Nappy Hair

Stereotype. 

Is it me, but do you ever reflect back on those pivotal moments when you had those "A-ha Moments" in learning that were very fascinating? I still have them to this very day. When I was in the 6th grade, I was full of excitement to learn how to use different words to express myself. 

In reminiscing, nothing quite tickled my fancy that I can recall, like learning the word, "stereotype." Now, if my memory serves me correct, which it doesn't as I age, I recall thinking the word stereotype meant some kind of stereo. I just knew my guess could not be wrong. After all, I knew what a stereo was and I knew what type meant; so how could I have went wrong on that word? Boy, was I wrong. 

Since learning what stereotype meant, I've come to realize that it is just as real at 48 years old as it was at 11 years old. If it has been a while since you've read the definition of stereotype, let me refresh you. As defined in Websters, "stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing."

Being a hairstylist, stereotyping, unfortunately, is very commonplace. For example, it is not uncommon for a hairstylist to assume that a person is black if they have brown skin with textured hair. I highly recommend licensed hairstylists to do a thorough consultation. A consultation gives the professional  a chance to get to know the customer first before they even touch their hair. It is the consultation that reduces the likelihood of stereotyping. 

Artificial hair.

In no place do I see stereotyping like I see it in the hair industry. Stereotyping has moved from the eyes to the thoughts, to the pages and now to the computer screens worldwide. Words and images of "natural hair" being predominantly associated with women of color regardless the location. As a matter of fact, stereotyping is also changing the meaning of words. Stereotyping promotes the ignorance that "natural hair' is textured hair for Black girls and women. Funny, what about boys and men?

Yep, it's that bad. I was in the salon the other day and my new guest asked, "What is your take on natural hair? I notice in all that I read about you, you shy away from that word." I responded, "Well...if it grows from your head, it's natural." She was like, "Oh." I told her that I was not trying to be funny or not sensitive. I told her that I was being professional. In being professional, it is in one's best interest to avoid stereotyping. I doubt any customer I serve would find me credible if I asked if they had "natural" hair as I touch it or implied it wasn't natural because it was chemically altered. To me, that would not be professional. To me, that would be stereotyping.

For the record, a wig or weave in any fashion is the only hair that is not natural. It is sewn onto some sort of netting, weft or is attached to the natural fibers growing from your scalp in many ways from gluing, to sewing, to clipping them in, fusing and the likes.  Seriously, not much of hair styling can take place without some hair. Except In the many cases of people who can not grow hair, is on medication that causes them to lose their hair or for those who simply shave it off because they don't want any hair; then no hair it is. They may opt for a wig in the many ways they can be made. 

Natural hair! 

Natural hair is hair that grows from the scalp in the varying textures of curly, kinky, wavy, straight and Afro. Everybody of the same race or within the same family does not have the same hair. Natural hair is not a black thing. Textured hair is most certainly not a black thing. Natural hair that is chemically altered via straighteners, texturizers or hair color REMAINS natural. Just because it is altered does not mean that it is not natural. It means your hair is altered. Promoting altered hair as anything but natural is like saying, "If you wear makeup, earrings or put clothes on; you are not natural." 

For the record, hair is a pliable resilient fiber that you can safely do many things to alter it. Hair's chief purpose is adornment because adorning yourself is innate. The unknown desire to be cute or alter your appearance (hair included) is natural as scratching an itch! To be exact, they still have not found any scientific or biological reason why we have hair. Aside from the obvious theory of protection, research has not yielded anything profound about why we have hair.

If it grows from your scalp, it's natural.

Rather a person wants to braid, twist, loc, color, relax, perm, wave or weave their hair; it is still natural. Texture and race have nothing to do with determining whose hair is natural. Again, if it grows from the scalp or skin; it is natural. 

The deliberate act of excluding others who do not look like you is along the lines of discrimination, racism, classism, sexism. When you clump people together and assume they are all the same and share your sentiments is stereotyping. I professionally and deliberately do not do business with any hair company, styling tool manufacturer and hair stylists who overtly or indirectly incorporate stereotyping in their scope of service for financial gain. When it is at the expense of uninformed people, it makes my skin cringe. 

Natural Hair

As much as I am a fan of social networking, I do not like it when I see people stereotyping the phrase, "natural hair." Then they have the audacity to take it to another level by indirectly cyberbullying and using overt racism by promoting that "natural hair" is a black thing. That type of behavior is exclusive. Natural hair is inclusive. Most humans are designed to grow natural hair. Therefore, promoting it as exclusive to one race or textured hair group of people is not true. Exclusion is mean spirited. It scares people and it confuses people. 

This "natural hair" movement in some ways is not moving.  The "natural hair" movement has an element of rhetoric that misinforms, divides and hurts. It is rhetoric that takes advantage of people who want to belong. It misleads those who are looking for solutions to hair styling challenges. It is also rhetoric that has an element of a clique that only a certain photo filtered shades of brown with made up faces and innuendos of being "black enough" is natural. That is wrong on every level and you know it. 

If you cut us open, humans are
pretty much wired the same!

Stereotyping happens to me often. I once participated in a "natural hair" event and was questioned the "naturalness" of my race and hair because my hair was artificially colored blonde. My hair is still blonde. Regardless if my hair is artificially colored or not; I am a woman of color and my hair is still natural. Challenging a person's authenticity of naturalness based on the color of their skin or if their hair is chemically altered or artificially enhanced is preposterous.  Suggesting that girls and women must somehow be validated as "natural" by images that rarely looks like them when they wake up and get on with their day is uberly unrealistic. That challenge and suggestion give way to a belief that "natural" is carefree and automatic. Natural is never carefree and automatic. Natural requires time, creativity, care, attention, and patience. 

In conclusion, as a licensed hair stylist, I know for certain that "natural hair" really does grow from the scalp of all who can grow hair. I know that "natural hair" is not a black thing. It is a biological thing.

White Girl Hair

Erase racism. 

Can you believe during this day and time racial turmoil continues to be one of the greatest social ills world wide? You can not help but to wonder, why is the complexion and color of someone's skin really getting certain folk all in a tizzy? After all, at the end of the day we are all humans of some sorts. 

When one thinks of racism, the stereotypical images that comes to mind are those black and white images from the 50's and 60's where there were signs everywhere that read, "No Coloreds Allowed," "For Whites Only," or water hose and dogs attacking protesters and the likes. Some other stereotypical images are those of Black men being beaten and choked by White police officers, or Black people beating up on white people, or when certain people look at people with slanted eyes and dark hair and call them all Chinese. As if only three color hues exists. If one was to turn on the tv, pick up a magazine or newspaper, unfortunately it would b easy to conclude that racism is here to stay; at least for a while. But, we can change that. 

In the beauty industry, the theories of genotypes of race are constantly being challenged. If by nothing but the varying textures we see on people's hair from varying ethnicities and races world wide. Yet, the number one question that comes to most people's mind when they see someone whose image does not fit their opinion of how that person should look is.."What ethnicity or race are you?" No two things evoke the mind to wonder such a question than skin color and HAIR. For the record the difference between the ethnicity and race is; ethnicity is about tradition, learned behaviors and customs.  It is about learning where you come from and celebrating the traditions and ideas that are part of that region. While race is defined as as your biologically engineered features. Race is also an indication of the heritage with which you were born, regardless of location or learned behavior. At least that is what two people's version of the definition is today.

The world does not look like this.

As a licensed cosmetologist, I have to admit, nothing curdles my blood than segregation in hair care. I can not find the words to type about the hair atrocities I see in hair like I see standing behind the chair every day for 16 hours. I mean, the affects are way beyond financial, physical, emotional. The hair atrocities eat at the core of a person's existence. Yes, it is that deep. So these are the people I've dedicated my life to serving. I was so unnerved by this, I decided to get to the bottom of this. I came up with my version of a solution to end this madness of fighting with texture regardless of your race, ethnicity and socioeconomic background. I was quick to conclude that dirty hair, the wrong comb, not combing hair enough or at all and using the wrong; yet inferior hair care products were the culprits. 

Mr. Philip Pelusi, teaches and promotes, results
beyond the salon!

I figured I could easily do something about the dirty hair part, so I solicited the help of the great hair care extraordinaire, Philip Pelusi out of Pittsburgh, PA to help me. Beyond help is what he did. As I result, I tell every hair stylist I meet and every customer I service, "If you do not have use anything on your hair at least get one product by him to incorporate into your hair care." Yes, he is that much of the truth. He has the education, history, knowledge of application, hair salons and products to prove it. As for the combs, I've dedicated a portion of my own income to give them away for FREE to every person who enters the salon where I work at, The Reverence Design Team, and teach them how to use them via a free scalp and hair consultation. 

As for the inferior hair care products, well that blew my mind. To make a long blog short, what I did was sign up for a virtual conference on hair care ingredients put on by my homies over at the cosmeticsdesigns.com (a.k.a The Pink Papers). This virtual conference was virtually attended and represented by the chemists who actually makes the ingredients to sale to the hair care companies to manufacture for us to use on our hair at home or in the salon. Most impressive beyond words, I must say. So there I sit with my mouse and webcam going from workshop to workshop learning about how all this hair science comes to fruition in my hands and onto my customers hair. The question I am seeking to ask is, "Why the term ethnic hair?" and "Why is it made with such crappy ingredients?" Finally, I virtually enter a workshop on marketing and ask my question. The response crushed me. From my webcam, I could hear the distinguished Nobel Prize nominee, "Vell Ms. Wright, the simple fact that you are the only person from your entire industry, race and sex who is attending this virtual conference further validates our research.I must admit, I am impressed by your tenacity to further educate yourself to help your customers more." So, I click onto my camera and ask as proper as I could with anticipation, "What does your research reveal?" She responds in her thick accent, "Our research reveals, that the consumer has removed licensed beauty professionals from the equation of hair care..." I was crushed. I do not know what she said after that to answer my two questions. It was as if her voice faded off into the abyss of deafness. I heard nothing. The sound was mute and the computer monitor went black.I was devastated. I was embarrassed. I was lost. As loquacious as I am; for the 999th time, I again found myself lost for words. 

Accepting no offers in advertisement, these people
deliver!

Meanwhile, back at the salon behind the chair, I had to give in to the reality that her statement was so surreal; yet it was real. Segregation in hair care is real. There, I typed it. Just as much as the color of one's skin and hair texture often leads people of color to being treated differently at the polls, within the justice system, their places of employment or treated differently at school; unfortunately the hair salon is not exempt from on of those places. Just as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said in his speech, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." The same excerpt from his famous impacting speech can be applied to, of all places, the beauty salon. I too have a dream that my four little customers will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the texture of their hair, but by the content of the licensed professionals education and character to service them regardless of their hair texture and race. Because the educator from the virtual conference pointed out how licensed hair stylists are removed from the equation of hair care, one can see how "white girl hair" remains a overt and covert thought processes for many who do hair. One can see how people who host "meet ups" about hair care with and without licensed professionals. One can see how the masses are turning to YOUTUBE. One can see how hair care companies are clicking to YOUTUBE looking for their next spokesperson.One can see why people continue to do hair at home and promote it on Instagram. One can see that perhaps her statement has merit.

Yep, beauty certain hair salons across the nation can go for a crash course of eliminating race and ethnicity and incorporating caring for textured hair as effectively as "white girl hair" when it comes to providing hair care service to the public. Just as the medical field has no race requirement to utilize the tools, implements and equipment to service the patients; neither should a hair salon. Just as a chef has no race requirement to utilize their education in culinary to prepare, cook and serve food; neither should a licensed beauty profession. 

The problem with a large portion of hair salons in America is that many licensed professionals see textured hair and run to the calculator or to the boarder. In America, how many licensed Caucasian hair stylists do we know can cornrow hair or press hair using a straightening comb? How many licensed Negro hair stylists do we know can cut an Afro or press hair using a straightening comb? How many licensed Mongoloid hair stylists do we know can loc hair or use press hair using a straightening comb?  You see, across the nation, most Americans at large truly believe that when one goes to cosmetology school; passes and when one goes to state board and passes that to some level they are proficient to some degree at caring for and styling all hair types. Wrong. That my fellow Americans, you are so very wrong. Many Americans think that licensed professionals are taught or at least introduced to the concept of many hair styling practices for all textured hair but choose to their own are of specialty after becoming licensed. Wrong again. 

Things that make you go, hmm.

For the record, across the United States the ability to do hair, skin and nails is not a requirement to become and obtain a licensed beauty professional. Sad, but true. Here in the United States, becoming a licensed beauty professional is about following the laws each state has designated to open and conduct business with one's cosmetology license. In addition, the practice of public safety and sanitation are also requirements. But do you have to actually know how to cut hair, roll hair, comb hair, press, cornrow, loc hair, demonstrate that you know how to discern when and not when to relax hair and formulate hair color? No. We are introduced, taught and tested at school by what is in our cosmetology book; but we do not have to prove that we know how to do any of it. When we go to the state board (and yes there is such a physical location) to take the test, we are tested via questions on the content of the one book, Milady's Standards in Cosmetology. Strange as it may seem. Believe it or not, every cosmetology school across the nation uses the same book. Also, we are then tested on our ability to follow a series of generic instructions that most companies in the areas of chemical services for hair, skin and nails have outlined for us to follow behind the chair in the salon. The proctor at the testing site actually stands next to us to see if we know how to apply it via a demonstration. Not with the actual chemical, but a conditioner...smh. We do not even have to bring in a real human to cut hair. No, we can use a mannequin. They do not even entertain to include if a person is deaf, with disability or anything. As if a person in a wheelchair does not want their hair styled. But the laws of every state says we do have to accommodate them. Though they do not teach us anything about how a wheelchair functions or the etiquette of servicing a blind or deaf person. Any extra education and training a licensed beauty professional has outside of what the state has tested us on, is on the individual licensee and salon owner. And of course the salon owner, need not have any knowledge or a license in cosmetology. 

The varying state boards across the nations has no legal authority to oversee if what the person is doing behind the chair is appropriate when they come to the salon to inspect us. There is no such board to report a bad hair, skin and nail service to; unlike the medical, mental health and culinary fields. When the state board inspector comes to inspect a salon they are only looking for three things. The first is to make sure our license to do hair is active. The second is to make sure we are practicing public safety and sanitation by making sure the salon, our drawers and implements our clean. The third is to make sure we are following the laws outlined by the state to be in business. As simple as those three key inspection points are, that is not to say that there are no qualified beauty professionals and salons who can effectively, with care, can provide hair, skin and nail service to someone regardless of the color of their skin and hair texture. Unfortunately it is the case for the majority and is of concern to the public at large. I also know that just because someone is a licensed doctor that makes them exempt from not being able to provide medical services to a patient based on their skin color; because we have know that it happens in there too. 

One book for an entire nation?

The beauty industry is terribly segregated. No one wants to blog about it. No one wants to report about it. No one wants address it. But, I am. The beauty industry pretends that it is not segregated. It simply promotes images of the so called "talented tenths" who can do "all" types of hair texture. Yes in the beauty industry, if some one can do straight, wavy, curly, kinky and the esteemed Afro hair; they are the shit. I mean, the simple fact that we have displays of overt racism with varying designated "ethnic" aisles speaks, in volumes. When a beauty professional has to quantify how she/he can do "both" or "all" races, speaks in volumes. When the media (print and TV) glorifies the Black beauty professional for doing the hair of White celebrities and vice versa, that too speaks in volumes. 

Listen up America, something is terribly wrong when with the education of cosmetology when again, every school of cosmetology teaches from the same book, written by the same curriculum writers. No where in the education of American in any education or vocation are all students across the nation are taught from the same book by the same author. There is something terribly wrong when we live in a country that is touted as the "melting pot" that the mannequins we practice on ALL  have straight "white girl hair." As if the other textures do not want to be reversed, cut and altered of some sorts. Something is terribly wrong, when we are taught to blow dry, perm, relax and color; but we are not taught to cornrow, twist and loc hair. Something is terribly wrong when we go to the state to petition for a law that requires all who practice any form of beauty service be licensed too. After all, it is a requirement of the state, right?  But then, those places are allowed to remain unlicensed in business because the schools never taught cornrow, twisting, locking, threading, sugaring and the likes in the first place. Yep, that's another thing. The state only becomes interested in the varying ethnic beauty practices that are introduced to the world from the varying ethnic people when they come to this country and share them with the masses. Then the powers that be wants to get in on some of the action. Unfortunately, they are a tad bit too late. They are too late because they have no research, no history and absolutely no understanding of the practices of beauty world wide that can be applied and monitored by any governing body here in the good old U.S of A. 

Okay now.

So what do I have to say about all this "white girl hair" stuff? My resolve to this. Buyer beware. Beware of licensed beauty professionals who are just that; licensed. Buyer beware of self taught beauty professionals who operate primarily from self taught education. Buyer beware of angry and fed up self taught people who do it out of their home. Buyer beware of social network professionals who are great at collaborating with photographers, web designers, graphic designers, clothing designers and everyone in between who look very "like" in your phone to gain popularity and notoriety versus credibility. I say buyer beware of all those beauty professional who all of a sudden are into "natural hair care" and sustainability when they had the option to do so way before you got fed up with what you knew they were never doing behind the chair in first place. You know as if organic and natural is new. Buyer be aware that you have the power.

Inasmuch as natural hair care is booming, chemical services are down, sustainability/eco- friendly is of great concern and the public is demanding more from licensed professionals; folk still do not know what they are doing when it comes to textured hair. Rather they are licensed or not. Black, white, green, purple; curly, kinky wavy or straight; many people simply have no clue of what they are doing let alone seeing. And just as you would have guessed, some states have decided to do away with cosmetology licensing all together. I am sure that other states will follow in the not so near future; but it will happen. 

Standard Beauty School Kit...smh

There still remains places in rural America and urban metropolis' with their re-gentrification processes and diverse populations of gays, Blacks, Whites, Latinos, adoptions, persons with disabilities, employed and unemployed have salons who can not and do not know how to care for and style textured hair but they do know "white girl hair."

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