i'm thinking about doing a BC this month to start the year off right, hairwise. One reason I suspect a lack of hair growth is due to the fact that I may have a lot of split ends that are causing breakage...I got a hair cut this time last year (I also attempted to trim my own ends in August but I don't think I did a good job). Can you guys help me out and provide some examples of people who have cute short hairstyles (neck/nape length and shorter?)? If I decide to go get it done, I'm going to bring in pictures and refer to famous celebs with the style I want so my hair won't get jacked up.

Also, I'm curious about another hair cutting aspect. I have a friend who only goes to barbers or "white people" salons to get her hair cut -- she says that the barber is mad cheap and mainly goes there for trims and that stylists at "white salons" are cheaper than "aa-salons" and cut the way you tell them too. I've only gotten my hair cut by AA-stylists...one did a crappy job and the other one just took into consideration what I said instead of following my request exactly but I'm sure there are AA-stylists who do a good job. I'm also really worried to go to a "white salon" to get my hair done...I fear they won't know what to do. What do you guys think about this? Anyone have any experience at either a barber or a "white salon"?

Thanks for your imput

Making any wide generaliztions of people by race is not smart imo.

Some white stylists/salons are very good, while some are bad.  Just the same as black stylists/salons.

Dn't be afraid to find a stylist that may not be the same color as you.  My sister-in-law and my neices go to a white stylist that is very knowledgeable of black hair care.  Their hair ranges from 4b to 3c and their length ranges from armpit to waistlength.  Some people who don't have kinky hair can know about it and how to handle it and do a great job on it.

So... finding a good stylist has nothing to do with color.  It's hard enough to find a good one in the first place... don't limit yourself by rejecting someone that you don't know.

Maybe you could give the stylist that your friend goes to a chance.

all of thw white stylists that i have been to have been great. I usually go to Mastercuts or Hair Cuttery.

hey guys, thanks for your comments, i appreciate them.

i didn't mean to come off as seeming prejudice or anything like that. one of the reasons why i put the salon terms in quotations was because i feel uncomfortable making these distinctions. but they do exist in this society -- even on this message board, look where we're posting all of our messages. 

i never said i wouldn't go to a white stylist. my fear is that i'll go there and not know what to do with my uneven, curly natural hair that is difficult to manage.  if you work with only one thing your entire life, i'm not so sure i want you in my hair. i don't want my hair to look like type 1 or 2, i want it to be my own but with salon care.

part of my fear is also probably based in my personal salon experiences. i know the places i've been don't have white people getting serviced, so i didn't really expect other places to cater to african-americans. i even remember an incident when a white person came in as a walk-in once. the stylists ignored her at first and then one rudely asked what she was doing here. she replied that she just wanted to get a trim. the stylist replied they were booked for a day but then said there was a salon right down the street that specialized in her hair type. i certainly don't want something like that to happen to me, i'd be embarassed like whoa.

it's also nice to know people who have gone to "white salons" and had positive experiences. i never knew an african-american woman who did this prior to joining these message boards. 'm going to go in to a few places, such as the Aveda Fredrics Hair Institute and maybe a Vidal Sasoon, for some consultations and see what they have to say. thanks!

That was a mean and VERY unprofessional thing for the stylist to say.  There was something wrong with the stylists in the salon, NOT the fact that a white woman walked in. 

Even if they didn't know how to do her hair (they don't know how to do a trim??) that is no reason for them to be so nasty about it.  The white woman, shouldn't have been embarrassed, the stylists should have been embarrassed of their behavior.