What is a Blow Out?
A Blow Out is a hair service that includes a hair wash and then a blow dry with advanced blowout techniques and iron work to make your hair soft, shiny and straight.
When I show up to any hair salon, requesting that my hair be straightened, I always have two types of experiences with my 3c/4a curl pattern.
Stylists with hair type 1 and 2 are too overwhelmed to do my hair properly. They don’t tell me that they lack confidence nor skill and end up half-assing it and recommending a perm or brazilian keratin treatment to make it easier.
Stylists with type 3 and 4 will say I have “good” or “easy” hair and remember to slay my edges; even though my haircare is the bane of my existence and i wouldn’t call it easy.
Most women would agree that finding a hairstylist is stressful. WOC are quick to say you can’t just let anyone do your hair, but it is not always that simple when you travel a lot. You have to spend time combing reviews on social media just to see if they can do hair that is similar to yours, and on top of that, if they are even available to see you.
I can not always keep appointments with my go to stylist in Atlanta @thekay_technique; Sadly I never know when I am going to be in town so I need her to be available on my time. But this is the real world and expecting her to be at my beck and call for a $60 hairstyle is not going to happen any time soon.
Occasionally I can hit up a black stylist on social media, last min, for a quick silk press. I would argue that a blow out and a silk press are the same thing since the only difference is who is doing it.
More often than not I’m left at the mercy of whomever is available wherever I am in the United States.
Which is where Blow Out Bars come in.
What is a Blow Out Bar?
A Blow Out Bar or a Dry Bar is a salon that mainly focuses on washing and blow drying the hair to achieve your look. Most clients come in to get their hair washed and straightened; or washed and curled. They tend to have 8-10 stations available at a time and plenty of availability for appointments last minute. Perfect for a lady that needs a last min pick me up.
Some examples of Blow Out Bars available across the nation you may have heard of are: “blo” and “drybar”. They both have locations across the country.
There are plenty of bars that are independently owned but provide the same services; like Brush & Blush in Houston, TX.
I think of Blow Out Bars like I think of Chick-Fil-A. Since they only serve chicken, you can’t get it wrong.
A blow out typically takes 90 -120 mins and five steps:
- Cleansing
- Conditioning
- Blowing out
- Smoothing w/flat or curling iron
- Anti-humidity something
I used to think that your straight hair results depended on your starting hair texture.
Some would say the products are what determines how straight your hair gets. 20+ years in the game has let me know that it is not the clients hair type, or the products, but the skills of the stylist that determines how straight your hair becomes ( which is why I don’t do my own hair).
This brings me to my only issue with Blow Out Bars, the lack of consistency with doing kinkier hair types.
I have been frequenting Blow Out Bars since 2014.
If I am lucky I get a stylist who knows what they are doing and they do an amazing job, but usually I get a stylist who is fully capable but not confident in what they are doing, and then they don’t let me know that they lack capability so I can look elsewhere.
I can’t be as upset with them as I want to be, because these stylists truly do not know any better. They honestly think that just because my hair is straighter than it was, that they have done a good job.
I don’t want them to do a good job; I want an excellent job every time; but my hair type is not their target audience. Which is a shame because it very easily could be.
I think an example of the difference in quality is in order:
I would argue that a blow out is the easiest salon service to do, SO you would think that at a place that only does blow outs, every Stylist there would have that craft perfected.
It is 2022 and I should not have to pray that a WOC is available to do my hair at a place that claims to be able to handle all hair types. That some one is available that knows I wouldn’t be caught outside with my edges looking any type of way.
What bothers me is that both “blo” and “drybar” have the resources to do better; to improve the experience ; to expand their clientele but choose not to do so on a national scale and that’s sad.
It is odd to me that these companies are lacking the foresight to accommodate all hair types so they can increase their revenue, and solidify their brand.
I would want my brand to embody excellence and mastery; and I can not say that for any Blow Out Bars I have been too. Their lack of consistency steers me away even though their availability is just what I need.
Maybe I should write Rihanna to open up a Fenty all inclusive hair bar, so that these companies can follow suit.
I would advise any one that cares at these types of salons, that when you hire a new employee, run a special on social media for discounted services for that new employee while they are obtaining Mastery on different hair types. Cross train your employees to do more hair-types than type 1(the easiest one), help them gain familiarity and confidence.
Here is a training Log for your reference because it is really not that hard.
I hope in my lifetime I will be able to show up to a salon and get my hair done consistently with out having to wonder if they are going to do a good job or not.
Get Yo Mind Right 