The Great Escape

Once upon a time...

Once upon a time there lived women who loved to adorn themselves. Taking time to look at oneself from head to toe with their own eyes was the way to start the day after prayer. As time went on and new things came into civilization, the mirror was introduced. After women completed their morning rituals (prayer, getting children ready, caring for their parents and the likes), they would adorn themselves in the mirror. Adorning had a different meaning for different people. For some adorning meant cleaning their body, for others adorning meant cleaning, rubbing on oils and applying perfumes and for another group adorning added hair styling to that adorning process. 

Today, adorning has taken a different path. Due to the paradigm shift in womanhood, motherhood, career, marriage and so; adorning is not quite the foo-foo frilly girly girl stuff it used to be. While spending two hours to get ready for the day is not on the minds or in the schedules of today's woman; there should be some time set aside to simply adorn, care for and prepare yourself as you go out into the world to do whatever pleases you. 

Family, career, spirituality, philanthropy and care for others are extremely important to many for varying reasons. However, nothing is more important than self. Self can sound so selfish. Well, because it is. Incorporating self first is priority one as you prepare for tomorrow today, right now. The story of the flight attendant instructing passengers to place the oxygen mask over their nose first in the event of an emergency remains a favorite analogy to many in encouraging others the importance of putting self first. 

The same can be said when making an effort to face the goals, task or challenges of the day. Putting your best foot forward every time you can is essential to doing your purpose or finding it. Putting your best foot forward begins or concludes with raising your arms to care for your hair as you enter the world of co-existing.

The misnomer that beauty takes a lot of time discourages many who are involved or is overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle demands of preparing for the day. This blog is to inform you that it does not take a lot of time. Taking the time to adorn yourself has many benefits. Some examples of those benefits are as follows:

Time will give you time.

1. Combing hair, 2-5 minutes
2. Washing your hair, 5-10 minutes
3. Learning how to care for your hair is a great stress buster, 5 min. to 2 hours
4. Curling your hair, 5-45 minutes
5. Blow drying your hair, 5-30 minutes
6. Braiding your hair, 5 min. - 2 hours

Some benefits to doing your own hair:

1. It can save you time from to and from travel time to the salon
2. It can save you time on the wait time at the salon
3. It shows your children who are watching your rituals that self-care is important
4. It affords you a chance to examine your entire body and notice if something is not right (i.e. lumps, bumps, moles, skin irritation, body odor and so on)
5. It shows your mate the importance of self-care

While taking the time to adorn yourself may seem like a waste of time, it is not. Refrain from ignoring all that you consider beautiful about yourself. Do not allow the frustration and confusion of not knowing how to do your hair, keep you from it. Take the time and make the time to learn your hair. Invest wisely. Understand that you only purchase 3 items to care for your entire body. Soap, lotion or oil and deodorant. Both are done with the use of a face cloth, loofah mitt and hands. Hair care should only consist of 3 items as well. Shampoo, conditioner (optional) and a styling agent (oil, cream, spray, gel, leave in conditioner and the likes). Hair can be styled with up to 3 things: comb, brush (optional) and your hands!

The impact is real today.

The great escape for many began at the onset of slavery. Not just for the slaves but for the masters, their spouses and offsprings as well. The "man's" main focus was control over all for the sake of land, money, and lust. The "man" or the master was not interested in hygiene or care of self. He knew that they key to mental and physical slavery was to deny self-care. Self-care connects one to their spirit. His goal was to break that spirit for control and money. That type of mental abuse and neglect carried over and was incorporated as a way of life for many. 

Sometime during the 1920's through 1970, people were no longer running. People were learning and embracing their culture and its practices. From the coiffed hairstyles of the 20's through the 50's to the Afros, cornrow braids and long hair of the 60's; people were loving and embracing the hair that made them unique. 

When was the last time you did this!

The momentum of the run has returned with the introduction of fancy marketing as companies and people brand themselves. Their goal is to promote their products and themselves by selling a possible solution to your fear of your hair and desires to look a certain way. The tactics seen on social media, print and TV are directly responsible for you not wanting to do your hair yourself. Self-esteem, lack of self-knowledge and history of your lineage also play a vital role in how you see yourself. 

In the end, It is important to beautify and adorn yourself. Both are vital to your existence as a human because again, they enhance and connect to your spirituality. Love yourself as you be yourself. Be open to growing and learning about yourself and your hair on a daily basis. 

Remember, "Beauty is, as beauty does, as beauty gets!"

Sulfate Free Shampoos

Shampooing, the key to a great hair style, Shampooing, the secret to great hair color. Shampooing, the essential of healthy hair. Shampooing, one of the best ways to the clean scalp. Shampooing, one of the most popular reasons one visits a hair salon!

For as great as shampooing is, it remains the most misunderstood and misinterpreted step in the effort clean hair to promote the health and beauty of it. In addition to be being misunderstood and misinterpreted, it is also mostly done incorrectly.

The key to understanding what makes shampooing so magnificent to know the true meaning of the word. As a licensed cosmetologist, shampooing is the once service I value and takes seriously over any and everything I do at work. As a matter of fact, when it comes to shampooing hair, I'm like Erykah Badu, "I'm an artist and I'm serious about my shit."  Once you understand the history behind this very vital process to hygiene and to clean hair; the importance shampooing regularly, properly with the correct products will resonate with your innate ability to adorn yourself.  You will also understand how hair that is shampooed properly with the correct products for your scalp and hair type/texture will result in healthy hair that looks and feel great.

So let me take you to the beginning of how it all got started way back when. Believe it or not the ritual or practice of shampooing is not nearly as old as people think. In the beginning of time, yeah I'm talking way back in those B.C and A.D days; shampooing was not the thing to do. Of course the lack of running water and exactly what to use to clean the scalp and hair was something of an enigma, so humans were busy being hunters, gatherers and trying to figure out how to survive in the elements. Clean bodies and hair was not priority one. In addition, to not being priority one, the enigma around how to clean the scalp and hair was a result of not understanding what was exactly coming from the scalp. When the varying hair textures (curly, kinky, wavy, Afro and woolen) was added to the equation; the etching into the stones stopped there. What was coming from the scalp and how to clean those strange and coiled fibers was enough to confuse the greatest philosophers of the day. Not even Confcius, Plato and all them other great thinkers could figure out the great mystery of how to clean hair especially if it had texture growing from the scalp. No sir-ree. They could pontificate the meaning of life till the constellations mapped out every zodiac, hours, days and years; but how to clean the scalp and the varying hair textures that grew from it was out of the question. Nobody wanted to be bothered with that. So "off with the hair," was the most popular resolve. While the ancient hyroglifics, papyrus' and other artifacts depict people using animal fats and essentials to clean the scalp and hair; they also depicted those methods were not best.

So what was one do? Surely, there were many of people who were not for having their cut off simply because they could not figure out how to clean it properly. For the most part soaps, salves, balms and essential oils were leaving the hair feeling very pasty, coated and hard. The practice of using those methods also left a magnificent breeding ground for micro organisms such as lice to grow, multiply and wreak all kinds of diseased havoc on  villages at large. Head lice was running rampant. So again, cutting all the hair off and making wigs just seemed the practical and safe thing to do to say the least. In spite of the all the dirty scummy filmy yeast growing, coated and lice infested and contagious hair; there were masses of people who longed to keep their own hair on their own head.  Hmm, sounds very familiar during this modern day and time, doesn't it? I mean with all the technology we have; how to properly clean the scalp and hair of the varying textures (curly, kinky, wavy, Afro and straight) that grows from the scalp still remains somewhat of a daunting task to do on a regular basis with resolve.

Somewhere along the way, the world was becoming more civilized. The powers that be decided to distinguish themselves from the haves and have nots by incorporating none other than cleanliness. Cleanliness as it relates to clean, slathered, massaged, perfumed and oiled bodies. Cleanliness as in clean hair and hair styles so people could discern who had it and who did not. To bring us to this date and time of now, one of the world's foremost historian's in the area of cleanliness, Virginia Smith author of Clean; A Personal History of Hygiene and Purity writes, "the countdown of modernity began."

Mr. Dean Mahomet, the
"Shampoo Surgeon."

And five, four, three, two, one; introducing a very modern distinguished educated well traveled Indian self made entrepreneur of sorts named, Mr. Dean Mahomet. Not that anybody asked, but don't you think that picture to the left of Mr. Mahomet lends the eye that he was actually a Black man? Oops, I digressed.  Mr. Mahomet was not only was well educated and well traveled, but he also was an author. In his writings he wrote of the many things he observed along the way. And one thing that stood out and caught his attention was a massage technique commonly practiced by the Chinese called, "Champing." Champing was basically a thorough massage that incorporated cleansing. As Mr. Mahomet settled, he decided to use what he observed in Champing and decided to open a Champing House and eatery of sorts. To his dismay and typical of the "White Man" back in those days, the British took over his business and shut him down. Yep, they made Mr. Mohamet a slave or an indentured servant to the wealthy aristocrats. Not be degraded, demoralized and belittled by his unfortunate turn of events; Mr. Mohamet decided to incorporate what he observed in watching the Chinese do with Champing and took his official title of "Washer of People" and changed it to a "Shampooing Surgeon." Yeah boyee! Instead of washing only washing the bodies of those wealthy people who shut down his business and took it; he decided to include washing their hair with washing their bodies and incorporated the fine skills of Champing to give his service more value. And they paid him for it! Well, how bout dem apples?

Somewhere between 1860 and 1898, Mr. Mohamet used the Hindi word Champi (the art of shampooing) instead of the Chinese word Champing. Later the words were translated into what we now call shampooing. American English, ya gotta love it...smh. So as you can see, shampooing was never meant to be taken lightly. Due to the intricacies of what the body naturally emits via the scalp and the varying textures of hair that grows from the scalp, Mr. Mahomet felt it necessary to pay to clean the scalp and hair just as meticulously and if not frequently as you would your other body parts. To have it reduced to something as casual as wiping your mouth after some mayonnaise has dripped on the side of your mouth behooves those of us who work in the Cosmetology industry daily. For we are the professionals who have dedicated our entire careers to ensuring that you have a thoroughly clean scalp and hair in order to make it grow, be colored, shine, flow, braid, curl, crimp, set, perm, twist, weave and loc it. In addition, our shampooing talents also lend credibility to the knowledge and skill set to do so.

Moving right along to some time in 1908, Virginia Smith also wrote how the New York Times did an exclusive article on this new phenomena called shampooing was popping up all over the world. Via a host of interviews from hair dressers world wide; the New York Times reported how it was unanimous by all the hair dressers they interviewed that having your hair shampooed by someone every two weeks at night was best. The reasons being simple; plumbing.

Now we are counting up from 1908. From a Indian (who looks strikingly like a Black man...lol) named Dean Mahomet to one of my favorites in formulating shampoo, Hans Schwarzkopf. Schwarzkopf, (German for Black head and their logo) a German pharmacist pioneered hair shampoo. He went on to invent hair spray, perms and hair mousse. Voila, we are in the now and here we sit reading something called a blog on the continuing phenomena and enigma of still; how to clean hair. This time around animal fats, perfume, oils, salves and balms are not the concern. Nope it's, sulfates.

Just when we thought we had arrived with the invention and development of Shampoo. Someone comes along and says, "off with their hair" again because soaps had moved from being derived from animal fats to being derived from vegetable oils hence Castile soaps that were exclusively made in the region of Castile in Spain where all them olives grew! From Castile pure and safe cleansers came lye soap bars which some has sulfates in them in which many feel are now bad for hair and skin. Sulfates have been working their magic on dirt for over two hundred years. Because diseases from not being clean were killing troops more than guns back in 1858, the United States Army enlisted the sulfate soldiers from Proctor and Gamble and bought over one million bars of Ivory bar from P&G to get the troops to wash up and clean up their acts to fight the war and not dirt. So again, how did we get here, to the dangers of sulfates? 

Sulfates, sulfates frustrates. Consumers started complaining about the dryness of the soaps. While pure Castile soas and lye were the most popular ingredients back then, sulfates were introduced. So exactly what are sulfates? To keep it simple and take out all the fancy cool scientific mumbo jumbo, sulfates are the derivative of salts and minerals that act as a surfactants or scrubbing agent the cleanses the hair and it caused the soaps foam and suds. It was the the frothy foamy sudsy action of the sulfates that made them uberly popular and every soap making company wanted that ingredient. Though scientifically speaking the frothy foamy sudsy cleaner is not indicator that the body, scalp and hair is clean; people LOVED it! So what's wrong with that? Well for some allergic reactions were the result. Allergic reactions can range from itchiness, to redness, to swelling, to dryness or to a taught brittle feel on the hair. In other words, it's what they call ...clean. Even though every shampoo and soap making company in the world instructs every user to DISCONTINUE USE if any form of an allergic reaction occurs; I still had to write this blog.

When I was in cosmetology school, I admit; I would not read the manufacturers instructions. I would shampoo a customer's scalp and hair. Some would complain that their scalp would still itch after I shampooed it. My immediate thought was always, "they trippin." My instructor, Ms. Jackie (God bless her) would yell across the floor as if she was reading my thoughts, "Read the directions Ladosha!" As time went on I became educated and licensed. I even had the opportunity to meet a few chemists who were actually formulating shampoos and they too instructed me to read the directions that informed users how allergic reactions to shampoos were very very common. They also said that sulfates were one of many culprits in the plethora of ingredients that are in shampoos that could cause a person could be allergic to it. And no, I am not writing a blog about those other culprits...lol
  

As you can see from reading the history of cleaning, how to effectively clean hair was and still is very difficult. When you add texture hair to the scenario, it is almost virtually impossible to quantify and clarify what it really takes to do effectively. At the Reverence Design Team Hair Salon where I am employed, we make it a point to read the directions and warnings on every product we use as well as be trained by the company and personally meet with the chemists who makes what we use. Yep, we do that. ask every customer during and after a series of questions to ensure they are not having an allergic reaction. For example, we always ask our customers if their scalp itches, if their scalp feels tight and how do they feel. We asks these same questions every time they return to the salon and have a full service. In the event a customer discloses they are allergic to sulfates or other ingredients in the shampoos, our salon is equipped with gallons of apple cider vinegar, boxes of baking soda and other less harsh products to use as an alternative for those with skin sensitive issues. Before there was sulfate free; apple cider vinegar and baking soda did the trick. I say if it ain't broke; don't fix it. 

What is my professional and personal take on sulfates. In my opinion sulfate free in hair care products is like dairy to diets. Everything is not for everybody. There are some people who digest dairy and some who can not. There are some people who can use sulfates and some who can not. There are a whole bunch of reports that expose the dangers of sulfates as carcinogenic. To date, I have never met one person who has medically proved that their cancer is a result of using sulfates, yet that does not mean it was or wasn't a contributing factor. I am no researcher and I am certainly no oncologist. As you educate yourself on sulfates be careful of reading reports. There are many reports. I mean there are reports by people who do not trust reports. Then there are reports that report only what they want to report. There are also reports that are reported by the people who control the reports of what to report to the people they want to report it to. So be careful with those reports. 

Opinions are just that...opinions!

I am not suggesting that you ditch your sulfate shampoos. I use both sulfate and sulfate free in the salon and on my own hair at home. I admit, I do like the lather simply because it is an indicator that oil, dirt and hair products are being removed; though not clean, but being removed.  I do say pay attention to your body. If you are prone to allergies, proceed with caution. Just as you should proceed with caution, you should also follow the manufacturers instructions that instructs you to discontinue use in the event of an allergic reaction. The only draw back to allergic reactions is that for many, they may not know they are allergic to something until they use it. So understand there are some risk involved when using anything that comes into contact with the skin. Rather it is sulfate, sulfate free, organic, gluten, gluten free, natural and everything in between.

Provided you are not allergic, because sulfates are surfactants that are directly responsible for removing oil, dirt and product from the scalp and hair, I say use it. Technically speaking there are only 7 types of shampoo formulas for the millions of hair care manufacturers to choose from, including sulfate free to brand, market and sell to us all. So regardless whose name is on the bottle, whose hair is in the photo and what catchy mantra they develop that vibes with your hair cleansing mission, you are really only making a purchase from those generic formulas. And just as you would guess it; within those 7 formulas are sulfate free shampoos that are are still scientifically categorized as sulfate. Why because sulfate free can also mean that is derived from sulfate compounds or derivatives simply by moving some molecules around. Dangnabbits; I know! 

But there are true sulfate free products on the market that use gentler plant extracts, seed oils, amino acids, palm and coconut oil to name a few. Understand that sulfate free implies the product is gentler. Let me type that again...GENTLER. So just as sulfates truly clean the scalp; it is only honest for me to tell you that sulfate free shampoos do not remove excessive build up of oil, dirt and product from the scalp and hair as effective and sulfates or low poo sulfate derived shampoos. Because the cleansing agent is gentler, it is not meant to be an aggressive cleanse for people who like to use products that are of oily, creamy, lotion, waxy and greasy consistency.

No poo's are not for every body.

In other words, if you are the kind of person who shampoos their hair every two weeks or more using heavy natural or synthetic products on your scalp and hair; sulfate free products may not be the best cleansing option to effectively clean a scalp. Hair that is more soiled with oil, dirt, hair care products and more yeast that the scalp produces can not be cleansed properly with sulfate free. So put it back on the shelf. You are better off using Dawn dish washing liquid to get some of those heavy oils, greases, pomades, butter, balms, creams, lotions, putty, puddings, waxes and salves off the hair. Sulfate free products lack the scrubbing and exfoliating properties of sulfate shampoos to truly lift and remove that kind of oil, dirt, hair care products and yeasts from the scalp. So while your products may be free of sulfates, the costs of what it will take to remove the build up from not cleansing the scalp and hair effectively will increase in increments of $10.00 or more depending upon the severity of the build up.

Cha ching; how is that for free of sulfates? 

You Could Pay More. But Why?

"It's the most wonderful time of the year," sings Andy Williams as well as every major and minor retailer during this time of the year. The holiday seasons, for most, translates into spending. For others, it translates into making; money that is. Whatever side of the spectrum you are on, getting and giving the best bang for your buck is the name of the game. 

Do you really think these products are "knock offs?"

Did someone say game? As a licensed professional working in the beauty industry for a little over decade, I can tell you that many who work in the industry often throw the word "game" around for the ball it truly is. But for the consumer who spends money in our industry, buying hair care products and styling tools are no game. Now more than ever are knock offs, bootleg and imitation everything more prevalent. Some time ago, the most popular knock off, bootleg and imitations goods could mainly be found in purses, jewelry, watches and movies. Fast forward to today and everything is knock off, bootleg or an imitation. You have knock off Beats by Dre', bootleg apple pie moonshine and imitation flat irons!

Paul Mitchell, Hairdresser, Co-Founder
Paul Mitchell
Hair Care Products

Yes. The beauty industry has its share of run ins with knock offs, bootleg,  imitated hair care products and styling tools. To sound very fancy, some have favored the verb, "diverted." In my opinion, diverted in the area of hair care is a PROCESS when a major hair care company starts off vowing their product can only be bought and sold in a hair salon by licensed professional cosmetologists or representatives of the hair salon; whose (meaning, the hair care company) hair care products or/and styling tool somehow mysteriously ends up being sold in a department store, grocery store, close out store, pharmacy or local beauty supply store. 

Now how could this be you, the consumer ask? Exactly what is so different about the Paul Mitchell, Joico, Redken, Keratin, Biolage, Matrix, Chi flat irons, Baybliss flat irons products and tools that are sold in the department store, grocery store, close out store, pharmacy or local beauty salon from what is being sold in the salon? Nothing.

John Paul Dejoria, Product Sales Rep, Co-Owner,
Paul Mitchell Hair Care Products and
Patron Tequila

I doubt the owners of Giant Eagle, Piggly Wiggly, CVS, Rite Aid, TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Big Lots and ABC 123 local beauty supply store are willing to catch a case for copyright infringement (a.k.a knock off, bootleg and imitation) just so we can use our discount card to get 10% off. I have even heard that these stores do not know that they are buying counterfeit products. I also heard that they are deliberately purchasing these fake hair care products to deliberately attract consumers who buy hair care products to their stores. Now, I don't know about you, but I am not going to the grocery store, TJ Maxx or Big Lots to buy salon quality hair care products and hair styling tools. IJS

When it comes to ingredients or technology in products or styling tools, words like: natural, nano, organic, ions, tourmaline, ceramic, titanium, jade, diamond and the likes, you should know; "you could pay more; but why?"

For a mere $17, 575.00 you could own a Lussorian Flat Iron

What is the difference between $300.00 keratin treatment product used in hair salon to perform the service in a hair salon and the $35.00 Keratin sold at Sally's for you to do yourself at home? What is the difference between the  $150.00 up to 450 degrees ceramic, ionic, tourmaline and titanium diamond encrusted flat iron compared to the Remington up 450 degrees ceramic, ionic, tourmaline and titanium cubic zerconia encrusted flat iron sold at Target? You got it, the price! While one could argue education, location, skill, certified and so on; keep in mind we are talking about the ingredients.

For the record, there is no such thing as generic keratin. Keratin IS hair. Keratin is a protein. Hair is keratin. Hair is a protein. Tourmaline is mineral from the earth; planet earth. There is NO such thing as generic keratin and generic tourmaline. Now when we add our fancy names, pay a few celebrities and their paid celebrity hairstylists who are made to look and sound really fancy by highly trained, skilled and educated marketing, promotion and graphic design people....voila! You now have "high end" keratin treatments and flat irons. 

Understand, that in a America and around the world, money negates the value and quality of things. Also, understand that money negates how foolish we can be at times. Do not be duped by knock offs, bootleg or imitated anything. Likewise, don't believe the hype of "exclusive" fancy hair care products and styling tools endorsed by folk who truly have the money to pay for the hype of high end keratin that is already hair or high end tourmaline; knowing that it is a precious stone from the earth.

For us common folk, turn the bottle around and read what is in it. Purchase from companies who have vested time, money and give back to it's consumers, like Remington. And if you insist on trying what is new in the industry keep in mind that $275.00 iPhone or Galaxy note you purchased just two years ago. Remember when you purchased it, the technology was already out. "Hmm, ye say?"

For a mere $35.00, you can go to Target'
and purchase these!

You could pay more; but why? Please don't say, "QUALITY!"

"It's the most wonderful time of the year. With the kids jingle belling!
And everyone's telling you, "Be of good cheer!"
It's the most wonderful time of the year"

You Could Pay More. But Why?

For a mere $167.00

There you sit over lunch with your best friend. You look at your watch and say, "Ooh, I gotta go. I have to catch the salon before it closes to get my shampoo and conditioner!" Your best friend responds, "I don't know why you spend so much money on your hair care products. Those fancy salon products are no better than what is being sold at Walmart and the local beauty supply store."

The verdict on rather salon products are better than over the counter products is still out in my professional opinion. "Now, wait! Just hold on a cotton pickin' minute!" Is the typical response when I say that. The name of my salon is "The Reverence Design Team." And reverence means to hold in the highest regards. With that being typed, I am honestly one of those ethical professionals. While my goal is to make money like any other business person, I'd much rather do so ethically versus shiesty. You could pay more, but why; you ask?

A whopping $3.00 gets you over 12 oz.

Honestly, salon products are not better than over the counter. But, what they are is different. Whenever my customers asks me what makes them so different and if they should ditch their products to buy what I am using on their hair. My response is always, "If it works; use it!" If a customer walks in the salon with hair on their head and is using over the counter products, honestly; who am I to tell her to ditch her products for my fancy salon products? Now, if the hair on her head was compromised, I would. I would not encourage her to change unless she just wanted to buy something different.

There are three things to consider if you wanna pay more or less. The first is your unique hair fabric. All women of the same race, ethnicity or gene pool  do not have the same hair. Just because some of us are of the same race, are cousins, sisters, moms and dads does not translate into the SAME. So trying to make your wavy hair curly like that Black woman on YouTube or like your cousin's hair whose is just like yours will not happen. And just because the bottle says for "textured" or/and "natural" hair does not mean it is for your texture. Textured hair does not translate into the "same." As for natural, if it is on your head it IS natural. It does not matter if it chemically altered or not. Chemically altered hair is just that,: chemically altered. Not natural means a wig or weave. It can be chemically altered, but it is still on your head naturally!

The second is price. Just because something is expensive does not mean it is good or better. It simply means it cost more. Likewise, just because something is inexpensive does not mean that it is bad or worse. It simply means that it is inexpensive. The price of the product is determined by what is in it, the technology used and the packaging. If your hair does not require all of those fancy ingredients, modern technology and packaging; then buy something that has no fancy ingredients, very little technology and no packaging at all. It will definitely work it's magic just the same.

$250.00 to grow your hair back. You are worth it, right?

The third is advertisement. The last thing one should do when investing in hair care products is look at who is in the picture, magazine or on TV. Come on people, Reality TV is not real and neither is advertisement. When a client brings in a photo, video, infomercial or even a person (yes, people actually bring in people...lol), I listen very intently. As soon as they finish, I remind them in my Chris Brown voice, "She ain't you!" No need in setting someone up for failure. That would not be very reverency, now would it? If you want your hair to look like someone else's; get a wig. The chances of me giving you Beyoncé's hair color, Jennifer Aniston's cut and Jill Scotts texture is like winning the mega millions. I could convince you when I'm done that your color looks "like" Beyoncé's and you could believe if you want.

Readers please keep in mind that hair care companies, hair salons and hair stylists are not only in the business of making hair look and feel great; we are all in the business of making money. Most
American business use plenty of fear in their sales pitch to get you to spend. I know you have heard something similar to: "If you don't go to; then. Or, if you don't buy; then." Those contingency sales pitches are just that; contingencies. Also, in America the price of something can tell you just how good something is or is not. It can tell you how foolish you are or is not. So buyer beware.

This could be yours, if the price is right! $1.99

If what is on the bottle does not read almost to the word of what you say your hair needs; then do not buy it. If you do not know your hair texture, type and the condition of it; visit a professional hair stylist for a consultation to find out. Do not turn to YouTube or to this blog to find out. Textures, types and the condition of your hair can not be determined via reading, looking at pictures, TV or videos. I re-type; textures, types and the condition of your hair CAN NOT be determined that way. Hair has to be examined in person by a trained cosmetologist.

So to answer the adage, "You could pay more; but why?" The honest answer? Hair care products are like cars. An Aston Martin Rapide will get you downtown just like a Ford Escort. The question is, how do you want to arrive?