For those on a tight budget, it is possible to have chemically-treated and professionally maintained hair.
Experts at Celebrities Hair Design are familiar with clients desiring inexpensive but beautiful hair care for themselves.
Trenice Seniors, owner of Celebrities, suggests that before a female chooses a stylist, she should have a consultation about the condition of her hair and an affordable hair care plan.
“A potential client should not make an immediate financial commitment [with a beautician] unless there is an open line of communication with the stylist,” Seniors said. “If a stylist doesn’t have at least 10 minutes to talk personally about hair, then she should look elsewhere.”
According to the technicians at Celebrities, clients should wash their hair every 5-7 days between visits to the salon. Professional hair care visits for relaxer applications should be scheduled at 4-8 week intervals.
Ammon Howard, an Avlon hair products training technician, said that most females relax their own hair to avoid paying for expensive professional touch-ups. Howard said that their decision might end in hair damage.
“Don’t do the most expensive stuff at home,” Howard said. “Instead, shampoo at home and have [your chemical treatments] done at the shop.”
When doing hair at home, use caution with heat styling tools, as they can damage tresses.
Karen White, 20, a business administration student from Birmingham, adheres to professional advice.
“I don’t get my hair done weekly because I’m on a budget,” White said. “I style my own hair in between relaxers. This saves me at least $60 weekly.”
White said her hair remains healthy because she uses minimal heat.
Keirsten Walden, owner of Hair By Keirsten, agreed with White. She said to avoid heat between shampoos.
“So many college students want to look good, so they curl their hair everyday,” Walden said. “This is damaging to the hair.”
Walden said that if healthy hair is important to a client, she should “wrap the hair at night and [for volume] use heated rollers in the morning.”
Females looking for a permanent stylist should choose one who makes healthy hair a priority. According to technicians at Celebrities, clients should expect an average charge of $35 for a wash and style and $50 for a quality relaxer to maintain healthy hair at a professional salon.
Walden said: “You can’t expect to have beautiful hair if you don’t put effort into maintaining it.”
Farrah Hudson can be reached at hudsonfarrah@yahoo.com