The beauty industry is a business ecosystem with a multitude of interconnected players coming together to provide services and products to the public. As I was writing my response to BGLH the light bulb clicked in my head as I realized that the most significant hurdle to growth in the natural hair business ecosystem is the chasm between beauty schools and product companies that cater to natural/curly clients.
Beauty school is designed to teach you hair theory — the anatomy, chemistry, and the disorders of hair and scalp – the safe use of chemical treatments, and basic cutting and styling techniques that can be used on a majority of hair types. A beauty school’s only goal is to help students pass the state board exam, which is normally a 100-question computerized test.
After that your real education begins. Advanced classes are where stylists hone their skills of cut, color and style. Most of these classes are provided by companies that produce salon professional products, like Aveda, Redken, and Mizani.
But natural hair product companies go consumer direct, completely bypassing the licensed stylist. And unlike companies like Aveda, they are not providing the advanced education stylists rely on to build their educational arsenal. They do not stock their products in professional-only stores — and I should note that the average product in a professionals store is 30 to 50 percent less than retail.
Being trained in a company like Aveda, I can only speak from my experiences. I attended the Aveda Institute in 2005-2006 where I learned basic and intermediate cutting, coloring, and styling in a realistic salon clinical environment. From there I managed/coordinated/assisted in Aveda salons where I received additional technical and business training. Granted Aveda is a large corporation owned by Estee Lauder but the natural hair business ecosystem could benefit from adopting similar practices.
The only way a natural hair business can grow is through more people becoming natural, but the transition from relaxed hair to natural hair is a frightening process for many, especially without assistance. Most stylists are wholly unfamiliar with natural/curly hair and often discourage their clients from transitioning. Many potential naturals/curlies then turn to the internet for guidance which can be great for support, but not for technical knowledge. This lack of guidance along the natural journey often turns into product junkyism, as consumers play guessing games to find a complete care regimen, creating single purchases, not lifelong customers.
There are companies such as Deva and Ouidad who are pioneers in providing the total package of products, product knowledge, and technical training to licensed stylists. Those are only two companies and two cutting/styling methods. To become a sustainable movement there needs to be an evolution in the structure of the natural hair ecosystem on a much larger scale. 4 major points of that evolution would be:
1. Natural/Curly product companies must become engaged in the education of stylists at the most basic level which is cosmetology school. Exposing stylists-in-training to your product, philosophy, and techniques will lead to a greater level of skill with natural/curly hair, in turn creating ambassadors for your brand.
2. Cosmetology schools must be willing to expand and modernize the current cosmetology curriculum. The Natural/Curly movement is next big consumer trend, so you must equip your students (who are paying $10,000-$20,000 to attend your school) with the right knowledge to be successful.
3. Product companies must make their products accessible to current stylists through internal or external distributors at a price competitive with conventional professional products. It is also imperative to provide both product knowledge and technical training when a professional purchases products.
4. Support your brand with integrated marketing systems that are accessible to the licensed stylist. A stylist must be able to back up recommendations for services and product with print/web collateral and a samplingprogram.
By healing the disconnection we all can reap the economic power of this movement. Are we ready?
