Hair Glossary

Hair deserts are defined as geographic locations around the United States and Internationally where absolutely no hair salons exist with any hairstylists who can provide hair services for clients with textured hair.

Textured hair is defined as hair with a cuticle shape that is wavy, curly, coily, kinky, or a combination of multiple shapes.

In a hair desert the hair stylists are only trained to cut, color, chemically treat and/or style naturally straight and smooth hair, eliminating the ability to address any other types of cuticle shapes.

Hair industry insiders have agreed that hair deserts still existed even in 2021.

Part of the reason for the existence of hair deserts is that many cosmetology schools don’t teach their students how to cut, color, bleach, chemically treat (relaxers, straighteners, perms) or wet wash and style on every imaginable hair profile.

Another definition of a hair desert is where a salon may have some staff members who have knowledge of how to care for multi-cultural hair, but their expertise is severely limited.

Some of the largest cosmetology organizations are actively working hard to promote the adoption of multicultural hair training for all cosmetology schools and programs.

The goal is to eliminate hair deserts in the future so that every man, woman, and child with every hair profile and cuticle shape will have easy access to appropriate hair care experts.

Training hairstylists to work with multiple textures is being implemented in cosmo and beauty schools across the country.  Hair training programs are working hard to educate students on all textures and hair cuticle shapes

Some cosmetology schools are adding special certification training programs in natural hair and multi-racial hair profiles. 
Catherine Morrow, the senior program coordinator for Centraal Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina, has created a comprehensive cosmetology program, featuring a 16-week certification in natural hair care. Students gain exposure to all hair textures during training, she says, particularly when styling clients from the general public.