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Time’s Up


“Anyone can have 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 Thio; 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 consumers and say, ‘This is the best for you, the others are damaging to the hair.’” Why? To this day, after 30 years of my specializing in straighteners and relaxer treatments, the only reasons I could come up are:

1. MARKETING: Using the stylists (who have direct contact with clients/consumers and the clients’ trust) is a blessing for the businessman. Most of these product marketers think that we (stylists/hair care specialists) are only technically skilled workers in our industry who can be easily influenced (duped!) to sell their products to our clients. Are they right to assume that we won’t investigate or research, on behalf of our clients, the products before providing access to our consumers?

2. GREEN: The mighty dollar will make us do whatever it takes to put money in our pockets and just tell our clients what they want to hear.

What can we do to protect the consumer in the industry that we work in? I think it’s time to raise the bar and do what’s right for the customer, in the best interest of the customer, not for our pockets only and not because of the color of the customer’s skin--REALLY. The hair is what we should be educated on and there are so many non-black consumers who need and would benefit from other relaxer treatments. We as stylists in our industry have a real problem to solve. “HAIR IS HAIR” and if you are going to be a winner in today’s highly competitive marketplace, re-create your mindset and be ahead of your peers. Get EDUCATED PLEASE!!

Meaning: When it comes to chemical straighteners, stylists, “get your READ on and become KNOWLEDGEABLE about all the products that can change/enhance/improve the texture of ALL HAIR TYPES.

After all, Hair is Hair! And we stylists need to get over this mindset that it isn’t. Educate yourselves before you recommend and/or apply the ONLY RELAXER TREATMENT you know. Since we are in the beauty industry, think like this: We would ask all around for the best BOOB TREATMENT that would be right for us and, after, we would still get the same desired effect when seen, right? I’m not being funny here, just keeping it REAL. So, having your clients paying more and getting less for their money because of...oops, go back to the top and READ. Your clients will love you even more.

-“Hair Doc”

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