5 Ways We’re Making Women’s History By Simplifying Natural Hair Care
Each year, the month of March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. We set this month aside to honor women’s contributions in American history. What better way to celebrate this month than taking the time to reflect on how we have literally changed the hair lives of women everywhere.
When we originally met each other back in 2011, we had literally zero idea on the impact we’d make on the natural hair + tight curl market. Nearly 10 years later, we have completely shaken up how naturals think about their natural hair and they see themselves, transforming the minds and follicles of women all over the world.
This blog post will outline 5 ways we’re making history by helping women everywhere simplify their natural hair care routines.
Who We Are
Pictured: Aishia (left) and Aeleise (right)
Before we go any further it might help you to know who we are before we just ask for your blind trust.
We are Aishia and Aeleise, licensed professional hair stylists, educators, authors, podcasters, moms to tiny humans, and tight curl experts helping to get y’all curls salon ready.
We arrived on the Internet scene back in 2015 when we challenged the natural hair community to give up their beloved shea butter, coconut oil, castor oil and Eco Styler gel. What sounded crazy at the time has lead to 5+ years and counting of helping thousands of naturals around the world fall in love with their hair.
#1: We’re Transforming Wash Day Into Wash Hour
Wash day has always been something we’ve never understood as consumers, content creators, and hairstylists. Who are these people who have all this time to do such things? As moms and women who generally like to do things other than our hair, we knew there had to be an infinitely easier way to do things.
After taking note of what we were doing to pretty much every client in the salon, we came up with The Wash Hour Process. Generally, it should take most people in between 30-90 minutes to complete all 5-6 steps of this process depending on density, length and any treatments the hair needs.
Clarify
Cleanse
Hydrate
Define
Dry
Fluff
Our in-salon and digital clients are shaving more than 50% of time off their wash day and we have the receipts to prove it. They’re reclaiming their time towards other things because we’re all busy and have ish to do!
I turned to YouTube when I first went natural. I was Team 6 Hour Wash Day, sleep with deep conditioner, and retwisted after day two. And all I knew was this is the way it has to be when you’re natural. Then COVID came and I stumbled upon across Black Girl Curls’ page. I had time to learn from professionals and I learned A LOT. Women ask me about my hair all the time and I’m so happy that I have helpful answers to give them now. My wash days have gone down to about 1.5 hours. Styling is way shorter and I don’t have to touch my wash-n-go/twist out until my next wash day the following week.
I’m sooo grateful for this community. It’s changed my life and women like my older sister who didn’t think she could rock a wash-n-go because a natural hair stylist told her she didn’t have the curl pattern for it. *how rude*. Now she rocks her tight curls and wash n gos flawlessly and she really loves her hair. That makes my heart SO HAPPY. Seeing women LOVING and rocking the hair God has given them. Ladies, THANK YOU. Y’all literally changed my life, turned my wash day into wash hour, and have helped me help other women that ask me questions daily.
- Lawna K, Atlanta, GA
No2: We’re Introducing Nuance Into Natural Hair Care
Although we personally think our professional blog is pretty thorough, it barely scratches the surface of what we know as stylists and how we use that knowledge in the salon. There are limitations to what this written word can convey to someone who doesn’t do this for a living. There are vast chasms of nuance that we won’t even try to parse with you.
Before you just take anything we say here as gospel, or a way to set it and forget it for your hair, we want you to listen to your hair and scalp. Take your time to observe its behavior daily. Spend some quality time taking in how it feels just before you shampoo, after you shampoo, while there is conditioner on the hair. Take note of how your hands move when applying stylers, how your hair reacts to the climate, and how it works for your everyday life.
No3: We’re Helping Shift the Mindsets of Naturalistas, Everywhere
Many of the struggles we see naturals experiencing with their hair all lead back to mindset. Mindset is defined as the established set of attitudes held by someone. What we think about our hair and the voices that we allow to live rent free in our heads impact us so much more than a product or styling technique.
Some days you will look in the mirror and genuinely not like your hair because it won’t do the thing you want it to do. Seeing yourself during the transition or right after the big chop can be jarring because you are not used to seeing yourself in that manner. Going from relaxed to natural is a journey that permeates beyond the surface layer of your beauty. It will lay bare every flaw, insecurity, and hang up you’ve ever had about yourself. But stick with it. You just might love the transformed person that emerges.
My hair is not a problem—my mindset was, though. Black Girl Curls gave me the tools, education, and the inspiration to reclaim my wash days and turn them into wash hour! I'm having fun with my hair again and it's not costing me an entire day. I'm free over here and I like it!
- Carm, Fort Washington, MD
“The most important takeaway, your hair is yours alone. Pay attention to what it likes and does not like. Do what it needs you to do and forget the rest.”
No4: We’re Encouraging Naturals to Partner with Professional Stylists
Circa the Internet via 2011, natural hair was primarily viewed as this DIY centric thing. In peer-to-peer natural hair networks, you would find a multitude of salon/stylist horror stories and missives about why naturals will never ever frequent a stylist again.
Partnering with the right professional can make or break the overall state and condition of your hair. This is precisely why choosing the appropriate professional for the job of taking care of your hair is so important!
The stylist-client relationship should be a partnership lead by the goals and desires of the client. It is important to understand that as the consumer, you are purchasing a service from a professional and you have a lot of control over the transaction. It is your responsibility to patronize stylists that respect you, your time, your money, and your hair.
In case you didn’t know, we have curated a free online directory comprised of 180+ independent stylists across the US (even some abroad) if have taken varying levels of education with our professional education company, Cut It Kinky. If you’re unable to locate a suitable stylist in your area, check out this blog post for helpful tips.
One of my favorite things about joining SeeSomeCurls is that it got me back in a professional stylist's chair. I had a barber prior but I haven't had a regular hairdresser since I stopped perming my hair in 2008.
This is day 5 hair. She's frizzy AND the shape is shaping! Realizing that even if my hair doesn't turn out exactly how I like, I can lean on the shape my CIK stylist has given me. Life is different on this side!
- Nana, New York, NY
#5: We’re Shifting the Natural Hair Paradigm
Freedom. That’s why we went natural, right? Freedom from chemicals. Freedom from the fear of rain. Freedom from entire Saturdays dishing the dirt in the salon while giving our overbooked stylist a mean side-eye.
But let's be honest, most of us had hella fun with our relaxed hair. Long layers one season, sickening Chinese bob with laser cut bangs another season, with an edgy Ri-Ri mohawk in between. In the quest for the perfect curl + our understandable length obsession we sometimes forget to have fun. Enter the paradigm shift. . .
“Fly Cut + Amazing Color + Healthy Natural Hair = The Business”
We believe in the natural hair paradigm:
Rocking fabulous shapes over keeping length for the sake of length
Creative permanent coloring on healthy hair over fear of color damage
Freedom hair over continuous protective styling
Fact based knowledge of your unique Essential Elements over trial and error, DIY, guesswork
Want to learn how to properly care for your natural hair? We cover all the natural hair fundamentals and more in our digital consumer education platform, The SeeSomeCurls Visual Library.
Our 1.1K+ course community of tight curl + naturals are shaving more than 50% of time off their wash day, being showered left and right with hair compliments, and are receiving direct support of a very encouraging community of tight curlies + naturals who have been exactly where you are.
