After I lost my vision I knew I had to seek a professional stylist. It had nothing to do with my self-esteem  or confidence. Rather  it was about being practical. No more were the days of coloring my own hair or using at  home hair relaxing kits. I didn’t have enough vision to do the job properly. And with working in professional  environments,  I had to be especially sure my appearance  was spot on.

Many wrongly assume people with vision loss lack interest in their appearance.  They think it is because of the vision impairment. They think because we can’t see ourselves  we don’t care as much. But I am here to tell you this is a bold face lie! We spend time and attention to our appearance  because we care about ourselves  and know we will be judged more harshly  in certain circumstances.

So, I went off seeking a professional stylist. I was fortunate and lucked out with a great person. She has been my hair stylist for 20+ years. That’s a long time and here’s why I am still a loyal customer.

Adjusted Hair Regiment Because of Medication

In the first few years of my blindness, I was taking several medications that cause hair damage. The texture of my hair changed and it was falling out. My stylist immediately recognized  this and shifted my hair regiment accordingly. She put me on a treatment plan  that would help my hair while  not causing more damage.

Once things had settled down and I was totally off meds she went back to my  routine hair treatment. That was several years ago. Today I am undergoing  more changes. Mostly from getting older. I have more dryness, grey and thinning on the top. So, we have shifted again to adjust to these changes. She  moved to another haircare product line  and suggested  the same for  at home. If I were doing my own hair, I seriously doubt I would have known what to do or had the same results.

Sensitive to My  Disability

My stylist has always been sensitive to my disability. First, she has created styles  that I can manage independently. She will describe what she is doing and give me instructions  for home maintenance. This could be how to style and apply haircare products, to using curling irons and hair dryers.

Second, she is aware I use Paratransit, a specialized transportation system for the disabled, making sure we start and end on time. She is always done by the time they arrive  to pick me up. Even the other stylists in the salon will help look out for my transportation. They will Walk me to and from the bus when it arrives.

Clear on Salon COVID Protocols

When the pandemic struck  barber and beauty salons  shut down quickly. Do you remember that? Nobody was going to get their  hair  styled, shampooed or cut anywhere. I was hearing about people on YouTube  trying the DIY  thing. There were all kinds of videos on coloring, styling and cutting your hair. I stayed away from all of that because we talked over the phone  about steps to take. She gave me directions  on what to do to maintain  my hair at home. I was really grateful  to have a professional stylist during this time  because again I  don’t think I would have known what to do.

Once businesses  reopened, she gave clarity on the salon’s COVID procedures. She emailed  what would be happening and how I needed to handle myself. We all wore facemasks  and the stylist spread out in the building.

National Beauty and Barber Week

This week, Sept 11-17, is National Beauty and Barber Week. I wanted to acknowledge  the people in this profession. They work hard to help people look fabulous. Do you have a professional hair stylist? If so, how  is your experience? Or do you  manage your hair on your own?