In the NY area, the terms licensed hairstylist and cosmetologist are interchangeable. They are under the same license.

We definitely offer services to strengthen your hair. It seems if you are having these problems with your hair, you should definitely schedule treatments as soon as possible. We look forward to serving you.

I am not ready to go back to natural hair but I am truly sick of weaves. My hair is super thin, breaks easy and causes me soo many other problems. All I want now is to have a weekly treatment (shampoo, treatment, style) and I was wondering if your salon offers such services. Back in my country (Senegal), I used to go every week for my treatment and my hair was so much better but since I moved to the States, I have been enable to find similar services. Please help

I highly recommend attending Cosmetology school to pursue a career in natural hair care. Unfortunately, there are no accredited natural hair care schools that I know of. Therefore, I would say that Cosmetology school is your best bet. You will be able to receive the fundamentals that will teach you the basics about hair, hair structure, sanitation etc. No school will teach you all you need to know to hit the ground running. You will have to pursue that through taking workshops, seminars, and working as an apprentice.

Go to Google and write in Cosmetology school NYC or whatever state you are in. An array of schools will be listed. The state schools are all basically the same. Of course if you go to a specialized school like Aveda, and you will pay much more but you will also receive much more.

Best of luck to you.

~Anu

I have a colleague at work who referred me to this site for some direction. Thank you for offering this blog!
I am very interested in pursuing natural hair care as a second career and do not know where to begin. What cosmetology schools do you recommend for natural hair care licensure? If natural hair care is all that I am interested in, should I still pursue a “broader” cosmetology license? Which school/program do you recommend? I live in NJ but work in NY and would be interested in schools in both states.

Thank you again,
kim

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to my questions! I followed your recommendations, and I am glad to report back — my hair and scalp feels (and looks) great! Thanks again!

What a brave soul you are, I applaud you for your strength and perseverance! It is no small feat to be the odd woman out. Obviously you have belief in your own esthetic and have a resolve to be your own person. Because of that, I find strength in you!

In terms of the flaking, the source of that issue could be internal, external, or both. How is your diet? Are you on any medications? Are you hormonal (just had a baby or are in menopause)? Do you take supplements and drink enough water? Externally, if you are some place really cold like the north east, the climate could also be a contributing factor to this flaking.

I am assuming the Dermatologist you went to see is not of African descent? Needless to say, I definitely would NOT recommend daily shampooing. This is not a good thing for kinky textured hair. It will dry it out even more. I would recommend a good natural hair and scalp oil like Khamit Kinks Hair Oils. We have an oil, Khamit Kinks Medicinal Hair Oil that is great for scalp problems. Jane Carter Products can be ordered on line and are very nourishing for our hair. I would also recommend hot oil treatments and to add extra vitamins A & E with a good multi-vitamin to your daily regimen.

And keep doing your thing! There are legions of sisters out here who represent you and who you represent. Along with the ancestors, we have your back!

You have been such a great inspiration for me to wear my natural hair, thank you! I live in a very small conservative rural town where I am constantly asked why I do not wear my hair straight (sigh); but I gain strength from continuously visiting your site and reading entries from other women who wear their hair natural on your blog! It reminds me I am not the only person in this world who is wearing natural hair, nor is asked why I do it. I am wondering what suggestions you might have for me, since I style my own hair, and my scalp is flaking (yikes!). The town I live in for my work, again, is a small rural place, and they do not do natural hair here; so I am maintaining it on my own in two-strand twists, and I add a little bit of color in the front with your baby curl hair. I can do my hair every other weekend to make it look fresh; however, I have been told by the doctor to use a medicated shampoo and to wash my hair daily…I am not sure if I should be washing my hair daily, and it is difficult to do what the doctor has recommended since it takes me a couple hours to do my own hair when I wash it, and there is no salon here that does natural hair. Do you have any suggestions for natural hair and flaking? Thanks so much for being a pioneer in natural hair care and an inspiration!

Great hearing from you. I will tell everyone you said hello.