'think hair types not skin colour' says dr ali syed

As the curl conversation continues to grow is it about time the industry looked at hair type across the board including when it comes to Afro hair? We spoke to Dr Ali Syed of Avlon Industries about this very subject... Dr Ali Syed is the president and founder of Avlon Industries, a company whose brands are now sold in 46 countries. Dr Syed is also a master chemist with a vast knowledge of different hair types and their specific needs. According to Dr Syed many UK salons still make the mistake of thinking in terms of just Afro and straight hair, when in fact there are four main types of hair – straight, wavy, curly and tight curls, with sub categories within each type. “Type three hair (curly) and type four (tight curls) has become very common in the UK in most regions,” says Dr Syed. “There are no racial boundaries.” Type three and four hair have specific needs that salon owners and their teams should be aware of, says Dr Syed. “The more curly the hair, the weaker it is,” he says. “Types three and four have less cortex so the hair more likely to break – products used on these hair types have to address this, they have to strengthen the fibres. “Also, when you move from type one to type four scalp conditions change. Scalps tend to be dryer in types three and four. Types one and two secrete a lot of natural oil. Often clients with type three and four hair are only shampooing once a week, which can lead to bacteria growth on the scalp – another issue products have to address.” A lot of UK salons are missing out on the opportunity of servicing clients with type three and four hair, believes Dr Syed, although an increasing number are realising the potential. “We are seeing more interest in this market from all types of salon, including larger groups such as Francesco Group. Habia is also looking into the issue of education across all hair types. Stylists can earn a lot of money servicing type three and four hair clients. These clients have to maintain their hair daily; it requires far more treatments and the retail opportunity is huge. Salons need to be catering for everyone. It’s not about skin colour, it’s about hair types.” Lead image via Pr Shots