Minnesota stylists now required to learn how to work with textured hair

CATHY WURZER: A new law went into effect this week that requires Minnesota cosmetologists to be trained in cutting and styling textured hair. Minnesota is the fourth state to enact such a law. Research by hair education company Pivot Point found that 65% of people in the US have textured hair. Yet not every stylist knows how to handle that type of hair.

Joining us right now is a cosmetology educator at Aveda Arts and Sciences Institutes, Valencia Montgomery Johnson, who also testified at the Capitol in support of this bill. Valencia, nice to have you with us.

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: Thank you for having me.

CATHY WURZER: Now, for folks who might not be familiar, how do you describe what hair texture means?

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: So hair texture is a hair that is not stick straight. So it has some type of wave or curl to it.

CATHY WURZER: Can we say that in the salon industry, historically, hair has been kind of segregated? I mean, it's used in terms of Black and white, kinks and curls being viewed as textured or, quote unquote, "Black hair," sleeker, finer hair as white. How do women of color feel when they're trying to find a stylist?

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: For a very long time, it's been, as you said, kind of a segregated situation. And so many women of color feel comfortable seeing someone who looks like them because they know that either hair trauma is very similar, such as someone not being able to cut, color, whatever type of style they're looking for. And that, now, what we're trying to reinforce is everyone having some sort of education on all hair types, so that whoever they do see will be able to either cut, color, style their hair in some sort of way that they're asking for.

CATHY WURZER: Back in the day, when you went to school, what was it like to learn about hair texture education at that time? Did you get any lessons at all? Or how much--

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: We did--

CATHY WURZER: --did you?

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: We did get some sort of education. It wasn't to the extent that I teach now, I would say. I think the education and knowledge has definitely grown over the years, especially with women of color wanting to wear their hair in natural states more as well, which definitely has broadened the awareness of where we are today of hair texture.

CATHY WURZER: By the way-- now, again, for folks not familiar, can you kind of explain-- and we've all been in stylists' chairs before-- how much of a difference is there between cutting hair for someone with texture versus without? I mean, what's the stylist thinking about?

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: So, as far as cutting, straight hair, it falls and it sits exactly where you put it. Curly hair, for example, when you stretch that curl, it bounces right back. So our hair does not sit at an even level all the way around.

So you have to keep in mind that that curl can stretch and bounce and sit in different areas on the head. And when you style it, it does not look the same as when it's wet. So it's a combination of knowledge of one curl stretching, as well as to when you cut it, where is it going to go?

CATHY WURZER: Mm-hmm, so it can be complicated.

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: Yes, it can.

CATHY WURZER: Is that why curly cuts are generally more expensive?

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: Yes, a lot of people specialize in curly cuts because it is different. And when they specialize, they do go into it a little more in depth as far as the knowledge of how to cut and what different type of cutting patterns, as well as shears that are being used on the hair and how to manipulate it. It's completely different.

CATHY WURZER: I see. So you mentioned specialization. When you go to college, you choose a major and you focus on that. You specialize. Is there agreement in the hair industry that all stylists should be able to style universally, or is it OK to specialize?

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: Specializing is totally OK. Just, for example, you have people who specialize in hair color or just cutting. Same thing with curly hair. You have people who specialize in just curls. And that is totally fine. It's just like, for example, when you go to school, you learn addition, multiplication, subtraction, right?

CATHY WURZER: Right.

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: But then you go into, let's say, a different sort of mathematic field, and now you're specializing in all these different equations and things of that nature that you would have had not done at a basic level. And that's what specialization is. It's going in more depth, but you have to know the basics starting off. So we're teaching the addition, multiplication, and subtraction in school, and then they can decide where they want to go after that.

CATHY WURZER: So I'm betting it's important to have a stylist you can trust, no matter what, to do your hair right, right? So I'm wondering, will this new requirement that everyone should, as you say, have that basis of knowledge, maybe help build trust?

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: Yes, it definitely should, and hopefully it will. Building the knowledge for the stylists will also help them feel more comfortable in their skills and their knowledge, so that when someone does sit down in the chair, that they're at least hearing something that sounds very familiar. And the skills will show after that as well.

CATHY WURZER: Now, tell me, as an educator, how might this requirement look like, practically speaking?

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: Practically speaking, we're looking at, from day one, everyone is touching every type of texture. So the mannequins being both straight and curly and coily, as well as the clients coming into the schools for services. We're not wanting just one type of clientele.

We're wanting everyone from all different backgrounds of life, cultures, and ages, so that the students get all of that practice here, and then they get real life experience before they get out into the world. And they're now the ones doing hair and needing to know all that knowledge.

CATHY WURZER: How exciting is this for you as an educator to have this requirement?

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: It's super exciting. I'm happy that, one, we're making sure that every school within the state is requiring it, as well as for the little girl who, in me, had hair trauma. She's now excited that someone can at least do her hair.

[LAUGHTER]

CATHY WURZER: And maybe explain just briefly, when you say hair trauma, tell folks what that really means.

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: Hair trauma can look like someone who feels uncomfortable and is just turning you away. Or simply they think they know what they're doing, and they do what you thought that they were going to do. And at the end of the day, it wasn't what you expected. And then you're ending up with another style that you didn't expect.

CATHY WURZER: And then you're stuck with that for a little while.

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: Yeah.

CATHY WURZER: Yeah, I can see what you mean. I can also understand why you're excited about this. Are you going to start right away? Is the new curriculum already ready to go?

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: Aveda Arts has been doing this for a while now, and we're just re-ensuring that every school is doing this.

CATHY WURZER: Great. Valencia, I appreciate it. Thank you so much. Happy 4th of July weekend, by the way.

VALENCIA MONTGOMERY JOHNSON: Thank you for having me. And a happy 4th of July to you as well.

CATHY WURZER: Thanks. Valencia Montgomery Johnson is a cosmetology educator at the Aveda Arts and Sciences Institutes.