What it Takes to be a Curl Specialist
We receive calls every day from curly clients who are seeking a stylist who can finally cut their curls to perfection. It seems that every curly girl has a salon story of leaving with awkward triangle shapes, undefined curls, and years of having to blow-dry their hair straight just to get a trim because – what other option is there?
As a salon that specializes in curls, our team has received extensive training and continues their education monthly to make sure we are doing the best possible service for our clients and their curls! But why is it so difficult to find a salon home when you have curly hair? We’re helping solve the mystery!
1. Cosmetology training is based on straight textures. When future stylists learn how to cut hair in their cosmetology programs, which includes everything from sectioning hair to body position and hand directions, unfortunately the curriculum does not address how to adapt cutting methods for curls. To understand the special needs and techniques for working with curls, stylists must invest in additional training, tools, and product knowledge, which can often extend into the thousands of dollars.
2. Adaptation is Key. When working with curly hair, everything that stylists are taught about cutting hair must be adapted to work with curls, and this often means having to unlearn-and-relearn the techniques that stylists have become proficient in when working with straight hair. Even after receiving training and becoming certified as our stylists do, we find that it takes up to a year for stylists to become completely comfortable using adaptations to suit the unique curl pattern and client needs they are faced with. Practice is essential for mastering the art of working with curls.
3. Education Never Ends. When you’re a stylist, continuing education is essential to maintain to become comfortable with the ever-changing industry trends and the consistent flow of new products entering the market. We try new curl products and cocktails of our favorites all the time to determine how we can get the absolute best results each time with consideration to the hair history, hair health, and unique curls of each client. Not only do we have to consider what a product might do for a head of curls in the short-term, but we also must be mindful of the long-term effects of products used. Some of our clients’ favorite curl products work well to curate curls, but they result in severe dryness. Using top-quality products that provide amazing short-term and long-term results is a priority of ours.
4. You must think long-term. Curly hair has additional needs for moisture and product that clients with straight hair don’t have. Lucky them… It must be understood that curl perfection often takes time and a consistent regimen of treatments to restore your hair to its optimum healthy state. Clients who have been straightening their hair, wearing protective styles, or have extensive color damage may require several months of dedication to treatments, using the right products, and refraining from styling that impacts curls in a negative way like blowouts. We must train our curls to behave – they often have minds of their own! For some clients, their curls shine like gold after their very first service with us, but we find that more often than not, a curly client will need to undo some of the years of neglect on their curls before we can promise curated, defined tresses. For this, we ask that you TRUST US!