In between taking my hair out of double-strand twists and getting it re-twisted, I've always wanted to get it colored, blown out, and flat-ironed. Yesterday I went to the Aveda Institute in Manhattan and did just that.
At the Institute, students cut, color, and style for a fraction of what those services would cost in a NYC salon. Unlike a regular salon, however, you can't make an appointment for a particular stylist. So I went in hoping to get a woman of color to work on my tightly coiled natural hair. Instead, I got a young Asian man named Daniel.
I was a bit skeptical, especially after I asked him if he'd ever worked on my hair type and he said he had...once. But during the course of my four-hour visit, Daniel put in work. The only sign I saw he was flustered was when he tried to beat my hair out of his brush (it clings to everything). He really earned his certificate after my visit. Plus he got a second education in how important anti-humectant products and protecting our "edges" are to African-American women.
Daniel's bubbly instructor helped him out too ("I ain't scared," he said), especially during the rigorous process of blowing out my shrinkage. My hair became sort of a group project and at least three more instructors plus a fellow student -- a woman named Massa from West Africa -- helped Daniel navigate his first flat-iron.
Overall, I was pleased with the end result. It's nice to know that my tresses can be straightened without getting a perm. Although I plan to get my hair re-twisted (above photo to the right) this weekend, I like having styling options. For now, my hair is pulled back into a Tyra-style pony (above photo to the left). In a few months, I'll take my hair out again and have it cut in a Rihanna-esque style bob.
Then I'll try flat ironing my own hair with my new H2pro Presto ceramic flat iron.
At the Institute, students cut, color, and style for a fraction of what those services would cost in a NYC salon. Unlike a regular salon, however, you can't make an appointment for a particular stylist. So I went in hoping to get a woman of color to work on my tightly coiled natural hair. Instead, I got a young Asian man named Daniel.
I was a bit skeptical, especially after I asked him if he'd ever worked on my hair type and he said he had...once. But during the course of my four-hour visit, Daniel put in work. The only sign I saw he was flustered was when he tried to beat my hair out of his brush (it clings to everything). He really earned his certificate after my visit. Plus he got a second education in how important anti-humectant products and protecting our "edges" are to African-American women.
Daniel's bubbly instructor helped him out too ("I ain't scared," he said), especially during the rigorous process of blowing out my shrinkage. My hair became sort of a group project and at least three more instructors plus a fellow student -- a woman named Massa from West Africa -- helped Daniel navigate his first flat-iron.
Overall, I was pleased with the end result. It's nice to know that my tresses can be straightened without getting a perm. Although I plan to get my hair re-twisted (above photo to the right) this weekend, I like having styling options. For now, my hair is pulled back into a Tyra-style pony (above photo to the left). In a few months, I'll take my hair out again and have it cut in a Rihanna-esque style bob.
Then I'll try flat ironing my own hair with my new H2pro Presto ceramic flat iron.
I see you got it done. It looks really nice.
ReplyDelete