HJ VOICENOTES

Textured hair expert and colourist Jasmin Allen is on a mission to educate the industry on the nuances of mixed heritage hair

I worked at Errol Douglas for 17 years and whilst I was there carved out a niche in colouring mixed heritage hair. Once I stepped outside of that inclusive space though, I realised the need for mixed heritage hair education.

I’m of mixed heritage and draw from personal experience of being a client, but also from being a colourist. The industry is making progress – Afro/ textured hair is now on the curriculum after the National Occupational Standards changed in 2021. But there’s still a skills gap – there are thousands of hairdressers who haven’t had formal training in Afro/textured hair.

“I SPENT 15 YEARS BLOW DRYING MY HAIR STRAIGHT BECAUSE MY HAIR WAS DESCRIBED BY EVERYONE AROUND ME AS MESSY, UNRULY, FRIZZY AND NEEDING TO BE TAMED.

For anyone who thinks that mixed heritage hair education isn’t a priority, know this: people of mixed heritage are the largest growing demographic. On a human level – it is deeper than "just hair", it’s someone’s identity. For people with mixed heritage hair, there can be confusion over which type of salon to go to – high street salon or an Afro-centric salon? But what if every salon could cater to all hair types? I recently had a negative experience myself at a salon. One of the stylists said: “how do you get a brush through that?” and the staff were fascinated by my hair. I hadn't told them I was a hairdresser because I wanted to relax, but their comments made me feel ‘other’ in an environment that’s meant to make people feel good.

Some parents of children from mixed heritage need to be guided by hairdressers too. My mum is from Jamaica – but she had no idea how to cater to my hair when I was younger, as it’s a mix of curl patterns. We must be conscious of the language we use around children. I spent 15 years blow drying my hair straight because my hair was described as messy, unruly, frizzy and needing to be tamed. I didn’t feel like it was “professional” to wear natural hair when I came into the hair industry.

I’ll leave you with some practical tips for working with mixed heritage hair. I do loosely follow the Andre Walker Curl Type system, but remember that mixed heritage hair features many different curl patterns. The curl make up is different to Afro hair – so when colouring it can be pushed further, but not as much as European hair. Use products that work with undertones and don’t over lift, as damage can be irreversible. If you’re unsure what to use, it’s fine to ask your client what they use themselves, but you should have basic knowledge of what products to use when washing and styling.

I'm grateful to be able to use my professional and personal experience to continue to drive this conversation forward, in order to help our wonderful industry to continue to progress.