Aveda Institute Flat Iron – 34 weeks and 2 days post relaxer

I decided to go to the salon to have my natural hair flat ironed as a treat and someone suggested Aveda Institute here in NYC.  I went to the one on Spring street.  I got there at 9:16 a.m. for my 9:15 appointment and signed in. Signing in included filling out a waiver which reads:

I, _______ UNDERSTAND THAT AVEDA INSTITUTE IS A SCHOOL WHICH INSTRUCTS STUDENTS WHO WISH TO BECOME BEAUTICIANS AND ESTHETICIANS AND ARE NOT FULLY TRAINED LICENSED PROFESSINALS. BECAUSE OF THEIR INEXPERIENCE THERE IS A RISK THAT I COULD BE INJURED OR SUSTAIN DAMAGE FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OR CARELESSNESS OF SUCH STUDENT(S) IN PERFORMING THE WORK UPON ME. NEVERTHELESS, IN CONSIDERATION OF A REDUCED CHARGE THAT I WILL PAY, I AGREE TO ASSUME ANY RISK OR DAMAGE THAT I MIGHT SUFFER BECAUSE OF SUCH NEGLIGENCE OR CARELESSNESS. I AGREE TO GIVE UP MY RIGHT TO SUE THE STUDENT, THE SCHOOL, THE INSTRUCTORS AND ANY SCHOOL PERSONNEL FOR ANY SUCH INJURY OR DAMAGE TO MYSELF OF ANY PERSONAL PROPERTY.

There is a signature line for a witness as well as the patron.

This alone almost made me walk out without any services. With no advance research on this kind of waiver, I’m not sure that it would even hold up in court if there were a serious injury i.e., burning out a section of hair or using relaxer as conditioner? Somehow I doubt the waiver will hold up for severe negligence….but I did take the risk. However, I asked for a student who was close to graduation and learned that all 4 students on hand this morning had all graduated already, last week. They were in class to make up hours that they missed since 1,000 hours are required.

My stylist, can’t even recall her name, has been in class for 8 months and graduated already. She officially finishes next week, Wednesday. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean much. I will elaborate in a sec.

When I first got to her chair, I explained that my biggest fear is burning of my hair with a blow dryer or flat iron. She called me a chicken and I agreed.

I had lots of swing!!!

The instructor came over to inspect the student’s assessment of my hair and asked the student what she planned to use. They decided on Smooth Infusion Shampoo & Damage Remedy Restructuring Shampoo. This was after a bit of discussion between me and the student about going natural and the instructor and student about me needing a trim. I explained that I was not getting my hair trimmed at all and the instructor commented that my ends were “rough”. I still said no scissors – not at all. I will elaborate on this in a sec. I’m not sure if the instructor was having a bad day or if she didn’t agree with my decision to go natural and not allow a student to trim my hair at all…..but she did have a puss face on every time she came over to check on my service.

There was a natural instructor on site but the one supervising my student is relaxed (or at least it looked like a relaxer). I opted for the Damage Remedy Treatment ($30) since I heard so many raves about it on a hair board I frequent.

Okay, so the products used are:

Composition – an oil used to massage my scalp

Next, some other pricey product, an oil in a syringe applicator. I never got the name of that one but it was golden in color. This was also used only on the scalp. It was suggested by my student at that time that I cut off my relaxed hair since it would only fall out as all her friends who went natural lost their relaxed hair. I explained that I know many people who went natural without cutting off their relaxed hair.

Next was the wash with two poo’s (smooth infusion then damage remedy). This was when the first discussion started about types of relaxer that I can try? Didn’t I say I was going natural?

Then I had a Damage Remedy Treatment that included mixing two bottles of thin, cream treatment called “moisture infusion” and “strength infusion.” They were put on the length of my hair with an applicator brush. The comb out was the next problem. The student, who had been trained for 8 months, tried to comb out my 34 week post hair from the root. I took the comb from her and showed her how to comb out my hair from the ends up to the root. She still tried the root comb out and I showed her several more times how to comb out my hair. She did get it after a while.

The next problem was that she combed it out with no product. Granted, she was combing it out to apply the treatment, but still, I don’t comb out my hair naked. She finished her application and then a plastic cap was added. I was put under this “dryer” that looked more like an open top bun warmer that rotates slowly around the clients head as it warms. It probably should have been 20 minutes of “treatment” but the instructor came back over to remind the student of the time and they decided on 15 minutes. Turned out to be more like 10 minutes though.

That was all rinsed out and then more discussion at the sink about Mizani being a good relaxer made by a Black company. Then the discussion turned to using braids to transition and weave in the cooler months. I made it very clear that I was not cutting off my hair and I did not prefer braids on me. The student then stated that I should cut my hair because it would help it to GROW? I explained to her that hair does not grow from the ends, it grows from the root so cutting it does not help it to grow. She commented that Black women don’t like to cut their hair and again I explained that there is no need to cut hair just because it’s uneven….but only if ends are split and can damage the hair shaft. We agreed that my ends are not split although uneven…..and I’m fine with that since I wear it pinned up most often.

After the rinse out of the treatment I asked that my products be used for the blowout & flat iron. I took my shea moisture leave-in and my sabino moisture block. The puss face instructor came over & gave the okay. The student was fine with using my products but had to get prior permission. The student commented when I asked that she would not get into trouble for using my products but that I might get into trouble if they were seen with no prior permission. Not sure what that even meant but my products were used but until a bit of the instructor chastising me for bringing my own products and saying that I could not bring them again – as if I’m coming back. I get it that it’s a school and they use Aveda products but I know what works on my hair.

The next disaster was the blow out. The student, with 8 months of training, tried to blow out my hair more like a baby poking around in a sandbox. She used a denman brush (bravo) but was literally poking at my head with it and dry to push out the curls? I have the D3 denman brush and use it often, so I knew that she had no idea how to use the brush.  I pointed to another student who was finishing up a color treatment and blowing out her client. I explained that my student should have been using the same technique with a round brush or at least not the poking at my head technique. I got annoyed, visibly too, and she asked a fellow student to go get their instructor and explained that she was doing it in that way so as not to hurt me? Instead of the teacher coming over, a male student came over and blew out my hair with ease.

The next disaster was flat ironing. My student tried to use large chunks of hair on my 3 inches of blown out new growth. A third student, owner of the CHI flat iron that was used, came over to show my student how to section off and iron the hair. It took about 3 sections of teaching but my student did finally get it. She was taught the comb chase method. I did have to stop her from using the CHI more than twice per section. At one point I told her that I did not want bone straight hair if it meant burning my length straight. Again she called me chicken. She scared me with holding the iron for too long near my roots while she tried to get the comb underneath to “chase” the iron. The 3rd student stood and watched most of my flat ironing process which made me happy.

The teacher did later come over while I was being flat ironed only to reiterate to my student what the 3rd student had already said about small sections.

So, all in all it was an okay experience but I definitely need a person familiar with transitioning hair.

I paid $41.60 ($30 Damage Remedy treatment & $10 flat iron) plus tax.

I had lots of swing and was pleased with the results. I was done by noon on the dot. Paid by 12:01 p.m. I tipped all 3 students because they all contributed to my hair style.

I later learned the name of the students since I had my hair done coincidentally by someone who graduated with that same class.   I now know the name of the woman who poked at my head and the students who helped. I also learned that the teacher assessing them does always have a puss face.  It’s a small world.