What Lies Beneath

Healthy hair is on the minds of millions. Billions of dollars are being spent on just about every continent all in the name of hair care products. In Africa sales are up, in Europe sales continue to soar and in Asia sales soar as companies pair with scientist using the latest in stem cell, plant and flower technology to meet the ever growing needs of the consumers who are in hot pursuit of beautiful healthy hair. There are those who want it stronger. Some want it longer. While other want is shorter. Some like it full and thick. While others prefer bald and no maintenance. Whatever it is and however it is styled, healthy hair and healthy scalp are what most are after. 

When the goal to have healthy hair falls short for any reason; there are those who turn to hair weaves, hair replacement, scalp grafting, hair extensions and custom wigs as an alternative. But for those who want resolve for such issues as thinning, balding, scaly scalps, itchy scalps, sensitive scalps, damaged hair and more; hair care products and salon are the go to source for the masses. While dermatologists and trichologist would seem the obvious choice for those with scalp and hair concerns should turn to. They do not.

In reality, hair care products and salon visits can be of assistance when you need a resolve or do not now what you are doing. The challenge is to find qualified sales reps at stores and skilled hair stylists at hair salons. Hair care companies, hair care stores and unskilled hair stylists have a tendency to create too much hype around hair care by keeping consumers shrouded in mystery as they hold the key to the answers and solutions.

So, what's all the hype about? How are they creating this hype? The hype is created in denying consumers the knowledge. It is the, "not" understanding of what is exactly growing from the scalp. When a person has no clue of what is growing from their head, all sorts of fear and wrong doings will take place. The fear, wrong products and wrong styling tools will create all sorts of scalp and hair problems. Thus being the reason most people do not have healthy hair.  They are experiencing excessive hair shedding, coated hair that won't come clean, dull hair that will not shine, split ends that continue to tear, lose length and for some; total hair loss. All of this because they simply do not know the very important role the scalp plays in having healthy hair. After all, the hair is what is growing from their scalp. 

Yes, people get the just that hairs are microfibers that can be manipulated via heat, chemicals, hair care products, and water.  They also get the just that it can be combed, smoothed, curled, braided or brushed. But the hype of the mystery of hair is what has most in a pickle about their hair as it relates to how to get it healthy. They are asking questions like; what is it, why is it, how is it, when is it gonna grow, where is it and so on. 

Hair care companies and their fancy marketing are doing a good job at keeping you away from your hair. They want you to care for and style it the way they see fit. In addition, some of the hair care practices that are being passed down to us from family members are not on the up and up or for the best interest of our scalp and hair as well. So, therein lies two problems. It is imperative that scalp and hair care remain in the hands of the person on which it lies. Why?

Because the scalp is a microbial habitat. A what? A microbial habitat. What do I mean by microbial? Microbes. Yep, the same microbes you are thinking about. Those tiny critters that live outside our bodies, on our skin's surface and can not be seen with the naked eye. Those microbes. Those tiny critters that can wreak all sorts of havoc on our scalp and hair that leads to unwanted scalp problems, hair problems, hair loss and for some outright death. Therefore, washing your own hair is as imperative as washing your own vagina. Nobody can clean it consistently and thoroughly, like you!

Microbial scalp critter.

Yes, that was a far stretch to use as a correlation. But, I have to got to get people to understand that clean scalp and hair is a personal hygiene matter. Scalp and hair care is no more the responsibility of a hairstylist than a dentist is to your oral care. Teeth are best cared by individuals who have teeth in their mouth versus the dentist. I mean no one goes to the dentist every two weeks to have their gums cleaned and teeth scrubbed. In addition, clean hair and clean scalp are vital to the health of the hair and performance of all hair styles. While shampooing and styling daily may be a bit much for most, that is an option as well. However waiting past those 7 days is unacceptable, when healthy hair is the goal. Why?  Because microbes are real and they love dirty scalp and hair. Microbes can be good and microbes can be bad. What makes them bad? Dark moist places. The same thing we've been told the moment our parents started teaching us how to clean our bodies and teeth. Bacteria loves dark moist places. That is why our parents were staunch ear checkers, mouth pokers, belly button pickers, hand smacking from our butt scratching and "get back in that tub" yellers! Our parents knew our dark and moist places were still damp and half cleaned. While those types of microbes seem pretty much par for the course for our bodies, mouths, buttocks, armpits, ears, and vaginas; the same microbes can get jiggy on our scalps and compromise our hair as well. 

Because scalp and hair care are mostly cultural; many people take care of their scalp, hair and style their hair according to what has been passed down to them from one family member and so on. For some African Americans, this seems to be the culprit to why what lies beneath. What lies beneath stays there and eats our hair away from our scalp and irritates our scalps to the point where we want no parts of hair care. 

Many African Americans with textured hair, especially Afro-textured hair are under the notion that they can not care for their scalp and hair the way people (mainly Whites) without texture do. The belief is only around the hair texture, nothing else. I've been researching this phenomena for over 18 years. My research continually leads me back to slavery. Slavery is the culprit to the belief that Africans with textured hair can not clean their hair like Whites. Slavery is the culprit to the practice of African Americans not caring for their scalp, improperly caring for their hair and developing hair styling practices that often compromised the scalp and hair to the point where hair loss was the inevitable. 

The infamous, 'pat yo weave."

Slave owners did not allow slaves to care for their scalp and hair; let alone style or groom it. Slave owners did not supply Africans with hair care products and styling tools from their native homeland to ensure that the health of their scalp and hair. And slave owners most certainly did not allow them to get back on the boat to return home to get what they needed to care for their scalp and hair.  

So, the Africans had to improvise. They had to make do with the resources and time the slave owner allotted or not allotted them to care for and style their hair. Because slaves were responsible for 95% of the labor force in America, slave owners made no adjustments in the lifestyle of African slaves to prepare for the day. As a result scalp and hair care took a back seat. Simply having a clean body and mouth sufficed to make it in America upon being freed. The practice of not being allotted time for scalp care,  hair care, and hair styling became a way of hair care that exists today. 

Many books, teachings, lessons, lectures and talks primarily promote African Americans or those with textured hair like Africans to not clean their scalp and hair frequently like Whites or those with less or no texture. While that may seem like the logical solution considering textured hair is different from hair with no texture. Texture hair also takes longer to cleanse and style than hair with no texture. However, microbes do not care about textures, sex (male or female), race, rather you are of a pure race, slaves, slave owners, what continent you come from and so on. Microbes mean business. Microbes mean extra business in dark moist places. 

Excessive itching has many culprits.

What lies beneath are two assumptions. The first is, those with less texture can clean their hair more frequently than those with texture. Therefore, they have the healthier, longer, stronger hair. The second is those with textured hair. They are taught to not shampoo and care for their hair because of the texture. This school of thought stems directly from the abuse and neglect in hygiene practices for Africans as a result of slavery is a specific group of people from the same racial-ethnic makeup?  No access to what was best for their scalp and hair and the time to do it. What lies out in the open is we still see the same abuse and neglect from the 1400's being practiced in 2016. The difference is, there is no slave owner preventing scalp and hair care from taking place. However, America still has not made adjustments to lifestyles for African Americans with textured hair and those with textured hair closest to Afro hair. African Americans or people with textured hair closest to Afro hair are not allowed more time to care for their hair after activities such as swimming, gym time, working, caring for the kids, or any other activity that causes Afro hair and textured hair to revert. As a licensed cosmetologist, I can not tell you how much hair damage and hair loss I see in small children and adults who can not dry their hair after swimming, gym or some physical exertion school or work activity. The powers that be simply have not incorporated the infrastructure of more time in between time for those with textured hair to prepare for their next stop of the day. So the saga of those with less texture will have healthier hair hair and those with textured hair closest to Afro textured hair continue to struggle with obtaining healthy hair.

So, on the one hand; slavery and societal norms are the culprits to denying those with textured hair more time to care for it. On the other hand; improper family practices of caring for and styling hair are the culprits as well to increased microbial activity on the scalp and hair. 

Scalp is scalp and hair is hair on all humans. Microbes will multiply. Scalps will ferociously itch. Sores will continue to damage follicles. Scalp and hair that is not cleaned within 7 days will continue to soften and the hair texture will become compromised. Bacteria will continue to produce odors that are offensively coming from the scalp. Weaves that are left in beyond those seven days without cleansing the yeast from the scalp and hair will continue to contribute to damaged hair and hair loss. Dirty scalp and hair does not promote healthy hair. It damages and compromises the scalp and hair on all textures of hair. 

Tell yourself something good!

Microbes are what lies beneath. The myths that promote those with textured hair to not shampoo their hair as much as those with less texture are designed to promote what lies beneath. Wealth. The myths are where wealth in the lies. Those with textured hair spend 10 times more money on scalp an hair care compared to those with less or no texture. When the scalp becomes compromised the hair becomes compromised. During that process the hair is deteriorating. People will spend lots of money to stop the deterioration. They will spend even more to cover it up. Microbes do not care about your money or what ever it is you want to hide. Microbes will live anywhere and on anything that is dark and moist. 

Instead of masking the itch by not cleaning you scalp and hair for fear that it will fall out; it won't. Instead of wearing a weave because you just don't have the time in between workouts, a career and family; care for your scalp and hair. Please make the time.  

What lies beneath are not only the microbes that are compromising your scalp and hair; what lies beneath on your mind is sometimes what takes up space in between your ears.

Free your mind from the notion that if you have textured hair that you can not shampoo as often as those with little or no texture. 

The People Have Spoken

Healthy hair is the buzz word in hair care. Hairstyles have taken a back seat to hair care. Hairstyles are somewhat played out. Artificial hair, human hair extensions, braided hairstyles, protective hairstyles and wash & wear hair are the latest trend in the hair salons. Why sit and pay to have your hair styled, when you can buy it already complete? The paradigm shift in beauty business began with the internet go to

Throwback

 browser guru, "Ask Jeeves." This was back in the day of good old fashioned, "dial-up" Internet. When Yahoo and AOL would send you a CD in the mail for you to install to go online! During that era, people were pretty much using the internet to download music files from Napster. Then they began going online to ask questions. So while people were being quiet about what they wanted to know others were being loud about what they knew. They then shared that knowledge (fact or fiction) online. 

After music; school stuff, recipes and images seemed to be what was shared and searched over the internet. Quickly and simulataneously, researchers started to notice how the internet surfers were surfing for more than superficial information. They were surfing for pertinent things such as medical information, history, religion, shopping, travel and of course; hair care. Hair care ranked high in search engines searches, proving to be on the minds of millions worldwide.

While customers were secretly online getting the grapes on the behind the scenes of the beauty industry, hairstylists were standing behind their chairs bragging about being the last of the careers where humans touching humans still existed. With the increased use of automated everything from phone calls to self-checkout lanes, from gas pumps to auto teller machines; cosmetologists sincerely and arrogantly believed the human touch would save them from technology.  They felt their "old-fashioned" human touch would secure their place in the workforce. They believed the human touch would keep their pockets fat and the freebies coming. They believed the human touch would hide their lack of knowledge of how soap, hair color, heat, medicine and the not so popular "creamy crack" relaxer work on hair. They believed the human touch could hide all the flaws of being an out of touch licensed cosmetologist. 

Then along came, the "pat yo weave." Yep, that statement was the turning point in hair care and hair styles for the beauty industry. Beyonce's "Put a Ring on It," was the video sensation of the decade and it drove women to the internet like crazy. They were not only searching for the video. They wanted to know the behind the scenes secrets to the video maven's sensational weave. Shortly afterwards, the comedian, Chris Rock caused more ripples in the waves. His whistle-blowing documentary, "Good Hair" had more women surfing the internet for answers to hair care. The documentary was inspired by the phrase, "good hair."  "Good hair" is an African American term used within certain cultures of African Americans that define it as hair that is softer, shiner, more manageable and longer. It was "good hair" that his young daughter was longing for. In an attempt to get to the just of "good hair," Chris Rock made the comedic documentary. The documentary captured African American women's obsession to have "good hair." It revealed how African Americans were willing to pay any price to have "good hair." Be it fake or chemically altered. The documentary also revealed the behind the scenes foolishness of what was taking place within the industry as it related to hair salons and product manufacturing. From the high end to the mom and pop shops, from the homemade to the manufactured; he exposed plenty. So to the point that the chemical relaxer hair straightening ingredient; sodium hydroxide, was getting lambasted by people in the documentary. 

Interestingly funny!

"Put a Ring on It" and "Good Hair" sent salon customers by the millions to the internet. In the meantime, hairstylists were probably among the last of the professionals to cross over and accept the changes technology by way of the internet was bringing to every career. Rather you touch humans or not, the internet had arrived and was making its mark. The beauty industry had not choice but to change its course just like the republicans did in politics here in America.

Hair stylists like the republican party were caught off guard by the changing course. The overwhelming demand from consumers who wanted a hairstylist who felt their struggle was what hair care and hair styling was all abut. Many did not have the answer, but the internet did. The years of questioning why their hair was thinning. The yearning to know the difference between black hair and white hair. The longing for more hair. Longer hair, thicker hair fuller hair. The constant up-selling of retail and hair treatments that never really worked.The plea for why their hair color was fading and their hairline going bald was on the minds of millions worldwide. Hair stylists; like Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, John Kasich and the likes could not deliver. However, the internet and its ever evolving social  media could. 

The internet became to salon customers what Donald Trump became to the republican party. An outlier. Salon customers are constantly asking, "What about us? What can you hairstylists do for people like us?"

With emphasis, on the African American salon customers, the internet removed the African American hairstylist from the equation of hair care. Don't smirk, because hairstylists of other ethnicities are too being replaced with the empathetic, 24 hour, zany brainy internet and all of its social media avenues. Not that salon customers were looking for a hair care and hair styling hero; however, they were looking for solutions that could help in the spirit of "a means to the ends." Sure a hair stylist can be used to style hair, but then so can one's cousin at home in the kitchen! Just like the status quo in politics had to go in the republican party, so did the status quo salon experience. When you add the belief in "human touch" rhetoric within in the beauty industry, customers from every ethnicity with every hair type, stopped buying it.

So the hair salon industry began to suffer. At first, it was hair salons. Then it was booth renters, followed by independent contractors. Now it's Salon Lofts. Many salon owners are jumping on the "Loft" concept. Things that make you go hmmm. The hair salons along with their self-anointed self-employed hair stylists could not figure out why none of their marketing for the "best" salon services was no longer working. So like the republicans; salon owners, hair stylists and their customers split. 

Just as rural, working class and the electoral college of America voted for the reality TV star, Donald Trump for their president, salon customers voted for the Internet and social media as their hair care and hair styling go to avenue. Customers were fed up. They grew tired of paying hairstylists who used relaxers and other chemicals for years without question. They grew antsy with the industry following trends created by consumers instead of trends created by hair stylists. A la, "The Natural Hair Movement." When the maker of "Wen" products, Chaz Dean failed to deliver on the claims of his sulfate-free line of hair care products; the people were done with the dumb "human touch" theory. They stopped looking up to hair stylists and began looking down into their smart phones.

Amusingly, hair stylists had the unmitigated gall to be shocked that the "recession proof" career was feeling the pull from the "click." The click of the mouse on the computer. Just as America was stunned with votes of the electoral college to elect Donald Trump on November 9th as their president, 

Funny, the same thing is happening is salons across America. The customers have dumped the hair stylist and the hair salon. They want a better candidate. Who cares if it's a human or not? They like the YouTuber with that up close shot of products with their hand in the background. They love the Instagram self-ascribed hairstylist who gives better tips from their not so clean bathrooms than the hair stylist in the fancy salon spa or the ones that specialize in natural hair. They simply adore the Facebook page of the person who boldly posts they are doing hair without a license; even if the words are spelled wrong and the grammar is incorrect. The paying consumer has voted. They want a hair stylist who "feels" them.

Well, I feel them too! I built my entire career off the paradigm shift of salon customers who wanted a hair stylist who felt them. A hair stylist who taught the truth about hair care. You know, an "HW-N-A" (hair stylist with NO attitude). A hair stylist who is honest. A hair stylist who cares. Do you notice, there is no mention of a hairstyle in that scenario? In addition, I quickly noticed how salon customers hated hair stylists and hair salons who were status quo. Just like those republican voters and the electoral college hated the status quo republican politician and their liberal politics. I was not from the beauty industry. Therefore, I was not jaded. However, as an outsider with the mind of an outlier, I entered the industry with excellent deductive reasoning skills. I could clearly see the fall of the hair salon, hair stylists, and overrated hair care products at the behest of the internet. 

I observed many  salons, cosmetologists and hair care manufacturers who had the notorious "know it all" and the, "I have a license and you don't" demeanor. That demeanor became status quo. The demeanor spoke volumes that demeaned costumers. The demeaning was done via long waits, price fluctuations, racism, whites only do whites and the blacks on do blacks.  Really? The lack of proficiency in the use of chemicals. The attire, abuse of drugs, alcohol and cigarette breaks. Those status quo behaviors had to go. The high end salons against the mom and pop salons. The celebrity stylist against the regular stylist and so on. Why the split? After all, aren't we the last of the professionals who have the competitive advantage of the "human touch??

The media is saying Hilary Clinton and the democratic party were not on the pulse of the people. I disagree. Hillary and the Democratic party is on the pulse of the democratic voters. But the democrats and the democratic voters could not influence the republicans who ruled the house. Something about those shooting was too challenging for White America to stop, politics, laws and all. In reality, the status quo republican party was not on the pulse of the republican voters and the electoral college. So they voted for someone who was not a status quo republican. 

The salon industry is not about hair styles. Just as politics are not about voting. The salon industry is all about caring for hair and styling hair with safe practices that promote public safety via their laws around public safety and sanitation. Just as politics is all about what is best for the community and the country at large. 

Again, politics are not about popular votes contrary to popular belief. And being a licensed cosmetologist is not about the ability to do hair, skin or nail service. Neither is holding a public office. Donald Trump did not have to have any experience to run for president. Neither does a regular person wanting become a professional cosmetologist. While the average consumer believes a certain level of proficiency is guaranteed of all licensed hairstylist; there is none. Unfortunately, hair stylists do not have to demonstrate any level of "knowing" as it relates to how to curl, apply a weave, formulate hair color and so on. We do what's called, OTJT (on the job training). So it is fair to conclude that a licensed cosmetologist within the salon industry is about as authentic as an experienced  republican politician who can run the country. 

Consumers in the salon industry have always wanted more than a hair style. There was an unspoken agreement that at some point the questions of the who, what, when, where, why and how would eventually be answered and explained by cosmetologists. That has not happened. Cosmetologists who hide behind the, "I have a license and more clock hour than a paramedic" statement are losing their customers to the internet (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and the likes) just like the political hopefuls did to the electoral college.

Voters have primary concerns they want politicians to address, not just give rhetoric to. The same can be said for consumers in the salon industry. 

Beauty professionals, like the status quo republican politicians, fool themselves when they believe people elect them for the obvious (IE, whatever it is they get paid to do...lol!"  Many licensed professionals believe customers are coming to the salons for a hair, nail or/and facial service. They are not. The performance on the internet via social media is proving that customers are turning to the internet for hair care and hair styling solutions. A large number of hair stylists and other licensed beauty professionals have dropped the ball in teaching and reaching the masses who sit in their chair. They overlook the obvious. They believe Walmart, Target, drugstores, African hair braiders, Dominican blowout salons and Salon Lofts are their competition. There is no real competition within the beauty industry among licensed professionals. The hair manufacturers have seen to that. There is truly nothing distinct between a salon shampoo and an over the counter one; give or take an ingredient here or there.  So now what?

Wait, what just happened?

The beauty industry needs to get AHEAD of the program. When the answers and solutions can become unified from the many licensed professions representing the industry, we will then be able to have a voice with clear directions and solutions to offer to the masses within the beauty industry to meet their needs at home as well as in the salon. Licensed beauty professionals need to represent. They need to keep themselves educated and constantly retrained to meed the every changing needs and growing demands of the customers or potential customers who sit in their chair or visit their salon. If not, they will loose to an outlier called, "artificial intelligence." Don't laugh, your phone can do things a human can not do quicker and cheaper. The internet has a www (worldwide web) at the dispose of anyone who want to enter it with just one click regardless of race, sex, political affiliation, education, money and the likes. Hair salons, licensed beauty professionals; you have been warned. 

Until then, the paradigm shift is shifting as you read this blog. Like those in republicans in rural, working class, and the electoral college of America have spoke; so are the consumers in the beauty industry.

Do you hear anything?