Pattern Recognition

Post-Covid, lots of clients have embraced their natural texture… and they want to feel confident they’re seeing stylists who know what they’re doing with curls and coils. Creative HEAD speaks to salons and stylists who have upskilled, specialise their services or who have shared their knowledge with others…

NAOMI BROOKS

The Hair Sanctuary, Manchester 2023 Most Wanted Award for Innovation

There’s a mix of reasons why stylists are coming to us for education. There is some fear of servicing textured hair, especially because Afro and curly clients are very conscious about where they’re going and who’s doing their hair. The fear isn’t that they can’t do it, but they don’t want to get it wrong, or make them feel uncomfortable. ‘Is my terminology correct? I’m not educated on product – the client probably knows more than me!’

Some have felt that they don’t have this client base in their area, so they didn’t need to learn these skills. But it’s not that you don’t have that client base; you’re just not seeing it because those clients don’t see you as somewhere they can go! Social media is your shopfront; whatever you post is what people see you as doing. If you’re just posting blonde balayages, people will see you as a blonde specialist. It doesn’t make it welcoming for those who don’t want to be blonde.

I do speak about how you can incorporate services into your business – what you can start offering almost immediately, what you need to work on in terms of practice to make sure you’re competent. I’m also adamant you’ve got to be doing this because you want to service these clients – you want to be of service. It’s not because of how much you can make or you want to win competitions. You must have a passion to be inclusive.

I was working with The Head Gardener in Scotland, and a young girl came in as a model, her curls were so tight and her parents never had a clue what to do. That girl had been cut out from so many salons because she’s got curly hair. She’s never felt like anyone understands her hair or can give her what she needs. She’s felt that she’s a problem, a challenge – and that’s from a young age.

“You’ve got to be doing this because you want to be of service, not because of how much you can make or to win competitions”

MIFFY GOKNIL

HARI’s, London

As a curly girl myself, I love the movement towards embracing natural waves, curls and coils. Having gone from blow-drying my hair straight three-times a week for 20 years, I understand the challenges in transitioning and embracing natural texture.

Our head of education, Tassie Salem, has curated our in-house training programme to ensure we are empowered and skilled with the ability to provide excellence across our services, no matter what hair type sits before us. We regularly collaborate with guest educators, absorbing their knowledge and experience to refine our skills. We recently attended a curly cut masterclass led by Pietro Gentile at R+Co, with hair cut techniques that work with the natural texture, shape and volume of curls and coils.

I also believe it’s important to pass on intel to your clients on how they can make the most of their curls in between appointments. HARI’s new ‘Curls of Wisdom’ social media series compliments the in-salon education we deliver in the digital space. I’ve loved being a key voice in this among other stylists who are champions of texture across HARI’s teams.

“Having gone from blow-drying my hair straight for 20 years, I understand the challenges in embracing natural texture”

“Once curly girls find somebody who they know can look after their hair, they’ll be all in.”

ISHA SAMMS

Redken UK Texture Gloss Boss Harness & Mane, London

Once your curly girls find somebody they know can look after their hair, they’ll be all in. I’ve got clients who travel from Peterborough and Coventry. Word of mouth works. A lot of salons are jumping on being educated in textured hair and that’s great, but they’re often doing the same one or two courses – it’s about knowing and feeling it all, too. Every curl pattern is different; people might have more than one or two curl patterns where it’s tighter at the back, looser at the front. Is that due to chemical process? Is that due to pulling their hair up? It’s about digging deep. When I have a consultation with new clients, sometimes we discover they’ve been using the wrong products. I’ve been playing with the new Acidic Bonding Curl range from Redken, and its got everything! It’s so hydrating. That’s what’s so great about Redken Color Gels Oils liquid colour. The fact that it’s liquid means it sinks into the hair much more quickly. It deposits even more moisture thanks to the apricot oil. With a cream, you’ve got to comb and manipulate it to make sure those bends have come out. With liquid, it’s slips through and penetrates. That’s important, because 60 per cent of my clients have colour.

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Niamh Kavanagh

NIAMH KAVANAGH

Gypsy Rose, Sheffield

We need to address the elephant in the room, curly hair is just that, HAIR! The prescriptive advice given during training is biased and unfounded. There is so much happening in the curly world right now – check out Texture vs Race or Cut it Kinky. Our friends across the pond are making headway through the branded advice of taming/controlling/managing your curly texture.

Curly hair can be used as an opportunity to elevate our oneness of self, accepting that hair doesn’t need to be perfect. Rather a happy, healthy bouncy curl than a flat lifeless string. I chose to drill down into curly and textured hair because the gap in the market was gobsmacking. The industry is shifting but there’s a remarkable bias based on the idea that freehand cutting is somehow less than, or even beneath, precision. Precision cutting techniques do have a place in the curly world for those who continue to straighten, but for those who chose to wear their hair natural, freehand cutting offers a bespoke service, tailored to every individual curl.

“There’s a remarkable bias based on the idea that freehand cutting is somehow less than, or even beneath, precision”

Focusing on curly texture has seen me grow from a one-woman business to a thriving salon. Trust me when I say there is profit in natural hair. More than 15 years as a business owner and busy stylist has only served to deepen my passion for textured hair. I travel the UK teaching my preferred method of cutting curls alongside essential washing, drying and styling techniques, dispelling myths, encouraging inclusivity and admitting it is our responsibility to learn, train and be better.

ANNE VECK

Anne Veck Education

“Black hair is political, cultural and personal – it’s important all hairdressers have some appreciation of this”

Many UK stylists from diverse backgrounds have never been trained in Afro hairdressing, through no fault of their own. They want to learn but lack the confidence. I created Understanding Textured Hair to equip stylists with knowledge and techniques, from how curls are formed and how to work with different textures, to advice for clients on styling, finishing and caring for their hair at home. I demonstrate how Afro hair requires more product than Caucasian hair, as the hair is dehydrated in its natural state, and how to apply product and manipulate the hair in a safe way. You don’t need to be an expert on every aspect, but you must be able to advise clients and show best practice.

I continue to educate myself, too. Black hair is political, cultural and personal, it has been used equally as a symbol for resistance and as a creative outlet. There are diverse and complex histories to care and styling of African-type hair and I believe that it is important for all hairdressers to have some appreciation of this.

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