How To Choose The Right Hair Salon
Since I've been doing my own hair, my standards for hair salons are even higher than ever.
I love and take good care of my hair, and anyone who does it has to have the same pride and love in doing it. Going natural has been more than a hairstyle change, it's been an empowering self-love journey. I've discovered more ways to express myself, get to know myself, and be more comfortable with who I am. This is why each product I use and each salon I visit is so important to me.
If you think about it, our stylists play an instrumental part in helping us maintain our look. We want someone we can trust, understand, and slay. So, when I am looking for a salon or stylist these days, here are a few key qualities I look for to find the right one:
Love For Hair
This may be obvious, but I like for stylists to love what they do. When your stylist loves doing hair, they approach each head with excitement, as if it's a new journey for them too. He/She creates a better experience and is willing to learn and do as much as they can to make you happy, instead of just thinking of you as another paycheck.
Knowledgeable
I feel more confident when I'm in the chair with someone who knows their stuff. I like to get tips and recommendations on how to better take care of my hair. I also love to exchange thoughts and get an expert opinion on current hair trends. As we all know — especially if you're natural — there's always a new oil or a new product to use, and it wouldn't hurt to get a professional opinion. The perfect salon should be your one stop shop for hairstyles, hair knowledge, and hair products.
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Furthermore, it's not enough to just know how to do hair, but the stylist has to know how to do my hair. Any salon I consider has to have experience styling and treating all natural hair types, especially 4C hair. It's important to me that understand the needs and techniques of each hair type.
Budget-Friendly
I look for a salon that is reasonable in price and time. What I've been noticing about natural hair salons is that they are charging monthly membership prices. I personally don't like this for a few reasons: one, I don't want my salon experience to feel like another bill that I have to pay. Salon time is a pampering experience for me and I don't want it to feel like anything else. Two, I don't want to be charged monthly if salon visits are not as frequent. I do my own hair, so I tend to only go to salons for a trim or special treatments. I also expect to have a timely service, I don't want to be in the salon all day, nor do I want to wait hours to get seen.
Accessibility To Products
It's an extra bonus if salons offer the products that they use on their customers. It's also very important to me to learn how to upkeep my style and have access to those resources. I think with the evolution of beauty salons it is becoming industry standards to be the one-stop-shop with natural hair salons.
And since I'm from Atlanta, a city known for hair, I couldn't leave you without a few salons in Atlanta that you should try if you're ever in the area:
Replenish Salon
Replenish Salon prides themselves on practicing healthy hair methods that promote hair growth. Their staff of highly trained stylist have years of experience and believe in the importance of not just healthy hair, but healthy stylist-customer relations. Replenish Salon offers a variety of services including, but not limited to: micro twist treatments, silk press, and hair color services.
Find them on Instagram: @replenishsalon
What are some non-negotiables that natural hair salons have to check off for you to consider them "the one"? Let us know in the comments down below.
Featured image by Shutterstock
Freelance writer, content creator, and traveler. She enjoys the beauty of simplicity, a peaceful life, and a big curly fro. Connect with Krissy on social media @iamkrissylewis or check out her blog at www.krissylewis.com.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Rihanna Talks Shedding Expectations And Finding Balance As A Mother
Since becoming a mother in 2022, Rihanna has defined parenthood by her terms and hopes to pass that sense of autonomy on to her children.
For Vogue China’s April cover story, Rihanna shared her perspective on raising her two sons with A$AP Rocky, and how she hopes to preserve her children’s uniqueness, devoid of societal expectations.
"The most beautiful thing...is that [children] come into the world with their own individuality and sincerity, without any logic or conformity,” she told the publication. “Which usually makes you feel that you must fit into a certain group."
The “Work” artist, known for her trendsetting style and captivating persona, expressed her desire to support children in fully embracing their individuality and encouraging them to be whoever they want to be. "It's really beautiful to see and I want to continue to help them navigate that and make sure that they know they can be whoever they want to be,” she says.
She continues, “They should embrace it completely, because it's beautiful, and it's unique. I love them just that way."
From shattering music charts to shaking up the beauty industry, Rihanna has forged a path that has since created the “dream” life we see today. One that she says has made her parents proud of.
“I’m living my dream,” she continued. “My parents were very proud of that because they just wanted me to be happy and successful. So, I think the key thing is to find some kind of balance. Yes, balance is important. Do this and you get the best of both worlds. You can write your own life the way you want, and it will be beautiful. Sometimes, you just need to let go of everyone’s expectations and start living your own story.”
Rihanna, who shares sons, RZA, 23 months, and Riot, 8 months, with rapper A$AP Rocky, recently shared her vision for expanding her family in the future in Interview Magazine.
When stylist Mel Ottenberg asked about the number of additional children she hoped to have, Rihanna replied, "As many as God wants me to have.”
"I don't know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl,” she adds. “But of course, if it's another boy, it's another boy."
Featured image by Neil MockfordWireImage