All UK Hairdressers To Learn How To Style Afro Hair As Standard

All hairdressers will now be taught to work with Afro hair as standard practice, in a long overdue change to regulations.

Up until now, the beauty industry has silently accepted that many salons simply do not offer services for Afro hair, or don't have staff trained to deal with different textured tresses.

Furthermore, many current qualifications don't stipulate that it's compulsory for students studying hairdressing to learn how to cut or style Afro hair.

But a recent review into the National Occupational Standards for hairdressing has ruled that everyone studying hairdressing must now be taught in this as part of their training.

The [NOS] for Hairdressing - which was published in June - has vowed to now 'meet the needs of the UK's diverse community in one standard.'

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It's a big moment, as the NOS forms the basis of most practice standards, and many awards and certifications base their marking on it.

Following the move, people will also be looking to awarding organisations to change their curriculums to adapt to the new standards the NOS set out.

It's certainly been a long time in the making, with the British Beauty Council and the Hair & Beauty Industry Authority [Habia] setting up a task force two years ago, pushing for the NOS changes to be made.

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Speaking to Metro, Helena Grzesk, chief operating officer at the British Beauty Council said: "The hair and beauty industry can and should be truly inclusive but until now, tens of thousands of hairdressers have no qualifications in cutting and styling Afro and textured hair.

"We have supported the industry and Habia, ever since we launched in 2018, for the standards to reflect and represent the diverse range of hair types and textures of clients across the hair and beauty sector.

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"Our aim is to amplify and celebrate the voices of all the communities the industry serves to ensure each and every one of us feels seen, heard, valued and excited to engage with the beauty industry".

The change to the NOS standards means that employers must reflect the UK's diverse community, and ensure that treatments on offer are inclusive to all, no matter their race, gender or identity.

And they don't just stop at hair, the same must apply if you're a beauty therapist, nail artist, aesthetician, or wellbeing coach.

It's about time, too!

Topics: Life News, Beauty, Life

Joanna Freedman

Joanna is a journalist at Tyla with a particular interest in highlighting women's issues and telling inspiring first person stories. She's also their resident foodie, and loves covering exciting new beauty launches, too. Contact her at [email protected].

@joannafreedman