Myth busting: Curly and textured hair

Chris Grimley is owner of Fusion Hair in Lincolnshire, winner of The Nation’s Favourite Hairdresser, a member of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing’s Project Afro, and on a mission to educate the industry in the art of curly and textured hair.

Chris says, “In my opinion, you shouldn’t be shying away from curly/textured hair – as an industry we need to be able to offer services to all hair types in the future. It’s a travesty that I personally couldn’t walk into any salon anywhere in the UK and get a haircut and finish due to fear or lack of education! This makes me sad. If you’re scared by this hair type, don’t be! Get some education, learn some new techniques and watch your clientele expand like you’ve never seen before! I love my industry and I’d love to see all salons welcoming everyone – that’s my dream. These are the top 5 myths I hear that stop stylists from working with curly and textured hair…”

Myth no 1: Curly textured hair is completely different

Fact: Curly/textured hair is still hair! It’s like a seamstress who says “I’m sorry, I only sew cotton – I can’t work on cord or denim” – it’s the same thing, it’s still material, you just have to learn what else it may need so for example, less tension or thicker cotton! Take the time to find out the differences and it’s no longer completely different – it’s just a different material, but material all the same.

Myth no 2: I don’t have clients with curly/textured hair in my area

Fact: Due to the world getting smaller in terms of travel and movement of cultures to different parts of the world and country I can guarantee if you offer curly/texture hair services the clients will come! The country, nay the world, is a big melting pot of mixing now and most of the population have some kind of curl/texture in their hair. You probably just choose to blow dry it straighter instead of discovering other options!

Myth no 3: Only people with darker skin have curly/textured hair

Fact: If you’re looking at skin colour to determine the texture of hair then you’re going to make some big mistakes… Curly texture and indeed afro hair is on all skin colours and I have a very pale red headed son with an afro to prove it! So don’t fall into that trap, assess the hair with a thorough consultation and ask about ethnicity if you feel it’s appropriate to. As curly/textured hair is always in the genes it’ll be in the family somewhere, even if it’s missed a generation.

Myth no 4: You have to straighten curly/textured hair to cut it

Fact: This is a big one! The best way to see the natural fall of hair is to see it in its natural state, and if that hair is curly then it should be cut that way, this will ensure firstly that not too much is taken off, and that it’s taken off in the right places to ensure a beautiful shape is maintained. There are several different ways to do this too, just as there are several different cutting techniques for all hair types.

Myth no 5: It’s too late for me to learn – I should have learnt from college/training school!

Fact: We are in the beauty/fashion industry which is forever evolving and moving forward with new ideas, creations and attitudes. You must embark on regular training and learning to keep up to date, move forward, learn something new or you’ll fall behind in this industry because our clients want better and better. Everything changes, from colour techniques to technical services to cutting styles. So no it’s never too late!

If you want more advice, information or bespoke education, whether you’re starting from scratch, need a confidence boost or looking for advanced techniques, you can message Chris @chrisgrimley1