B.E.S.T. Hair Design & The LOFT Tanning Salon

I snatched this from another group.

Hey I only have time to copy paste my matted hair TedTalk lol

Matted Hair

The topic of matted hair has been popping up in the FB groups for hairstylist & it is also one that really gets me heated. Some of the responses people comment make me want to reach through the screen & shake them. The fact that so many people are quick to judge a person with matted hair is disgusting. For a matter of fact, why do we even need to know how their hair got that way? The only reason I can come up with is that stylists are nosey AF & can’t wait to tell everyone what came walking in the salon today.

Unless, your slate is clean, you have no reason to judge a person (or parent) for having matted hair, much less sit in the back room & come up with ASSumptions. Even if you lived with that person you don’t know their underlying demons.

•Maybe they have severe depression & haven’t been able to take care care of themselves.
•Maybe they have sensory issues & a single stroke feels like a dozen hands pulling hair all at once.
•Maybe they suffer from another ailment that makes it impossible for them to physically perform the task, like MS or arthritis.
•Maybe they are a victim of domestic abuse at home.
•Maybe they’ve been in the ICU for the past week.
•Maybe they are actually sleep in the back seat of their vehicle bc they are homeless.
•Maybe they had a sh*tty up bringing & never learned proper hygiene.
•Maybe the stylist who put in their hair extensions neglected to teach them how to properly care for them.
•Maybe they have been diagnosed with plica neuropathica.

Maybe they are just lazy, what I’m trying to say is the reason is immaterial. It shouldn’t make a difference to us as stylists, they should be treated just like any other client, if anything, with more care. More than likely that client already is feeling embarrassed & ashamed & reaching out to us for help might be one of the hardest things they’ve ever had to do.

Our mission should be making that client feel beautiful again. We have the power to restore their self-confidence. What good is it going to do to send them to a corner with a brush?

I actually kinda have a niche for these clients. Every day for the past 20 years I’ve battled clinical depression & SPD. I totally understand what it is like to be stuck in a dark whole & to lose your true self. I have given a ton of counselors, therapists & other healthcare professionals in my area my business card & they will send me over patients who need to feel beautiful again.

My daughter has sensory processing disorder (SPD) & is on the Autism spectrum, I pretty much have to call in Seal Team 6 to get thru her hair because of the meltdown caring for her hair causes. Her occupational therapist, behavioral therapist, pediatrician & psych doc ALL agree that we have other things to be more concerned with at the moment & Layla having stylish locks is not one of them. So, yes, Layla’s hair does sometimes get matted because all I can do is throw it in a messy bun. Does that make me a neglectful parent? Hell, no.

So, here’s my process & tips:

•Recommend they take some ibuprofen or tylenol an hour before their appointment
•If you can’t get them in outside salon hours, give your coworkers a heads up before she comes & ask that they try not to draw attention to her bc this is probably embarrassing
•Keep them turned away from your mirror, there’s no reason for them to have to watch what you are doing or look at their hair.
•Do not get it wet
•Spray a little WD-40 directly on the mat (not up in the air causing fumes) & let sit for 10 minutes
•Small sections, start at the bottom work your way up w the tale of a foiling comb, working through the mat kind of pulling at a downward angle.
•Take little breaks, you both will need it
•Keep the conversation positive & not about their hair
•Be ready for tears (from you both)
•After you get it all broke apart, do a Malibu Crystal Gel treatment & follow up w a deep conditioner
•A good trim (or cut depending on client’s wishes) is very important because those ends are going to be in rough shape

To wrap this rant up, these situations put us in a position to have a HUGE impact on a person’s life, YOU are in control of whether it’s positive or negative.