How To Find The Right Natural Hair Stylist For Your Hair

Some useful tips to finding the ying (stylist) to your yang (hair) 

Going natural is a big step that involves not only your time and effort but your money as well. It can be confusing too; should you do it yourself or with the help of a professional? Although DIYs can pretty much save you the cost of expensive hair treatments and such, it is advisable that you visit a professional stylist once in a while to ensure scalp hair and health; whether it’s to trim your hair, do a protective style or hair treatment. They can also sight issues that you may not be able to see because you know, you don’t have eyes up there.

 

Finding THE stylist can be tasking especially as a naturalista; if you’ve had relaxed hair for a while and only went natural recently, you might be wondering if you can have the same stylist for your natural hair as when you had relaxed hair. Lots of girls have had terrible or unsatisfying experiences with so-called “professional” stylists which is why DIYs are so popular. But DIYs or YouTubers cannot offer you customized advice on your hair because there’s only so much you can do from a computer or phone screen.

You want a stylist that knows what they’re doing, one that knows not just how to treat hair but how to take care of natural hair in particular and also has an assortment of styles to work magic with your hair. You don’t want a costly mistake that will take away your moths or years of growing your natural hair.

So if you want to find a stylist either for a once in a while treatment or regular visits involving washing, deep conditioning, hair masks, styling, and other necessities; here are some tips for finding the right stylist for you;

Find them on social media: Everything is on the internet these days, so why not your stylist? Pages that feature different hairstyles often tag the hairstylist so you can get links from there. 

Good stylists tend to post pictures of their works, the process from start to finish (behind the scenes), and tag the customers where they can so you can always verify their works from these customers. Some even share useful tips on how to take care of your natural hair, reviews of products to use, and products to avoid as well as some day to day hacks for dealing with textured hair. All these are signs that such a person is a good hairstylist.

@braidsbychinia

Ask other naturalistas around you: Notice that girl whose natural hair always looks healthy and well-styled? Ask them for their stylist! They most probably get their hair styled by a professional and it'll save you some stress of searching endlessly if you just got the contact of their stylist instead. Make sure to check them out well, consult/visit their salon because what works for one person might not work for you; this will help you avoid disappointments.

Most people are always more than willing to refer you to their stylists if you ask. However, if you are not comfortable with asking strangers, there is always Google for you to do a little online research and find the perfect stylist. Make sure to read reviews and also view their previous works if you can so you make the right decision; be weary of reviews though as some of them are exaggerated to attract customers.

Consult with the stylist: It may seem a bit stressful but you will be glad you did. You cannot just walk into a salon and expect them to know what works for your hair, no matter how good they are. You can schedule a consultation if the stylist has the option to and if they don’t, a walk-in will be just fine. It’s the best way to get to know the stylist and how their services work, the products they use, their years of experience, their pricing; the stylist can also know you, your hair type, how you previously cared for your hair, what products you used and other important details about your hair. Some stylists charge for a consultation and others don’t, if they do, make sure to make the most of it to make it worth your money and time. 

After the consultation, how did you feel? Did you feel like you were listened to? Did the stylist keep interrupting you with a show of “I know it all”? Consider the energy between you and the stylist as some stylists are very good at what they do but they don’t listen to their customers. You need a stylist who listens to you.

Take a visit to their salon: This allows you to see the environment of the salon and check if it is one you will be comfortable in. How many other sub-stylists are there? Is there enough space? Do you like loud music they place? Do they talk loudly while making customers’ hair?  if you take in all these and you like it, then you most likely have found the right stylist for you!

Don’t be a penny pincher: If a stylist offers their services at ridiculously low prices, be cautious. If it's too good to be true then it most likely is. 

Don’t be too frugal too, your hair is worth it! Look beyond the pricing and check if they offer not only hair services but other peripherals like hair education with an emphasis on hair health. 

• Take note of the customer service: Good customer service cannot be overemphasized. It’s normal to feel like your hair is not being done right or you want one product instead of another; a salon with bad customer service will most likely make you feel worse for voicing out your complaints. Good customer service on the other hand will be able to take in your concerns, explain their procedures if you don’t understand it, and also do what you want them to do. It is your hair, after all, your voice counts!

Tell them what you want: If you don’t talk, it is common for the stylist to want to make hair decisions on your behalf. However, it is up to you to know what you want and if you don’t, your stylist should work with you to figure it out. Communication is key to finding what works for you.

 

@beautycanbraid

Test the waters first: When you are satisfied and finally pick that stylist, don’t visit their salon with the idea of completing changing your whole style. Test the waters first, you can start with washing and conditioning your hair to know what it feels like and other little services. From there, you can notice other details and actually gauge what the environment is like, that you did not notice on your first time visiting.  

One thing to note while looking for a professional stylist is that paying more is not always the same as getting the best service. You might just be paying for their brand name and popularity especially if you feel like everyone goes there. Some stylists charge extra if you have a certain hair type, like 4C, and that is just not right. Good stylists charge the same amount for a style no matter the hair type involved.

What’s more, you do not have to restrict yourself to one stylist, you can have different stylists for different services to get maximum satisfaction for their services. One stylist can not know it all so it is totally fine to outsource.

It will take a lot more time to find the right stylist for you (and your pocket) but when you do, it will be worth the effort. 

I hope these tips help, what personal experience do you have in finding a stylist? Share in the comments.

Sources

How to Find the Perfect Natural Hair Stylist -

How to Find the Perfect Natural Hair Stylist -

How to Find the Best Salon for Natural Hair

4 Tips on Choosing A Natural Hair Stylist

4 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Natural Hair Salon

Getting the Look: Where to Find a Natural Hair Stylist

10 Types of Hair Professionals | How To Choose The Right One For Your Natural Hair

Finding a GOOD Natural Hairstylist