By: Lauren Francis-Jackson
Two things that any hairstylist has to be is a GREAT communicator and listener. As professional locticians and natural hairstylists, we must be able to listen to clients intently and understand what the client’s expectations are for their appointment. We must also be able to communicate with the clients using clear language that both parties can understand. That is right– we must be able to understand and use common vocabulary and language to execute an excellent service experience for each and every client. In this blog post, we are going to breakdown three common examples where using the right lingo can help the client and stylist understand each other.
Shampoo vs. Wash
Frequently, potential clients may call the salon and ask, “How much does it cost for wash, condition, and retwist?” or “Does _____ service include a wash?” This is a very common mistake that clients make when asking questions or making requests for their appointment. The word “wash” actually refers to cleaning clothes, other objects like dishes, or ourselves. The correct terminology is “shampoo” when speaking about hair. All of our services at Locspiration Natural Hair Salon for loose natural hair, traditional locs, and microlocs including shampoo or shampoo & condition service prior to hairstyling or maintenance of locs. For Sisterlocks, shampoo is a separate service from retightening. There is a combination service option under the “Sisterlocks & Brotherlocks Services” menu to receive a shampoo service and a Sisterlocks Retightening.
Palm Roll vs Interlocking
At Locspiration Salon, we offer multiple methods for loc grooming (maintenance) for traditional locs. We offer palm roll and interlocking maintenance options. For clients who are unfamiliar, palm roll refers to a technique where the loctician uses a locking agent (e.g., gels, locking butters, etc.) and rolls the lock between the palm of the hands then secures with a clip. Afterwards, the client sits under the dryer to allow the hair to dry. Interlocking is a technique where there is no use of any product and a tool is used to bring the tip of the lock back through the root. The hair is essentially knotted using a consistent locking pattern.
Retwist vs. Retightening
One word that is used frequently by loc wearers is the word “retwist” referring to the “retwisting” of one’s locs. You will not find this word in our services menu nor the word “loc maintenance”. We like to do things in a classy way so we use the word “Loc Grooming” to refer to all traditional loc maintenance techniques. We believe that all words have meaning and loc grooming is just a classier way to describe the process of maintaining a client’s locs. However, the word “retwist” is not the correct terminology for Sisterlocks or Microlocs. The correct terminology is Sisterlock Retightening or Microloc Retightening.
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