She couldn't do my hair

[HawksAreRed]

Mobile hairdresser, she came to do a consultation, but on meeting decided that she hadn't had the training to be confident in colouring it. She was happy to cut it though.

Is this a thing? Does afro hair react differently to hair dye? I've never heard this before.

I feel undeniably sad. I'm also sad that my DC watched the whole conversation and my 6yo asked me "But why? It's just hair."

It’s now mandatory for hairdresser students to learn how to work with Afro hair as part of their curriculum. I’m sorry that you had a bad experience today, but hopefully this means that your children won’t experience it for themselves when they’re older xx

I think expecting everyone to know how to manage afro hair is definitely a big ask let alone colour it OP.

Personally I wouldnt go to a hairdresser that didn't have similar afro texture hair to myself. Even in this day and age... things haven't moved along that much where you can just go to any hairdressers.

I agree with the other poster... its good she was honest!

Even when my Son was little I remember taking him to a barbers and they shaved his head but the cut was terrible. I now always take him to a black barbers!

Yes FigureOfSpeeh it should be the case as you say in your post. I wonder if white women experience any issues when they go to black salons?

Isn't Afro hair very porous so absorbs colour very rapidly damaging it quickly?

I’ve had hairdressers hum a haw because I have alopecia. I’d rather get passed onto a colleague that go completely bald!

Thanks for comments. Obviously it was too big an ask and I'll just keep looking.

I wonder if white women experience any issues when they go to black salons?

I have a friend living in Abuja who can only get her hair done when she visits either home or sometimes on holiday. Nobody will touch her slippery blonde hair in Nigeria!

I’m white and I live in the uk and I’ve just had to cut over six inches off my hair because the hairdresser didn’t understand how to bleach and colour my hair.

Also have a shit cut at the moment that sticks out and I hate because they cut it really badly not taking into account the waves and it looks truly horrific.

(I have cried about it. I went to another hairdresser but to sort the terrible cut they’d have to cut it even shorter and I don’t want that. I’m just hanging to the thought it’s only hair and it’ll grow. But it makes me cry every time I try to dry it to get it to look nice I’m going out tonight and the tears are tripping me it’s so bad)

@HawksAreRed

What reason did the hairdresser actually give for not being able to colour your hair?

She hadn't been trained in colouring hair like mine (but can cut it) she wasn't sure how the dye would take. My hair is brown and I wanted it brown 🤷🏽‍♀️

I hadn't realised this was a white hairdresser who wasn't experienced in colouring Afro hair until I read some of the other comments. If you are in the UK OP, I think this is standard, although I understand they are about to change the training for new hairdressers to include Afro hair.

I'm not a hairdresser, but I'm aware that Afro and European hair are completely different textures, and would have made the connection that there would likely be a difference in how colour would be applied, and the hair would take.

Also, rather than saying curly hair beforehand, you probably should have explained your background, so you'd have saved yourself the upset, although I acknowledge it's sad that we have to advise others, and prepare ourselves in this way.

I've learnt that hairdressers who have reasonably similar hair to me are the only ones who can do it really well. My hair takes dye really strongly and goes jet black easily and my curls can be ruined with the wrong cut.

@emuloc

Yes FigureOfSpeeh it should be the case as you say in your post. I wonder if white women experience any issues when they go to black salons?

Yes we do.

DSis is white with very brassy ginger hair. It naturally grows in tight curls, she takes after our dad and his brothers who all have afro tight curly hair in varying shades of ginger.

DSis has been told by white hairdressers that they aren't sure how her hair will cut or colour and are reluctant to do more than trim it. So when her part of Cornwall had a black hair specialist hairdressers open she went... and was told that they weren't sure how it would cut or colour and they were only comfortable trimming it!

I hope you find someone with a bit more experience, OP. I know, from DSis, how shit it is to be made to feel like a bloody alien because of your hair type.

My SIL has used red box dye marketed for Afro hair before and it gives a reddish tint but definitely doesn't change the colour.

Funnily enough I once used a hair dye in Spain marketed for the Spanish market and my hair turned out the colour on the front of the box. Never happens in the UK regardless of who the dye is marketed at.

One of my friends, white with dark brown hair, then dyed her hair with the same brand. Her hair had actually been damaged in the UK with some salons dying her hair but wasn't with this box dye.

You may have luck finding a hairdresser who does curly cuts OP, as they may have had training in handling curlier hair. I think this group has a list in the UK or you can search the group for recommendations near you

www.facebook.com/groups/CurlyGirlsUK/?ref=share

OP my DP decided that he was going to take our DD, who is mixed ethnicity, to get her hair cut.

He went to 4 different salons in London who had black and white hairdressers. Apparently the white hairdressers looked at our DD's skin colour and said "No", while the black ones actually looked at her hair and said "No". This is because she doesn't actually have afro hair.

In the end he did find a hairdresser but only after a Greek friend pointed out that our DD's hair is similar to lots of Greek people so look for a hairdresser who cuts Greek hair.

Then a few months later a black hairdresser started advertising they cut, styled, etc mixed ethnicity hair...

Thank you 37RedMarauder, I've actually heard that comment before about Greek hair. People just don't understand how crappy it makes you feel.

Anyway I may have hit the jackpot! Old school friend is a hairdresser and she has mixed race DC and styles all different types of hair. Let's see what she says.

@HawksAreRed

Must be so annoying/frustrating. Can you go to a afro hairdresser? There are quite a few near me (n. London) not sure if that is an option where you live.

I've had my hair cut in China and been aware that the hairdressers were discussing my fairly typical fine hair with great disdain in Mandarin.

They were gobsmacked that there was so much of it and it was so fine.

Until this moment I wouldn't have thought it was that different from the hair they were used to seeing...

Can you go to a afro hairdresser? I do for braiding, but cutting can be an issue for curly hair like mine.

Where I was taught hairdressing, Afro hair was a totally different qualification! It was NVQ level 2 & 3 and then Afro hair.

Curly haired friends of mine swear by Brazilian hairdressers, just to give you another option!

I wonder if white women experience any issues when they go to black salons?

I have thick curly Italian hair and went to the hairdressers in Egypt with my Egyptian friends - we all got our hair relaxed but their hair came out much smoother and less flyaway than mine.

@HawksAreRed

Thank you 37RedMarauder, I've actually heard that comment before about Greek hair. People just don't understand how crappy it makes you feel.

Anyway I may have hit the jackpot! Old school friend is a hairdresser and she has mixed race DC and styles all different types of hair. Let's see what she says.

Fingers crossed OP! My cousin is mixed race and has had similar issues to you

@BeauxRingarde - I once asked for layers in Ibadan, and ended up with steps… but that was a long time ago!