At first glance, the questionnaire seemed lengthy, but once I got to the end of it, I felt a sense of peace that I don’t usually have before a hair appointment. I’m used to walking into my appointments at African braiding shops with some anxiety—they often don’t have a menu list, so prices are made up on the fly at the end of the appointment. Similarly, independent stylists who advertise on social media typically treat pricing on a case-by-case basis. These problems were remedied by Unruly’s detailed booking process, so I knew there’d be no surprises.
I finally didn’t have to worry about my stylist’s expertise or level of professionalism, either, because she had already been thoroughly vetted by Unruly. “We do one virtual demo and then we also have an in-person demo with someone that’s in our recruiting pipeline,” says Opiah. “We’ll then have the candidate go to an actual Unruly client and style their hair, and we get feedback. So, we’re getting real-time information from our clients. It’s the best way to get the best people on our platform.”
The appointment
My fear of the appointment being abruptly canceled last minute via a “hey boo” text from the stylist was quelled when my stylist, Tatyanna Charles, reached out the night before to confirm our appointment. I was excited, albeit nervous, to have someone new in my kitchen (the one in my home and on my head). But from the moment Charles walked through my door the following day, it felt like having an old friend come over to braid my hair and hang out.
Many Black women complain of bad customer service among Instagram hairstylists these days—but Charles was the complete opposite. After arriving, she asked to use the bathroom to wash her hands (brownie points for being health-conscious!) and got right to work setting up her supplies, which included an organizer to prep the extensions I had purchased prior (this is required by Unruly). While very professional, Charles was also warm and accommodating, pausing every so often to make a funny face at my daughter to elicit a giggle.
Courtesy of Annie Blay
Courtesy of Annie Blay
By the fourth hour, Charles was already dipping the braids in hot water to finish them off. I was expecting this style to take much longer due to the length and size of the braids; either Charles has very quick fingers, or the fact that I was sitting on the couch watching Netflix during the whole appointment made the time fly by.
The results
As I admired my new style in the mirror, Charles asked if I was pleased with the results or wanted anything tweaked, which made my little socially-anxious heart skip a beat—I’m usually too shy to tell the stylist when I don’t like my hair or want something changed. I let Charles know that my edges were more visible than I expected, to which she responded that she noticed some thinning and felt it best to leave those parts untouched to avoid causing further damage. I was impressed with Charles’ inclination to prioritize my hair’s health—something a true stylist always has in mind. I was satisfied enough with the result to leave it as-is and Charles recommended Eco Style Shape and Define Braid Gel, to make my edges look sleek without drying them out.