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| My Natural hair. |
I have always had a problem with hair dressers and the way my hair is done. From making braids smaller than I ask for, to setting the hair dryers too hot, to stubbornness when it comes to doing what I want as a customer, to trying to convince me to apply relaxers, to making hair so painful I can’t sleep first night of fixing or braiding. I haff suffered in Nigerian Salons, that is main reason why I decided to go natural in the first place and have been praying to God to help me discover a natural hairstyle that will keep me from visiting salons in my country Nigeria.
I never thought that other woman face the same or have the same experiences until I visited African Naturalistas today. Read below @ilola’s experiences:
I use the term, Nigerian, here knowing it is the only country I have visited salons, not that I am particularly picking on Nigerian salons.
I remember when I started
making my hair properly in the year 2001 (yeah, it wasn’t that long ago), I knew I had no choice but to go to salons, cos I knew next to nothing about hair. I did not really have anything against salons then, the only thing I hated was my relaxer days. I relaxed my hair every two months, and I did not look forward to the torture when the hair was ‘relaxing’. The worst part was when I had to go under the dryer. It would get so bad sometimes that tears would start coming out of my eyes. The scalp burns, the heat, everything. The funny thing was that my hair was healthy, according to relaxed hair standards.
making my hair properly in the year 2001 (yeah, it wasn’t that long ago), I knew I had no choice but to go to salons, cos I knew next to nothing about hair. I did not really have anything against salons then, the only thing I hated was my relaxer days. I relaxed my hair every two months, and I did not look forward to the torture when the hair was ‘relaxing’. The worst part was when I had to go under the dryer. It would get so bad sometimes that tears would start coming out of my eyes. The scalp burns, the heat, everything. The funny thing was that my hair was healthy, according to relaxed hair standards.
When I finally gained the courage to cut my hair, and eventually lock it, it was a freedom I had not experienced in a long time. I only had to go to the salons once in a while to lock my roots. The only sad fact was that I knew I wouldn’t be on dreadlocks forever, thus having to eventually relinquish my new-found freedom from salon torture.
When I eventually cut my dreads and went natural, the hairstylists were very reluctant to put weaves my hair cos it wasn’t relaxed. Once my hair became long enough to let out as an afro or put in protective twist, I started educating myself, and eventually said bye to salon visits.
Now that I know what I know, I visit the salon about twice a year, when I have to braid my hair with extensions because I need to travel, or because of the harsh harmattan weather. And trust me, I have come to dread salon visits in Nigeria. These are some reasons why
1. The hairstylists know next to nothing about hair care. The only thing they know about hair is how to make it look nice, and that’s with the use of weaves and extensions.
2. They think you are nuts to carry natural hair, and complain about it. I have since turned the tide around. Once I visit them, I show them pictures of my natural twists, twistouts, etc. Then I start educating them about natural hair, etc. I do this till they shut up, and eventually face their business of making my hair.
3. You constantly have to keep telling them not to pick the hair too tiny and tight. This is because they are more interested in having the braids look beautiful, than they are about having your edges fall off.
4. Many hairstylists can tell enough lies to wake a corpse. Don’t even get me started on this. They would lie that you were the one who told them to cut the extensions into four parts, instead of three, or that they were not the ones who sectioned your hair as big as a yam slice the last time you visited. They just tell annoying lies, and are very deceptive.
5. Many hairstylists are rude. I am sure I don’t need to tell you too much about this. As they feel they are doing you a favour by making your hair. And if your hair is natural, then it is double wahala.
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6. I don’t always leave the salon satisfied. After all their paparazzi about how they would make your hair look nice, I don’t end up liking what they have done to my hair cos they don’t give me the effect I want. I end up leaving disgruntled after parting with money. Read more at African Naturalistas
If it were possible to put one’s head on the table and braid, I would have started doing that long ago, and that would have given me all the freedom I so crave for.
I dread visiting our Naija Salons.
You are not alone in this. I have a diary-full of my salon experiences and would actually share. It will make more meaning to go by the style that would give less stress.
Dobby, please share!
HAIR BEAUTY TALK (Natural Hair)
Talking about Hair and Beauty, We are introducing to you again the Straw Curls natural hair style, if you have heard about it or you have not ,well we got great stylists and braid experts here in Bold n Beautiful Salon.
Straw curls are amazing hair styling that are also natural hair styles just beautifully fixed in amazing ways and its only obvious that straw curls can help u enjoy ur natural hair,days of carrying natural in a boring way is over, you can wear straw curls for months.default prices are about 6,000 naira .
We also want to bring Kinky Hair.Kinky hair is an exceptional hair braid and can be called kinky braids,and can last very long as a 3months to 1year and still look so much attractive and fresh even as a hair extension/attachment. it goes with anything that comes with natural hair, it can either be short or long, Singles or just weaving designs. The singles can come in short and curly tips or rather long dread lock like styles. The weaving designs can come in form of mohawk style or one side dropping.
Also ,Kinky hair can come in different colours.
Prices vary with styles and length, default prices are about 5,000 naira for both singles and weaving designs.
address: isreal plaza,ademola adetokunbo crescent
Wuse II, Abuja, Nigeria
call us at:+234 704 391 9394
+234 09 290 5223
I wish a lot of the stylists would educate themselves instead of spoiling the hair of some many women. Can you believe that some of them agree to retouch a woman's hair after 4 weeks only? Really sad!
Nigerian hairstylist are crappy, they know nothing about your hair. I went to a saloon for retouching and the girl offered to trim my hair, I should have said no… my dear she finished my hair, my hair was already cut in a particular style I.e feathers. I don't know what the babe was thinking she messed up my hair now I have to grow it out and have it cut property. I am currently learning how to wash and roller set my hair myself. believe methyl know nothing about hair you in fact are better than them at the job.
Oh man, I can remember at least five bad incidents I had at Nigerian salons! They can be so frustrating!
I will blog about it soon.
This feels like an awareness campaign against Nigeria and her hairdressing capacity, First off, when you feel the need to say the truth you do. A lot of Nigerian hairstylists done have any idea as to how well to tend to people's hair, that i agree with (please note i said lots of Nigerian Hairstylists not Nigerian Hairstylists). but then i also feel the need to blame ladies who patronize these people.
Making your hair in the USA or UK is very expensive and that's why lots of our ladies there choose to go on braids. Now we never had an academy where stylist go to train on hair making proper, but a few years back we started seeing salon institutes sprouting like the intern program by Keracare product line manufactures Affirm in collaboration with Vanette down in Lagos, and most recently the Bold and Beautiful Salon Abuja where i know for sure they have invested a great deal in natural hair services and Naturalistas.
This reminds me of a case where a ritualist promises your loads of money and the ritualist himself is broke as hell. when you visit a salon dont just seat and let them put creme and chemicals to your hair, if you dont get to be asked questions your your stylist, if your stylist doesnt try consulting with you to really find out what you want, kindly walk out, but instead we just allow them do what they like and then we come out here accusing NIGERIAN hair stylists,
We always want to cut cost and get the best out of it, the car you drive why didnt you cut cost and go for a jalopy afterall it will get you where you want to get to, the gowns your purchase why not go down to okrika market and pick up some at a low price. when it comes to making your hair you want that cheap salon and then you get cheaply done and your hair is cheaply damaged. 'Soup wey sweet na.. you know the rest'.
Nigerian Hairstylist should also take the time out to improve on there services delivery, the knowledge acquired from Uncle chikodi's salon in 1999 in Orlu is no longer applicable in 2015 and as such stylists should endeavour to upgrade, there are free youtube videos, online hairstylist forums, product manufacturers give free classes or tips, all these are mediums with which NIGERIAN STYLISTS can improve their trade. instead they will be nursing the idea that its their handwork and they can go anywhere with it.
Most stylist i know off have only done this trade only to raise money to travel abroad and they get there and they are back at square one of not knowing what to do and then they are forced to learn meanwhile they wouldn't put themselves through fire and brimstone to upgrade.
Hair styling is lucrative and expensive salons are popping up everywhere and then i start getting calls "please i need a good stylist for my salon" "ok!! wait!! let me construct one for you".. good stylist are hard to find and the ones that are available are not available for a new salon cos they are already occupied elsewhere. In most cases where they then get a stylist, what are the steps they put in place to help the stylist improve— Nothing, and then getting the right products go come be waec.
Please my ladies, lets help ourselves, before you let anybody touch your hair be sure that they know what they are doing and to be safer get recommendations for a service you need from people who have tried it and are satisfied. Dont say because he looks cute or she is my stylist for years or no one can touch my hair.
That brings me to that topic of No one else can touch my hair except – Now yo have a stylist you love to use for whatever reason and you are familiar with his handiwork, he/she is really good at fixing your hair dont mean the person's good at treating and nurturing your natural hair to the point you get the best out of your hair. find a good salon near you and if you want my opinion for a salon where you can get the best for your hair's health i recommend the Bold and Beautiful Salon located on Ademola Adetokunbo crescent wuse 2, Abuja (+234-9-2905223).
Did you know that only on ademola adetokunbo crescent in wuse 2 there are over 62 salons? choose wisely.
cheers!!!
Hair styling is lucrative and expensive salons are popping up everywhere and then i start getting calls "please i need a good stylist for my salon" "ok!! wait!! let me construct one for you".. good stylist are hard to find and the ones that are available are not available for a new salon cos they are already occupied elsewhere. In most cases where they then get a stylist, what are the steps they put in place to help the stylist improve— Nothing, and then getting the right products go come be waec.
Please my ladies, lets help ourselves, before you let anybody touch your hair be sure that they know what they are doing and to be safer get recommendations for a service you need from people who have tried it and are satisfied. Dont say because he looks cute or she is my stylist for years or no one can touch my hair.
That brings me to that topic of No one else can touch my hair except – Now yo have a stylist you love to use for whatever reason and you are familiar with his handiwork, he/she is really good at fixing your hair dont mean the person's good at treating and nurturing your natural hair to the point you get the best out of your hair. find a good salon near you and if you want my opinion for a salon where you can get the best for your hair's health i recommend the Bold and Beautiful Salon located on Ademola Adetokunbo crescent wuse 2, Abuja (+234-9-2905223).
Did you know that only on ademola adetokunbo crescent in wuse 2 there are over 62 salons? choose wisely.
cheers!!!
Please do! we will come and read.
The trimming is what I don't even want to talk about o. Wharra hell?
@Sizelle, do you know that after buying your hair kit, you need to spend time memorizing the instructions on the leaflet, you also need to be vigilant or they just mix the chemicals wrongly.
Right from the day my mum gave me freedom to do whatever I wanted with my hair,I opt for low cut with baby curls that I do myself and other times dread locs.Now that am a mother and barely have spare time,talkless of time to waste,am carrying dread locs and yesterday made it 3years old.I can style it anyhow I want,I braid on it and I fix on it.I hate dryers so I wash at home myself and wrap with a towel overnight.Am enjoying my freedom from relaxers
I laughed as I read esp No4 & 5. I also have ahd experiences but I am more on natural than in weaves and extensions. RIght now, I am rocking low cut …wash and dry everday..shikenah!
I do admire beautiful hairdo and wish to have them sometimes, but when I look at my receding hairline, I kukuma repect my hair and waka pass o jare…ahahaha.
You are completely free dear. Enjoy your freedom.
Simply Mee will not kill sombori with laughter o. Your own is even better naa. The receding line chose that style for you, and not the non chalant attitude of some lady working on your head.
btw, SM, this your profile pics that are just changing like this, me likey o.
Aunty Eya,u have forgotten to mention how they can waste time?one person,who is the best stylist,(usually sometimes a gay male) will be making 5pple's hair at a time.dats also why they don't do it well!
u have to lie sometimes that u are going to be d bride at a wedding before they will devote time to do ur hair!
How about how they 'retouch' your hair from ROOTS to TIP! Everything, they just cover your HEAD, yes, head, including your ears and forehead and neck, and dress, with relaxer. They do not care about your natural hair, they just want show the expert braids and weave attaching skills. I always get frustrated with them. Once you have dandruff, they want to scratch your scalp out, afterwards they add sulphur creams. What they dnt know is that my scalp is tender and sensitive, and also the dandruff is due to dryness and sulphur creams are dry-ish.
Then the one of picking every hair and making it too tight. One day out of frustration, I almost asked the braider why she no pick my eyebrow join since she wanted to pick even the smallest unpickable hair. I know how to make hair and my sister does so we were doing each other's hair when she came to stay with me but now she has gone for nysc 🙁
Interesting how people speak terribly about Nigeria and anything Nigerian even when they have nothing to compare it to. I used to live in the UK and you need to see the much damage that was done to my hair just because the don't understand Negro hair and those that understood like the Jamaicans were just in a hurry to make the hourly money for the day. I am back in Nigeria and my hair has improved tremedously. The thing is you don't take hair seriously enough, yet you expect magic. If you won't go to a quack doctor why won't you take your time to look for a good hair person instead of expectig magic and bad mouthing Nigerian salon.
Let's face it, many clients are very stuborn, I have seen several cases whe the hair person is advising against something and the client gets irate and says "its my money I am paying" a hair dresser will say "aunty, don't braid this time so you can save your front hair, you have just retouched brainding immiddiately will ruin your hair and tender scalp" but the client will refuse and you hair gets damaged and you say Nigerian salons are bad!
Let me even go the case of hair relaxer and hair dye. Most people just pick relaxer and want to stay longer so the hair will relax better or want to stay longer so the dye can set longer, some women want to relax every 2weeks! So that they can fix a particulat weave, all these against the advice or the hair dresser. Now tell me, should the hair person drag such a woman to the wash basin? Then when your hair finally thins and falls out then you blame the salon. Some of us think we know too much and don't even want to be guided by the salon. So whose fault?
Is it crapiness alone? Exorbitant prices nko? One day, i went 2 d salon with a friend to colour our hair, i did highlights while my friend did full colour. At d end, we asked 'how much?' D lady said 20k!!! I threw tantrums, at d end, we parted with 16k. I was so pissed, spending dt much on highlighting! Now i av my dryer, curlers, straightners etc…i can't shout abeg!
Nife, you are saying this cos you are lucky to have found a good hair dresser. If I had a good hairdresser, why will I complain. Yes I know a lot of clients are terrible. Some retouch and want to fix immediately, some change relaxers every month, some relax one part of their hair because it will show in the hairstyle, some want to stay two hours for a kit that said 10 minutes, forgetting that the hair cannot relax more than it can in 10 minutes. But, the truth is, many hair dressers do not know how to treat the African hair right. Many of them are not even educated and dnt follw instructions, they rely on 'experience'.
On my, how come I forgot the time wasting? I do almost everything in a hurry. Time is too precious to me. Even my meals, I look for methods that won't keep me long in the kitchen.
When I think of going to salons, I dread the long hours that will be spent there. Sometimes, even without planning to do my nails, I end up polishing or fixing just to convince my tired self that I'm doing something and not just wasting time.
They have no sense of urgency!
@Shayor: please be easy with the straightners o!, it's a very able hair destroyer.
@Ahdaisy: you are correct that I am lucky to find a good hair dresser and here in Nigeria. I am also glad that you noted the undue stuborness of some clients. And true a again, the African hair for both men and women is still an enigma to many people. Have you heared the story how Wole Soyinka began keeping his fro? He was living in USA and everytime he went for a hair cut, they either did it wrongly or made him pay too much or both, then he became fed up oneday and went on with his fro that we see today
Lool! So they are the reason for that his signature hairstyle? Very interesting.
@Ahdaisy: yes o, so he said in one of his interviews. I think it was on Moments with Mo
Hahaha! I watched that interview too.
Yes dear, the whole head turns white, just because one is retouching. Do they even spend a second to read instructions? They just feel like they know it all. When you try to ask questions, they answer in a way that suggests… " why are you asking? what do you know about hair? Don't you know we are experienced hair stylists?"
Even when I insist on leaving the tiny hair strands on my hair line untouched, it is like a waste of time and energy. They pick everything. Before one week, these hair starts breaking hence, receding hair lines almost every where in our dear country. Most women can't do without fixing styles that cover the hairline because, "careless hair braiders" have chopped up everything.
The few good ones cannot do everything naa, ahnahn!!!
@Nife, I think you are one of the few lucky ones here. Please stay with that your hair stylist o. Changing may not be fun. There are more quacks than seasoned hair stylists even in beautifully decorated expensive salons.
I agree with you Nife, "many" clients, NOT ALL O!
Why won't they call any amount they like eh? I remember growing up, there was something like a price control system in this country. Nowadays, "it's charge as you like" who cares?
Eya, you live in Abuja, i will introduce you to a good salon. Its better than the ones i have tried in a while. Its not so cheap but it would be worth the money. Meg O.
God bless you Meg O! Thank you!
Yes, the charge as you like thing is not nice. What some do is that they size you up and them give a price and the next time you come, you'll see someone else do a similar hair type or treatment and pay less. Me I am an Alaroro, I dey haggle anything even for supermarket I fit begin drag price
O! Certainly not all clients
But to compare Nija and UK hair is a lot cheaper here. In UK you'll pay around 50 to 60 ponds for something that will cost about 3k in Nija.
Yes Nife, their prices over there are just outrageous. You and I also know that the Nalja Hairstylist does not pay rent in pounds. Cost of living here is also far cheaper. *wink wink*
Thank you Nife, it happened to me too many times. Even with all my bargaining and all, they insist it's the last price, only for me to look with my side eye and see someone pay less for that same style. They know what they do, so, they don't even open up the notes to count.
Hello Ajoke,I am on dreds too. Recently came to lag, bt hv nt been able to get a dred stylist. I am desperately in need of 1. Are u in lag? If so, cn u direct me to a stylist?
Atimes when I watch some cable channels like Style Network and see how hairstylists take time to care I wonder if some of our average stylists ever take time to watch or even read online to improve their skills.
I believe God will uplift my level so I can stop patronizing all these backyard stylists and have professionals care for my hair
@Debbie, you are lifted, it is just a matter of time.
Hi Ladies,
The key to saving client's hairline and making sure they have healthy natural hair even though they wear extensions lies with salon owners/educated salon mangers and the way they educate their staffs.I am saying this because i run a specialty salon in Johannesburg South Africa by specialty i mean we specialize in weaves and wigs only ,natural hair treatments(Protein / Moisture balancing & Hot oil treatments) no Relaxing.I must say it takes a lot to educate adults who think they know.
Hi, very interesting trend of comments. However, can someone recoomend a good salon or stylist that can retouch one's hair properly? Would appreciate that if I could get recommendations from a not to expensive salon oh!
Oh gosh! My sentiments exactly. This is why I have not set foot in a Naija salon in about 3 years now. If I cannot do the style by myself I will not wear it. I have had too many bad experiences. Burns, bald spots, arguments, altercations… even fever from overly tight braids! So yeah, these days, its buns, cornrows and wigs, twist outs etc… basically styles I can do for myself. I am not natural but it amazes me how much hair dressers complain about natural hair, I mean seriously? This is how the hair grows naturally out of our head and you, a hair dresser is complaining, it makes no sense. Hairdressing school course 101 should be natural hair care. IJS. Thanks for sharing.
I feel everyone, that is why i go to a natural hair saloon in Abuja. Its call SPN call 08180006464 to book an appt.
I Understand and agree with most comments, i am a UK professional hairstylist, Jamaican background, i came to Abuja and was deeply concerned at the level of uneducated and unskilled hairdressers, it took many months to train so called wuse hairdressers to the level of standard that was expected, just the basic knowledge of hairdressing was not given to them by their employers, the employers did not even have the experience for themselves, how can they lead or train if they lack them self, oh Nigeria, Nigeria has to wake up, education in hairdressing is the way forward, we are dealing with chemicals, surely one needs to know how dangerous these chemicals are if not used correctly. even it we are handling natural hair their is a way of combing and applying the correct products to that particular hair type.
Sisters your beauty starts from within, we as hairdressers just enhance it, it does not matter what look you choose natural, relaxer, weave we are here to advise what is best for your hair and your face shape to create the look how you want to be seen and how others will see you.
Carol 08174955010
You know, it's not just hairdressing salon that screw you up, even men's hair barbing salon, I know for sure I have tried different barbing salons and they have one way or the other messed up my hair, my hairline sef don dey recede. My most recent experience was with a high end salon around big bite in wuse 2, I spent over 6k and it turned out that the barber shaved and trimmed one side of my face and left the other us trimmed, I didn't notice until I got home in the evening, now I had to trim off the whole of my facial hair and now I look unpleasant even to me.
So ladies no be only hairdressing salon mess up your hair and the funny part was that the barber guy was marketing a hair product to me for fuller beards.
Shaving with a safety razor you need pre -shave wash. Even if you choose to skip the pre-shave wash, be sure to use warm water to thoroughly wet your face before applying your shaving cream or gel.