8 Simple Do’s and Don’ts to Styling Afro Bridal Hair
do’s and DON'TS when styling Afro Bridal HAIR
So let’s get straight into it. Here are my 8 simple do’s and don’ts when styling bridal Afro hair…
As many stylists know how to style both Afro and European hair, some may assume that it may have been natural and easy for me to style Afro hair, but trust me, this is not the case. I also had to learn and invest in gaining knowledge and skills in how to manage and style natural hair.
Afro hair can look intimidating if you have not had the pleasure of putting your hand “all up in the beautiful mix”, but I know it is all about to change for you. Let me help you gain confidence on your journey by adding textured hair to your hairstylist toolbox.
On my natural hair journey, I have learned a thing or two that I would love to share with you. No time like the present, so now here are 8 Simple do’s and don’ts to get you started. It’s a little something that you can start doing today and will help you avoid the mistakes that I made and saw along the way.
Essential do’s and don'ts when styling Afro Bridal HAIR
- The Do's-
Whether it is a good, bad, or ugly, everything in life has do’s and don’ts, so logically styling Afro and textured hair is the same. There are things which are essential to ensuring that both you and your client enjoy the experience. You ready? here it goes…
1. Do - Be gentle and detangle with your fingers or a wide-tooth comb
Afro hair is beautiful and delicate, so treat her like a queen. It helps to start detangling at the ends and work your way up to the root. Wide-tooth combs and finger detangling are natural hairstylists best friends for this job—trust me, your client will thank you for being gentle.
2. Do - Focus on moisturising and hydrating the hair
Afro hair needs, wants, and absolutely loves moisture! Keep it hydrated with a quality leave-in conditioner, (I stress the word quality) and then seal and lock it in with oils or creams. Keeping this formula in mind will help you do a great job: LOC (Liquid, Oil, Cream) or LCO (Liquid, Cream, Oil). Then you will become a moisture pro in no time.
3. Do - Understand different curl patterns
Afro curls and coils are not one size fits all. We have curly, coily, kinky, and somewhere in between. Having even a basic knowledge of being able to differentiate between 3c and 4c will help you on your natural hair stylist journey. This knowledge will especially help you to choose products and techniques when styling. It’s like having the in-depth code to unlock natural hair styling.
CRUCIAL do's and don’ts when styling Afro Bridal HAIR
- The don'ts -
These do’s and don’ts, have helped me throughout my career and I know that they will help you too. Trust me when I say that the following don’ts can really damage a client’s trust and your hard earned reputation, so please keep them in mind.
1. Don’t - Detangle dry hair
Listen, this is an important number 1 rule in my book: Please do not go at it dry. Afro hair and dry detangling do not mix—it’s like trying to brush candy floss aka cotton candy, and getting nowhere! Get some moisturising products in there or even just spritz some water, so that you can soften up the “ball of beauty” before going in to detangle. It will make a HUGE difference.
2. Don’t - Overuse heat
I can not stress enough about heat protection. The level of heat damage that I have seen, some unfortunately self-inflicted and sadly done by other hairstylists. Hot tools are always a tempting and easy option when styling afro hair. And don’t get me wrong, in my opinion there is nothing wrong with heat, if used correctly but too much heat and there is a risk of damaging your client’s curls and coils beyond repair. Keep the heat low, and never forget the heat protectant—think of it like SPF for the hair!
3. Don’t: Use small-tooth combs or brushes designed for straight hair
Small-tooth combs? That’s a strong no-go for Afro hair. They cause unnecessary damage to all those stunning coils. Please stick to wide-tooth combs or just use your fingers—less stress, more success!
8. Don't: Assume one size fits all
When I say that no two curls, coils or kinks are the same, I really mean it. Afro hair is so unique. A product that works well in my hair may not necessarily work on my daughter’s hair, although we both have natural hair. Take a minute, before styling your clients hair and get to know their hair type, ask questions and be open to adjusting your approach. Being flexible and creative is a huge part of styling natural hair.
Simple do's and don'ts
- Keys to the Afro Bridal Kingdom -
So there you have it! My budding natural hair stylist, 8 do’s and don’ts that you can start implementing today to take your natural hairstyling to another level. Knowledge is power, people so having even just a bit of basic knowledge about afro hair can make all the difference to a bride or a client.
If you would like more tricks of the trade, simply download my FREE 8 Essential Textured Hair Product Guide to help you diversify your tool kit, and if you need product inspiration to help you start building your textured hair toolkit, you know I’ve got your back!!
Be bold, don’t hold back, and keep learning and striving for better! How? I hear you ask, practice, practice, and did I say practice!
Start using these tips and always feel free to let me know how you get on.
