All UK hairdressers to learn to cut and style Afro hair as standard

"It is about having the knowledge to treat anybody that walks through the door be it with life issues, disability or hair style."

A shake-up in UK hairdressing standards means that all new hairdressers will now learn to work with Black hair as part of their training. It's after afro and textured hair styles were included into one cutting and styling practice standard for all hair types in a recent review of the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for hairdressing. Most current qualifications have no compulsory requirements for students to be educated in cutting and styling Afro and textured hair. This has resulted in a significant gap in professional knowledge and hairdressings services when it comes to cutting the hair of this demographic. The new NOS for Hairdressing - which form the nationally recognised practice standards of the job and the basis of many competency qualifications across the UK - now "meet the needs of the UK's diverse community in one standard." The change to the standards come two years after the British Beauty Council set up a task force with the Hair & Beauty Industry Authority (Habia) to support the revised NOS. Helena Grzesk, the chief operating officer at the British Beauty Council said she was delighted that training for hairdressing now includes all hair types.

Grzesk told the Metro: "We share Habia's belief that 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.

"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."

Joan Scott, chair of Habia says: "The change to the standards is not just about hair – it is about having the knowledge to treat anybody that walks through the door be it with life issues, disability or hair style.

"But cutting and styling different hair types was such a key part of the review. Afro and textured hair is now embedded, with all hair types, within one national practice standard and going forward will just be part of what hairdressers do."