The shift from relaxers to natural hair, often referred to as the natural hair movement, is the source of many of the potentially major changes occurring in the Black hair market. The following are key changes:
- A desire for authenticity as well as efficacy: More and more products that specifically cater to natural and/or transitioning hair have entered the market. Among those new products are products from several brands who previously sold relaxers, like Naturally Silk Elements and Dr. Miracles. However, the ingredients of products from brands who have or also sell relaxers have been met with critical reception. Black women with natural hair, colloquially known as naturalistas, are wary of brands merely seeking to exploit the huge business opportunities that exist in the Black hair market, especially the natural hair segment. They’re not just looking for efficacy but also authenticity. As can be seen in this round-up of Black-owned natural hair product lines.
- Birth of “kitchen hair chemists”: There’s a growing demand for products with natural ingredients since one of the main drivers of going natural is keeping harsh chemicals out of your hair. Consequently, and in tandem with a growing DIY (do-it-yourself) Black hair culture, some women are choosing to create their own hair products using all natural ingredients. A small convenience sample of 20 YouTube videos regarding homemade hair products shows over 980,000 collective views. Women are replacing shampoos with Apple Cider Vinegar washes and deep conditioners with egg, mayo and honey mixes.
- Forgetting their hair stylist: Speaking of DIY, YouTube and the Internet in general, has played an important role in the growth of the natural hair movement, allowing more women to gain access to natural hair care information and inspiration. As a result, more women have begun foregoing hair stylists for their own self-styling and care. Natural Hair site, Black Girl Long Hair, asked their readers: “When it comes to natural hair, are you DIY (do-it-yourself) or do you depend on natural stylists?” 47% responded DIY, 23% try DIY methods but are struggling, 25% go to a stylist on occasion, and only 5% said they still use stylists regularly.
- Changing Purchase Patterns: Another consequent of the Internet and the still-evolving natural hair movement is changing purchasing patterns. Most Black women purchase hair products in Beauty Supply stores, which offer a wide range of Black hair products. But now with the wealth of information online about these products, as with products outside of the hair category, many consumers are researching and deciding about a product before they get to the store, whereas in the past a purchase decision was made in the store based on brand recognition and/or word-of-mouth. While word-of-mouth is still a major decision factor, (per Mintel, 42% of women are very or somewhat influenced by blogs/message boards/internet) many women are buying hair products online because often times the products they want, like Obia Natural Hair Care line, have limited retail distribution. Meanwhile, natural hair beauty subscription boxes like CurlBox, allow women, whether they be self-proclaimed product junkies or new naturals, to try new products on a monthly basis.
- A changing aesthete: One of the most exciting changes in the Black hair market is the notable change the natural hair movement has had on the Black beauty aesthete. As naturalistas flood social media networks like YouTube, Tumblr and Facebook, documenting their natural hair journeys, experimenting with different hairstyles and scrounging for hair inspiration from natural hair icons and sites dedicated to black hair, the kinky curly haired beauty has become a woman other women aspire to be. So much so that women are buying curls and kinks and weaving them into their own hair. A new extension hair line, The Heat Free Hair Movement, specializes in kinky, curly and coily weaves. Their aim is to offer protective hair style options through their extensions for women with or without natural hair. Daris Mathis of For Harriet wrote about the brand saying, “If enough women have embraced the natural hair aesthetic to the extent that they have created a market for Afro-textured virgin hair, the war has been won. Remember when Chris Rock did Good Hair and said that nobody is buying African-American hair? Someone tell him, ‘Thank you.’”
The Black hair industry is going through an exciting period. The changes that are occurring are leaving the market open to potentially big shifts—shifts in tastes and in market share. The market is in a state where it can potentially take a whole new direction and it’s also fertile ground for new entrants who have a genuine interest in meeting the unique beauty needs of Black women.
For the full article or for more information about trends in the Black hair industry, follow http://un-ruly.com/the-changing-business-of-black-hair/#.VZBA4e1VhBc.
The state legislature reached an agreement on a law that would more strictly regulate the state’s nail shops, an expanding industry known for often operating without licenses and paying well under minimum wage, many times forcing workers to labor in deplorable conditions.
The bipartisan bills were introduced at the request of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo shortly after a report in The New York Times uncovered the out of control exploitation of nail workers, a vulnerable group made up largely of immigrants, many of whom are undocumented and thus readily exploited, and work for little or even no pay, existing only on tips.
Pending approval from the Assembly and the Senate, under the new law running an unlicensed salon would become a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a maximum fine of $2,500. The New York Department of State would also be able to shut unlicensed businesses.
Immediately after The Times’ articles about nail salons were published in May of 2015, the governor convened a task force to address issues in the industry, such as unpaid wages, tax fraud and not carrying workers’ compensation, as business owners must.
According to the NY Times’ article, manicurists are often subjected to long 12-hour shifts and are paid as low as $30 a day, after an extensive learning period where the workers have to pay owners for the opportunity, as well as work for free until the owner deems the worker worthy of making a wage.
Under the new law, nail salons would be required to carry a type of insurance against wage fraud, so that in the event the employers are found to have underpaid workers, the owners cannot rapidly sell their assets and claim to be unable to pay — a tactic often used in such cases.
Several emergency regulations to protect the health of workers were also put into place, like making gloves mandatory when chemicals like acetone are handled by workers, many of whom suffer from burning eyes and throats, and even more serious problems like cancer and miscarriages that may be linked to the chemicals they touch and breathe every day.
In addition, manicurists have long been required to obtain a license in order to work but in reality a large proportion do not. The new law would create a trainee class, which would allow a new worker to register with the state and, for a period of time, practice the trade with hands-on experience and classes while working toward obtaining a license.
Known in the Southern California area for their precision shear sharpening skills, Nick Cutter and his daughter Nicki were the first father /daughter sharpening team in America. They enjoyed working together in the mobile aspect of their family-owned business where Nicki, the first female Master Sharpener in the nation, was quickly growing her own territory. When not in the field Nick, a seasoned industry veteran and a Grand Master Sharpener, worked the home office along with his wife Ramona, a licensed Cosmetologist, where he serviced mail-in orders.
For five years Nick was also president of the National Shear Sharpeners Guild (NSSG), a respected and longest running association for educating and board certifying sharpeners of professional haircutting scissors. During much of that time Nicki proudly assisted along side her father for meetings and events, and was heavily involved in the education process. The father / daughter duo seemed to find the perfect balance between family and business, and flourished in a field they loved so dearly.
On a fateful day in August of 2012 37-year-old Nicki found herself in the hospital facing a deadly diagnosis of advanced cancer. She didn’t even have time to get her affairs in order before she lost her battle in a matter of a month. Sadly Nicki left behind her parents, a new husband, two teenage daughters, and a very loyal, stunned and heartbroken clientele.
Salon professionals are no strangers to long workdays, and during some seasons, even long workweeks.
The business atmosphere for salons is very competitive and many have to offer more value year after year just to survive. And more value for the customer can translate into longer hours for salon owners, managers and employees alike.
Extended workweeks may be necessary to meet the need and to produce results, but they can also add stress and strain for workers, not to mention cause other issues. This is where management and leadership come into play.
To strike a balance and stay competitive without burning out your salon employees, consider these tactics:
Expectations
Be clear about how much you expect employees to work. As a salon owner or manager you want to make sure that employees realize you don’t expect them to put in the kind of hours you do. Otherwise they may assume that you expect it, which may weigh on their happiness and productivity.
Minimize Stress
Burnout from extended hours may can come from the work itself or even more so from the stressful environment in which employees find themselves working.
Consider holding quick debriefings each week to ask employees what stressful problems came up that could have been avoided, and put systems in place to prevent those problems from reoccurring.
Offer Flexibility
Flexibility in the work environment can be an important asset individual salons can offer over their corporate chain counterparts. Consider allowing flexibility in hours whenever possible for doctors’ appointments, to pick up children at school / daycare and to attend school functions or to run a few errands over an extended lunch break during quieter times. Also, take time off during slower business seasons or whenever possible and urge your employees to do the same. It will help prevent burnout.
Be Fair
If you want to keep talented employees, treat and pay them fairly. Overworked employees can be understandably sensitive to an imbalanced workload where some employees work longer hours or on more complex tasks than others. This is a surefire way to upset your best workers, so be sensitive to the issue.
Be Appreciative
When employees do an exceptional job, such as work extra hours during a busy season, acknowledge it. The appreciation can come in any form but stepping up to give them a verbal acknowledgement in always appreciated.
Regardless of how you handle your salon work schedule, remember that a happy worker (at any level) makes for a happy work environment!
Do you have any suggestions for finding balance? Comment below…