Work Out Hair

“Let’s get physical, physical. I wanna get physical, physical. Let me hear your body talk, your body talk.” Olivia Newton John sang that song back in the 80’s. It was popular. The craze of jazzercise, exercise and yep Richard Simmons was off the chain! Jane Fonda (who still got it going on) was setting the tone and the trend for getting physical and making lifestyle changes. She was anti fad diets and image riddled fitness clubs. 

In the beginning, middle, somewhere towards the end, hair care and exercise was never an issue. Women of every race just danced the pounds away and never complained about hair care.

Fast forward to today and voila, women are being very vocal about exercise and their hair. I do not know if like alcoholism back in the day, people just did not talk about it, or are women today being some sissies? Whatever the case may be, women are serious about exercising and their hair. Like all the other hype in hair care, some salons and hair stylists have decided to take this cry and turn it into, yet another crisis they can capitalize off of. I do not know how they do it. I have heard of hair styles, hair wraps, hair scarves and everything in between that is promoted and marketed as “safe” or “great” for those who work out.

What a pack of bologna! And I am not talking Oscar Meyer either. There is no such style or cloth that is “safe” or “great” for those who work out. If you want to exercise for any reason and you are concerned about your hair, read on. I say, " Well, be that…concerned and EXERCISE any way." There, I said it. Whew, I feel liberated. As a cosmetologist, I have serviced hundreds of women who specifically came to me looking for this “safe” and “great” for those who work out hair services. My first thought is always, “Are you really going to pay me for me to tell you this?”

Honestly people, hair textures and types are like fabrics. If you have ever worn clothes or made clothes (regardless the cost) you have got to know that if you get your fabric wet or moist in the slightest or wettest (is that a word…any whoo) way, the state of the fabric will change. And when it dries, it will not be the same as it was from when you put them on earlier. Are you with me?

You can braid your hair, tie it down, wrap it around, sew it in, glue it in, loc it, tree braid it, cut it low, wear it “natural”, spiral curl it, ponytail it, finger wave it, scrunch it, French roll it and so on and so on, underneath it all; the fabric will somehow have changed after you have exercised/got it wet or moist. Granted some who exercise will only get moist and while others sweat as if they are under the interrogation lights for hours. It does not matter, that fabric/hair will change. Also,  after you have worked out for so many days (hmmm, like 3-4), your hair must to be cleaned and restyled all over again.

So you might as well make a lifestyle change or get in on the fitness craze. No excuses. Go the gym, boot camp, personal trainer, Zumba, pop in a DVD, turn on Fit TV and more to your health’s content. 

Lastly if you think exercising is great for the body and mind, what do you think it will do for your hair? Let's get physical (in my Olivia Newton John voice cracking)!

Proper Attire Please

 To the left, Stephano & Co. Salon and The Reverence Design Team (Vendor in overalls and colored shirt.)
 
Have you ever noticed the attire of a police officer, chef, nurse, attorney and so on? Notice they have an image that is distinct. Their attire sets them apart from the population in which they serve. Right?

In the beauty industry things are a little bit different. In some salons there is a dress code and in others there are not. Do dress codes have a place in the beauty industry? Some say there should be and others say there should not be. I say there should be. But of course!

For those of you who do not know, the attire for professional cosmetologists is black. All black. No other accentuating colors. Not even gray. The prerogative to change it up a bit for certain occasions and event is to the discretion of the individual stylist or salon owner. As a rule of thumb, whenever a cosmetologist or nail tech shows up to work or for a professional appearance he/she should represent the black. Estheticians typically represent with a white jacket or khaki colored uniform of some sort.

Some might argue that due to the creative nature of our career a uniformed look or color would somehow rob the beauty professional of their individual uniqueness. The objective for working is for the customer/client; not self. Any whoo; I say, "Malarchy!" Seriously, are our varying branches of military at a disadvantage as individuals because they all wear uniforms or certain colors? What about football teams, basketball teams, police officers and doctors? How much would their integrity be compromised if the football players arrived to play Sunday night football wearing shorts and AirForce Ones? And how willing would you fork over your license, registration and proof of insurance if the police officer arrived to your car with jeans on and a baseball cap? Oh and ladies, you know you would never put your feet in those already dreadful stirrups if your doctor entered the examining room wearing a black leather jacket. Absurd scenarios, right?

What do beauty professions think when their customers/clients see them in after five attire, jeans & tennis shoes, micro mini skirts, revealing and daring necklines, muscle shirts, see through tops and 5 inch stilettos? Upon thinking about the above mentioned examples, a uniformed look for beauty professionals do not seem like such a bad idea after all. A uniformed image for beauty professionals has its advantages. The top three advantages of a uniformed look that immediately that comes to my mind are credibility, trustworthy and competent. The more the beauty professional looks like the population they serve; the more "regular" they appear. The issue of their abilities to perform a great service is somehow overpowered by their attire. I have worked in salons where a dress code of any sort was not a mandate. The salon environment was like one big party. I was tired of the ever annoying questions from customers asking who was the stylist and the stylist asking who was the customer.

In my opinion there should absolutely be no exception to the rule when it comes to the professional attire and dress code of beauty professionals. The all black for hairstylists and nail techs and the white jackets or khaki colored uniforms for estheticians are imperative. For us to be taken seriously, charge what we charge, speak the way we speak and be of service to the lovely people who trust us with their image; we should have no complaints or make excuses for the way we should dress. The work of a beauty professional is about service the person who sits in our chair; not our ability to wear what we want.

In conclusion, you go to work to work; not for a fashion show! Sounds familiar?