben-Free products definitely have cause some landfill waste.  While "no preservatives" sound healthy for the hair, the shelf life is so short that I am scared to buy paraben free products now because I have no idea when they were manufactured.  After a year, paraben-free products seem to start to lose their effectiveness. 

Expiring in the Warehouse

In addition, with the hair trends changing, some products don't move as often and are getting old in the warehouses before they are even shipped out to the stores for retail sale.  Expiration dates really need to be placed on all beauty products.  I suppose if everyone started calling the companies to find out the manufacture dates based the batch codes listed on the products, then they would began to provide more disclosure in the age of the products.  Even old relaxers and other chemicals are just sitting on shelves waiting for the uninformed consumer to buy.

Yeah, someone is thinking: "I will just sue whomever for selling me old product."  But do you know how long it takes to get a court hearing?  Unless there is a class action, your one bad experience may not get much exposure.

We as Product Police

So between ingredient changes and old products floating around, we as hairstylists are now having to police everything we purchase so that no one is surprised at the final results.

Now, in addition to the "Product Policing," we have to be cautious of new trends that are damaging to the hair.

Trends to be Caution of:

1. Ammonia-free haircolor - some people believe the ammonia-free alternative chemical used can be just as damaging as real ammonia because it is harder to shampoo out of the hair.
2. No-lye relaxers - all relaxers have some sort of lye derivative or alternative chemical that is just as potentially damaging to the hair and/or scalp as real sodium hydroxide.  Sometimes these derivatives leave "byproducts" lingering in the hair that have to be clarified out later.
3. Flat Irons - these tools delivered shine and movement to the hair that seemed "too good to be true."  Guess what?  It was  too good to be true.  The ionic flat irons were actually compromising the internal integrity of the hair resulting in a lot of breakage months or years later.
4. Keratin or Smoothing Treatments - these keratin treatments were designed to help balance all of the flat iron breakage, but they required flat ironing the hair to infuse the treatments into the hair.  The heat applied to the keratin solutions in some brands caused formaldehyde gas to form endangering everyone's respiratory system.

Should I even go on?  You get the idea . . . everything new is not always good for everyone.

License Renewal

Now, let me also mention that I just renewed my Georgia Master Cosmetologist license and guess what? I have to pay an extra fee to get a hard copy of my license to display.  What the heck?

Product value

And I forgot to mention that product pricing is increasing as the ingredients are getting cheaper and the sizes are getting smaller.

Value of the hair profession?

In addition, women will spend $1000.00 on a handbag that they can get more long-term compliments versus a hairstyle that is disposable. 

Then there are many people who do not view hairstylists as state board certified professionals in the same league as physicians, attorneys, dentists - so paying someone huge bucks in a profession where it is not required to have a Bachelors, Masters, or Doctorate degree is not embraced.  However, physicians, attorneys, dentists, and other celebrities rely on "hair professionals" to keep their money making image complete.

The corporate ladder

In the hairstyling field, I have not seem a corporate ladder to climb.  Hairstylists have to network and continue to re-invent themselves to attract new clients and retain the existing clients.  It is always a hustle. I know that Corporate America has its own set of politics, and the "pink slip" can be waving around an unsuspected corner, but vacation pay, insurance benefits, and sick time can provide relief from the constant hustle to keep a steady revenue flow when the nature of most businesses are "feast or famine."

While I do not have definite plans for leaving the hair industry, it is a thought.  I have salary requirements.  I respect ownership and submission.  I believe in team effort.  I believe in advancing a company's bigger picture.

What do I see for the future of the hair industy?  Traditional salons will be coming back.  Those styling studio suites are a dead-end without building a team that can make you money while you are absent. For those who have a full-time corporate career, the styling studio suites are a professional setting to bring a limited clientele to be serviced, but the weekly pricing for part-time usage may not be practical.

Teaching?

People have asked me about teaching cosmetology, and I admit that I know that I would be good at it, but I do not think that the teachers' pay in North Carolina coincides with my salary demands.

Hanging in there!

For now, I am NOT going anywhere.  I still have plenty of articles to write and post.  I also have a good clientele base. It is always good to take inventory of one's own "state of the union." 

Calcium Buildup can make Hair Hard to Relax

Photo Credit: BlackhairMedia.com

Recently, I had a client to come in for a relaxer touch-up, but based on the swollen and rippled hairshaft that I observed in my analysis, I informed the client that I did not think that a relaxer would straighten her hair in the condition that it was in.  Her hair had two things happening from my observation.

Unlike the model in the picture above, I could not see the line of demarcation between the new growth and the rest of the hairshaft.  So I knew that a protein treatment was needed in order to heal and repair the strands so that I could really see where the new growth stopped.

Secondly, with all of the swollen ripples from the roots to the ends along with the history of home box relaxers, I knew that there was more than likely a calcium buildup.

So of course, after sharing all of my observations in the consultation, the client decided to allow me to detox her hair and complete a pure protein treatment.  Please see my separate article on detoxing the hair if you have questions on that procedure.  Her hair turned out beautiful with the two treatments and using heat styling.

The client returned two weeks later for her relaxer touch-up.  I still saw signs of calcium buildup, but the line of demarcation of the new growth was clear.  I proceeded with the relaxer touch-up.  The "lye" relaxer which happened to be Paul Mitchell regular strength relaxer eventually "broke through" the calcium or mineral buildup and began to smooth the new growth out.  I did not do any corrective relaxing.  I focused on the new growth at the roots only.  It relaxed straight enough to roller set it.  We were both happy.

It was a good call on my part to divide her hair into two different hair services.  Otherwise, paying for a relaxer service that probably would have not taken would be a waste of our time and her money.

Anyone using "no-lye" relaxers for years only to find that their hair becomes resistant to the relaxer should look at getting their hair detoxed before attempting relaxation again.

It is puzzling how "new growth" can have buildup except that relaxers actually can penetrate into the hair follicles and affect future hair growth.

Five Discussion Points for your First Salon Visit

(Topic discussed: Relaxer practices and styling warnings) So you narrowed down a new salon to go to? It could have been based on a print ad . . . or just a referral . . .
Here are 5 things to discuss on your first salon visit with a new hairstylist:
1) Request that no new products will be tested on you. You only want products that are in his/her regular rotation. Strange request right? As a new customer, you really do not know what is normal or not.
Example: I went to a hairstylist that put a half of bottle of hair spritz in my hair at the finish of the style. I called her a few days later because I was curious why she uses so much "wet Spritz" in her styling, and she told me that honestly that she barely used any spritz with her clients. So I was curious why I got almost the whole bottle sprayed on my head?????? She claimed since I was shampooing every week that it did not matter, and that maybe she as a hairstylist was not a good fit for me. Great! I felt that she did not even care to keep my hair healthy.
2)Request synergy in the relaxer service components. You do not want brand name relaxer applied and "off brand" neutralizing shampoo used.
Example: I received an Affirm relaxer, but the stylist used a Fiberguard Affirm conditioner. Both the Affirm and Fiberguard Affirm classes teach not to interchange the two lines. Use all Affirm components for Affirm relaxer; Use all Fiberguard Affirm components for the Fiberguard Affirm relaxer. In addition, if you see an "off brand" generic neutralizing shampoo to be used for every relaxer to save the stylist money - RUN!!!!
3)Request no mixing for relaxers and request no mixing for haircolor at relaxer time.
Relaxers that require mixing are typically "no lye" or sensitive scalp relaxers, and they are not healthy for the scalp for long term use. In addition, any haircolor that requires an activating lotion is considered a demi-permanent color. Some looser hair types can withstand the demi-permanent color on the same day as relaxer, but it is best not to risk it!
4) Request the stylist's proficiency level in the styling procedures that you want completed.
Example: If they are round brush styling once every few months then they are not going to be as efficient as someone who is always round brushing on a daily/weekly basis. Same thing with "press and curls" and barbering. If the stylist does not straighten nor cut kinky hair on a regular basis, then the final results may not meet client expectations.

5) Request the disposal procedures for leftover relaxer. Do they dump it back into the main relaxer bucket (contaminating it) or do they trash it? God forbid they apply relaxer straight from the main relaxer bucket. Double dipping over and over again. This unsanitary practice can spread disease.

If you are paying cheap prices for relaxer services, then you may assume that the stylist may be conservative with the amount of relaxer used or that the stylist is re-depositing the leftover relaxer back in the larger tub.


There are plenty of other questions that you may typically ask such as What is the salon grade? Do they have an active License versus a "permit?" How about specific certifications? Are they good with long hair or short hair? Please feel free to keep the questions coming!

Tired of Starting over! Six Months Flat Iron Free!

So one day you find your hair is absolutely damaged? So the dermatologist says "cut it all off" . . . then the new hairstylist says "cut it all off" . . . everyone says "cut it all off" so after you have cut it all off several times within a twenty year life span . . . You get "freak'n tired" of starting back over! No wonder so many people go natural . . . locks, twists, afros . . . .

The problem with starting over is no one ever tells you why after all of the products and due diligence that you do to take care of your hair . . . your "nappy hair" just keeps getting damaged. Enough is enough!

Guess what? Sensitive scalp relaxers (yeah the ones that you have to mix; they come in two parts) are more damaging than regular lye relaxers. Do your research! Research DEEP! It is true! Unfortunately, those with sensitive scalps can not bare lye relaxers without burning too soon. So the number of "non-burning" lye relaxers (conditioning lye relaxers) are few and far between. So far - I have only found Paul Mitchell, Design Essentials' Time Release Regular and possibly NuExpressions Gold VS. (I am still researching the NuExpressions relaxer).

So I eliminated sensitive scalp (i.e. no lye) relaxers about two years ago . . . so scalp improvement and thinning were eliminated. Manufacturers will still try to sell those box relaxers to you. Just like cigarettes and alcohol . . . use at your own risk! They need to make their money!

However, after elininating the scalp issues; I still found my hair strands to be so tempermental. So something else had to be causing me problems. So after eliminating every other possibility; I discovered that the culprit was none other than the flat iron . . . Whether you spend $350 or $100 on a brand name flat iron . . . they are absolutely damaging long-term. So now, I am flat iron free six months. I texturize/texlax about every six weeks. I am the happiest I have been ever! See my picture! Yay!!!! It may not mean a lot to those born with carefree hair . . . but for those sistahs whose natural texture is far from being European, six months past starting over again, this is a great picture of a bright future!

Full steam ahead!!!!

Detox Regimen to soften "Hard hair!"

Most of the time, hard hair can mean a calcium buildup from no-lye relaxers or too much protein. KeraCare has demineralization wipes that when used properly, really soften the hair. The formal name of this service is Demineralizing Treatment.
Yes, the wipe looks like a baby wipe , but notice the pH of 7.0 in the picture above. This is a neutral pH. Typically, you need four wipes. One for each quadrant of the head. So divide your hair into four sections and subsection each section as you wipe the hair in the direction of the cuticle. Wipe Down; not up. Of course, it is best that you clarify the hair with a chelating shampoo first, then towel blot the hair before you begin to wipe.
Paul Mitchell Shampoo Two is a good deep cleansing shampoo. Only one lather is needed and not too heavy on the pump. A little goes a long way! After your hair is squeaky clean, then use a "seamless" comb to part into four sections. As you begin to wipe each section with a fresh wipe, then the hair should start to soften. Use your "seamless" comb as a judge as whether the wipes are working by the ease of the comb through. Remember one section at a time. Please see my separate article on seamless combs.

After detoxing the whole head, it is best to go back into a hydrating shampoo and moisturizing conditioner. The Onesta brand is recommended for moisture. (Hydrating Shampoo and Moisture Balancing Conditioner) Style as usual. Please see my separate article on the Onesta brand.