Is the hair industry segregated? Being the owner of a full-service, high-end multicultural salon, I am very familiar with this ideology. I have been in the industry for over twenty years and come from a family of cosmetologists and barbers. My family owned a small barber shop, which made me want to one day own a beauty salon; a full service salon that catered to everyone.
I was having a conversation with a client about the etiquette salons receive based on race. She indicated that the hair industry is effectively segregated. He said that the hair industry and the church are two sectors where segregation still exists today. Some people do not believe that a Caucasian stylist is capable or has the understanding and artistic ability to be able to service ethnic hair. The same is also thought in regards to an ethnic stylist. The assumption is that a stylist of a certain ethnicity is proficient with his artistry pertaining only to his race. This myth and belief is far from the truth, but this is what the salon industry is continually dealing with in the society we live in.
My salon has a diverse staff that is considered to be the best in the industry due to their diversity in skill set and ability to cater to all hair types. In today’s age, you wouldn’t think that segregation still exists, but to some degree it still does. It looks nothing like the 1950s and 1960s, but the saloons are still labeled as “white” saloons, “black” saloons, etc.
Is it fair to think that the industry as a whole has allowed this thought process to continue? I don’t think a client walking into a professional salon should wonder if that salon can cater to a particular type of hair or not. Either that customer has had a bad experience or knows someone who has. All of this must be addressed during the training, certification, and licensing phases of all cosmetologists.
When I decided to open my salon I had a multicultural salon in mind. In my experience, this was not the norm. However, from a business point of view, I saw this concept as a no-brainer.
Once a client, regardless of ethnicity, sits in a stylist’s chair for service and the final product is revealed, there should be no apprehension or uncertainty on the part of the client due to their ethnicity. The focus now is to erase the stereotype that salons have inherited over the years and educate people about hair and not race. It is a difficult task, but it can be achieved.
