We have all had good and bad experiences at the hair salon and It is no secret that a lot of Naturalistas prefer to do their own hair by themselves. Unfortunately, natural hair is not something every hair stylist is familiar with or can handle with the love and care it needs, so to avoid any pain or damage to our tresses, learning to care for our own hair ourselves has become a must.
However, there are times when you need to consult with a professional, maybe to treat yourself or to give your look an extra oomph. After all, a trip to the salon would not hurt or could it?
In the spirit of showing up and out with our afros, and for your entertainment, we asked some Afro queens to share some of their hair salon horror stories and here is what they had to say.
Stella | Type 4b
I was opportuned to be a bridesmaid at my friend’s wedding and she wanted all of us to have sleek low buns. I got to the salon the day before the wedding to get my hair laid and slayed and the appointment was going well. The stylist attached the extension to give my bun some volume, but it felt way too tight and gave me a headache, so I asked her to redo it. That was when trouble started. With how tight she had sewn it in, she might as well have attached it to my scalp. It took the whole staff and some customers too to get it out of my poor head. They eventually had to cut part of my hair off to get it out.
Demi | Type 3c
I went to the salon to get my braids taken out. In the process of taking them out, the manager was trying to persuade me to get one of their signature hair treatments. I was very reluctant at first because I usually like to do these things myself, but I eventually gave in. “What could go wrong, I thought”. They applied the treatment and put me under their hooded dryer. When it became time to rinse out the hair treatment, locks of hair were falling off my head as if I were an animal shedding its fur. All they could tell me was sorry. I did not get a refund and I lost so much hair. I had a good cry after.
Abigail | Type 4c
I had booked an appointment to have my hair done in time for the new year. I am sure you know the slogan, new year; new me. I found this trendy salon on Instagram and their work looked good. I had washed and deep conditioned my hair in preparation for the appointment. I got to the salon, the stylist looked at my hair with irritation written all over her face and said, “I did not know your hair was natural”. I asked her what she meant. She proceeded to inform me that she could not do my hair because natural hair is “too hard”. She went on to say she would only do my hair if I was willing to pay almost triple what we had already agreed. I was beyond shocked. Who would ever have thought in this day and age people are prejudiced to certain hair types? I carried my bag and walked out.
Grace | Type 4a
My sister and I went to the hair salon to wash and cornrow our hair. Everything was going according to plan. My hair had been washed and it was time to blow dry it. I do not know how they hotwired their blow dryer, but I am sure I got years’ worth of heat damage from just that use. The temperature was so hot it burnt the perimeter of my hair and by the time she was done, my hair smelt like it had just caught fire. It took months of consistent washing to get the burnt hair smell out of my hair and that experience really weakened my hair.
I am sure these stories left you speechless and maybe even brought back some horrid hair salon memories you would like to forget. It is important to make sure when deciding to get your hair done professionally you consult with one who is a professional at doing your type of hair. Your hair deserves the very best treatment. As I always say, love and tend to your hair and your tresses will thank you.
What is a hair salon horror story you have? Let us know in the comments and be sure to subscribe and share if you enjoy this type of content.