Page 22 - Urban Kapital Magazine Autumn 21

AFRO HAIR NO LONGER

TREATED AS A TABOO

DUE TO UPDATE IN RULES FOR ALL UK HAIRDRESSERS....

All UK hairdressers are now re- sometimes it can be extremely thick
quired to be trained on how to style The ‘intimidation’ of black hair and the drying time takes a hell of
Afro and textured hair. Whilst it has a lot longer. I think people get more
been long over-due, is it too late? Many black women, have often intimidated by that, than the actu-
felt isolated in the hair and beauty al cutting, because the cutting isn’t
This update to the rules has been realm, particularly in white domi- massively different. It is more styl-
announced by The National nated spaces. ing and looking after it, like ‘how am
Occupational Standards for I going to manipulate the hair in a
Hairdressing (NOS). This is primarily because certain way?’”
hairdressers are unfamiliar with
It comes after the discovery that black hair, so they will do one of two
many qualifications did not require options.
students to be trained on how to
style Afro and textured hair. Either the hairdresser will make an
attempt to style a client’s hair, but
The British Beauty Council has fails to do so correctly, or they will
worked alongside the government deny their services towards them
to help push this initiative. In the altogether.
British Beauty Council’s roadmap Due to this, black women will feel
and key initiatives, they stated that that their hair is a burden, and will
they aim to “Promote diversity and avoid those places entirely, and will
inclusion within the sector delving instead seek out a professional in
deeper into socio-economic mobili- this area of expertise.
ty”.
Ben Adams, an artistic director at
By these rules being updated it al- Aveda, believes that hairdressers
lows for these black clients to no are not intimidated about cutting
longer feel ignored, especially with Afro or textured hair, instead it’s
the next wave of talent more about the styling process.
coming soon.
He said:
But why has it taken this long, and
why are hairdressers intimidated “What you do find is that it takes
by this type of hair? longer. That’s the main thing and

MAGAZINE // 22