Nadine's World "Hair Doc"

11/17/2010 Dear Nadine, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for everything during our appointment. I am 32 years old, with medium length wavy/curly hair. I have struggled my entire life searching for the right techniques and products to use on my hair. I have gone to so many hair stylists, it’s ridiculous! Every time I have gone, I have struggled with: 1) the inability to cut my hair evenly and 2) a recommendation of a product that is sold in their salon. I have spent so much money on salon products that would supposedly make my hair less frizzy, protect my hair from the heating products, and make my scalp smell good. Before coming to you, I was straightening my hair with a flat iron at the beginning of the week. After about 2 days, my scalp would stink, so I would wash my hair and then wear it up, curly, for the next week. Then I would repeat the process. When I came in to see you, I was prepared to have a nice hair cut and relaxing day. I was not prepared for a...

Relaxer: If stylists REALLY knew what they were doing before they became enticed by the dollars that they could make, clients would be so much better off. Let’s face it, it’s only been about 10 years since the first so-called relaxers for non-black hair started being marketed and sold in our salons. I worded the statement like that because the makers of these relaxers didn’t truly know if these relaxers were specifically for—and would specifically benefit—black hair. And the manufacturers didn’t need that [black] consumer market for these lines of products to make some BIG money! The first chemical relaxer or relaxer treatment (whichever word works for you) that I ever used was Sodium; the second was Calcium; then Thiol; then Keratin; and then came Formaldehyde. I said to myself (and my brain said to me, too), “Not a chance. Now why would, with all the other straighteners or relaxer treatments out there, a licensed stylist choose Formaldehyde to expose to the non-black market of consum...

From the "Hair Doc": Braiding your daughters' or family members' hair vs. having a licensed professional braid their hair? Braiding your daughters' and family members' hair for no fee is fine. Braiding a consumer's hair for a price is called fee for service. If the braider wants to trade her service for another service (as opposed to for a fee), this is called bartering, which is fine also. Braiders who sell their services to consumers must pay taxes; when fee-for-service braiders neglect to pay taxes, not only are they violating the law but they are also doing a great disservice to the image and integrity of the beauty/hair care industry. I would like to see all braiders be subject to a written test on hair growth and follicles and trained under the apprenticeship of a licensed professional hairstylist. If you're a braider, you'd greatly help yourself and our industry by wanting to take and pass a test on hair growth and follicles and train unde...

To professonal hair stylists and students: Have you consciously chosen to work ( currently working) in an all-white, all-black, all-asian etc. salon, or a salon whose environment reflects solely your particular ethnicity, race and/or culture? Are all your clients a reflection of your own ethnicity/race? Are you afraid to engage and cultivate a multicultural clientele? I'd love to hear your story and your reasoning if you're willing to share. Being a product of our environment or upbringing does not have to pigeon-hole and limit our capacity to broaden our perspectives. People truly are people, just as "hair is hair," no matter whose head it rests on. What you've experienced can be a timely and valuable lesson for someone else. -"Hair Doc"

Let's have a talk about our industry. Where do you see it heading? Beyond the styling and beautifying aspect of what we do for our clients as professionals, we want to produce steady revenue that enables us to reinvest in our businesses (technology, equipment, marketing, etc.). Our ability to do this successfully depends on complying with the industry regulations and standards the ensure the safety, health and satisfaction of the people we serve. The beauty industry has been relatively free from regulations since about the middle of the 1990s. But I've noticed more recently inspectors have been coming around. This is a good thing, in my opinion. Inspections are in the best interest of consumer protection and are important to raising the bar on service provided by salon owners and stylists. If you're a salon owner or a stylist or client, I'd love to know your thoughts and experiences with regulatory changes over the last 10 to 15 years. Have you noticed improvements in y...