The hair salon is a place where a woman can go and have her hair taken care of by a skilled professional. She can then return to the world as a new person with a happy radiant crown. I have been falling for this for a very long time. I am unable to deal with the hair salon, and it took me a long time to realize it. However, my conclusion has been reached for many reasons from years of battling with a place that has been influenced by the outside world.
For many of us, time is money. Whatever precious moments we have left to us outside of work are important in that we have to make happy memories. If an appointment is made at 10:00am, then why does it start at noon? You are then held hostage without a definite hour of release. How many of you have ventured to some remote place other than a salon to have your hair done in the hopes of escaping some of the regular muck? In the end, did you end up being exposed to other things that you just did not need to see? Yes, so have I:) We look for escape routes…..
A bustling place of chemicals, televisions, dryers, and sometimes unruly children combined with harsh contraptions which under normal circumstances could be considered weapons run rampant in the average salon. The conversations and cell phone interference simply add to the already damaging chaos. If this is the Mecca of the so called beautification process, then I need to be in another hub bub because this is not it.
A woman should be able to enjoy the sensation of having her scalp massaged as her hair is being conditioned without being bombarded by cacophony. Isn’t that why I came into a place? I stepped in through a door to separate me from the rest of my life and this is what I am paying for?! I do not want to hear little voices bargaining with you for candy. I do not want to buy tickets for whatever play or product you are pushing this month for your own capital gain. Please stop laughing with your receptionist over something silly. Your distractions are not being deducted from my bill, and you expect a tip.
The funny part is that all of this is separate from my actual hair story. This is about the illusion that a typical salon presents: we are here to care and style your hair. Many of us chase the maintenance of a proper coif. After understanding what my needs are for this process, I can say aloud that the hair salon may be a good place for my hair(which is debatable), but it is a detriment to the rest of me.
There are too many stories of long unending days locked away at the hands of a hairdresser. If I am told 10:00am is okay, that should be when the service begins or at least within 15 minutes; not two hours later on a regular basis. How many of you are raising your hand to that one? “I am sorry that I am late for lunch. My hairdresser took forever.” How many weddings have been late because the hairdresser was not on time! I think that many of us want our hair process to be much like that of a deep tissue massage. It should leave you curled up and happy in a nice relaxed slumber or at least feeling aweome. You may look great, but how do you feel?
The environment where I want to get my hair attended to should be a comforting sanctuary of peace with gentle light beings fluttering about with thoughts of beauty and how that vision shall affect me. How can I bring out the best beauty in you? As I understand my dissatisfaction, perhaps it is a reaction to the mainstream focus being placed on getting as much money as possible with little to no regard for the client. That focus has allowed the outside world to invade the once sacred salon and wreck havoc on a process that is suppossed to be healing, not chaotic and destructive.
You may be wondering what I plan to do about this situation. My feelings have been fueled by visiting the many different salons in many different areas. Since I went natural, the salon has almost vanished completely from my equation, and I have not missed it. However, sometimes a girl does want the care of a hair pro. This feeling led me and my afro to a salon the other day for a hot comb and conditioning.
My former hairdresser, (you shall soon see why she earned that introduction), looked wonderful, and I complimented her on the results of her exercise regimen. She immediately said that she was fat and that there was no way that I could possibly fit into proper clothing. My inital reaction was silent and one of questioning. Why did this woman feel the need to insult herself and then me in order to boost her own glaring insecurity? She actually gloated about her statement. She had a need to attempt to throw me on the ground and take some of my energy away in order to raise her own low vibration. I did not respond to this knife. One is already in a vulnerable position at the hands of a hairdresser with weapons of follicle destruction. I paid her for her work, and said good-bye because she never has to worry about accepting my money again.
If I am going to pay money for a service as important as beauty, it needs to be in keeping with just that. The entire process has taught me how to better understand what I need and what will not accommodate those needs. This is a lesson that can be applied to all areas of life. Maybe, I just do not belong in a salon. I don’t want to hear noise and I do not want to have my time blown away by a dryer or asked to pay for tickets that I did not inquire about to begin with.
Once you are able to know what works for you vs. what doesn’t work for you, it is easier to enable yourself to find and attract the proper circumstances that you need. You won’t spend time settling for something that you know will not assist you or do more harm than good. I decided that I will not return to that salon because someone that insecure can not be allowed that close to my crown chakra. Furthermore, I refuse to accept her issues especially when I have to pay her. I did share this experience with a friend whom informed me of a lovely place on the other side of town. After viewing the site, my afro is excited about a possible future visit. After all, a girl just wants to look and feel her best without being put through hell. Everyone deserves a beautful beautification.