The early days of the Instagram hairstylist (2018 to 2021) were, by all accounts, great for each stylists and clients. Stylists with talent and a real love for his or her craft had a latest technique of turning their passion right into a livelihood. Clients also benefitted: You could view a stylist’s work on their profile, then pop over to their DMs to book an appointment for braids, wigs, sew-ins, or a wash and blowout. Back then, there was an ease to it: There weren’t as many Instagram stylists to pick from, the policies were minimal, and the costs were cheaper than traditional salons. (Charles and St. Cyr each charged $150 for medium-size box braids in 2020. Back then, neither stylist was licensed, but each got their license inside two years of starting their business and have raised prices to reflect the extra training.)
The stylists and clients interviewed for this story imagine that as more people saw how easy it was to monetize hairstyling skills online, the pool of Instagram hairstylists became polluted with stylists who looked as if it would put more emphasis on their social media presence than on constructing a client-focused business. However, there are those like Charles and St. Cyr, who strike a superb balance and have a loyal clientele that may attest to their professionalism and craft.
“Ultimately, we as hairstylists want the client to be comfortable,” says Michaella Blissett Williams, a hairstylist and the owner of [Salon] 718 in Brooklyn who has been doing hair for over 30 years. To Blissett Williams, who’s what some would call an “old style” hairstylist, customer support is at the center of hairstyling.
So one has to wonder, if people aren’t comfortable with these Instagram hairstylists, how are they staying booked? Most likely because they’re those promoting their ability to maintain up with social media trends. Many independent hairstylists gain an enormous social following based on their in-demand ability to create and execute viral hairstyles like boho braids, freestyle cornrows, and traditional sew-ins that look great in clients’ vacation photos.
When she went to that stylist in Jersey City, Georges wanted Fulani flip-over braids. The intricate style features cornrows, box braids, and loose boho curls, so Georges knew she had to search out someone who specialized within the look. “I desired to be trendy with everybody else, so I desired to be certain whoever I went to could try this in the best way that I wanted it to look,” says Georges.
Strict policies and astronomical deposits
Those trendy styles seem to come back with a value, each in higher prices and the mental gymnastics clients often need to do to navigate a few of these Instagram stylists’ extensive policies on their booking sites. These rules or warnings will often include statements like, “A nonrefundable deposit is required to book, showing up with hair extensions different than the required type on the location will lead to automatic cancellation, and a fee shall be charged for each minute you might be late.”
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