Hairdressers to learn how to cut and style afro and textured hair as standard | UK News

Hairdressers in the UK will need to learn how to work with all hair types, after a recent review of industry professional standards.

Currently, many degrees do not require students and apprentices to be trained in cutting and styling afro and textured hair.

This means that there are demographics to look for salons and specialist stylists for a simple haircut.

Meleika Lawrence has a hair salon in Manchester where she specializes in afro hair, but she trains her staff to work with all hair types.

She told Sky News: “People have come to tell us that they’ve been turned down in a salon and stylists are in awe of the texture of their hair.”

Customers come from as far away as Leeds and Wales to have their hair done by Ms Lawrence and her staff.

But, while it can be good for business, she can’t wait to see the country’s diversity reflected in her living rooms.

“Manchester is such a diverse city, just like the UK, so it’s fantastic that people aren’t separated or turned away from an establishment just because of their hair type.”

The standards are not only about hairdressing, but also about beauty, wellness and holistic therapies. All of these services will need to take an inclusive approach with clients on issues of race and gender, and physical and mental health.

The National Occupational Standards (NOS) released in June “now meet the needs of the diverse UK community in one standard”.

Standards help awarding bodies establish qualification criteria and are used by companies to create job descriptions.

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