There is a trend on social media about Black women going to get their hair done at JC Penney and Ulta instead of Black hair salons. The last time I got my hair done professionally was two or three years ago at JC Penney. It may have been longer. I may have been wearing a COVID mask.
The stylist was a middle aged, White man. I can tell he was an experienced stylist. The man had a hump in his back from bending over a shampoo bowl for years. The stylist did a good job and I was satisfied. I think I spent around $100 total. That’s still pretty expensive in my opinion but I’m glad I gave JC Penney a try.
I tried Ulta once. Emphasis on tried. I booked an appointment on the website and when I got there the one stylist already had a client. She told me the on line ordering system glitches. She suggested I call next time but I never got around to that.
Easy scheduling and one location is a benefit that the big box stores offer. Obviously, nothing is perfect but it is nice to make an appointment with whoever is available at a location. Independent stylists are notorious for scheduling clients around their personal matters and changing their work location.
This is Atlantic Starr in 1987. The woman singing is Barbara Weathers. This is peak hair styling to me.
I use to get my hair often. There was a shift in Black women’s hair care around the 2010s. The entire industry began to cater to weaves. Weaves and lace fronts are not my cup of tea. It’s expensive and I don’t want to spend all day getting my hair done. Ironically, natural styles, locs and twists are expensive too. They got you coming and going.
Except for the braids and wraps I never styled my hair like this. I like these styles for the sake of nostalgia. This reminds me of girls that went to my high school.
It became more difficult to find a hair dresser to style hair that was course and coily textured.
The Baby Boom aged stylists were retiring and the Gen X stylists were established in their careers and were getting hard to find. It’s not so much dissatisfaction as it is what I want from a stylist was phased out.
My hair is an ongoing home DIY project. That includes trims that I do with craft scissors. My skills have improved over the years. You Tube and Instagram have helped immensely. I’m not as reckless as I use to be.
The entire beauty industry needs a reset. I don’t get my nails done anymore either. The prices have become outrageous but the services have declined and I don’t care for the new methods that make it difficult to take nail color off by yourself. You end up back at the salon paying for another appointment.
I’m glad ladies are finding stylists that offers them value. I’m still not going to get my hair done because it costs too much wherever you go. Hair appointments can easily cost more than routine auto maintenance appointments. The entire beauty industry is a rip off.
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