Curl Science Over Cultural Stereotypes: Advancing Inclusive Hair Care
Biology is the foundation of inclusive hair education.
When Dania, a client with thick, type 2 hair and African-Arabic heritage, visited the salon for a consultation, she expected the same tired narrative: an attempt to link her hair’s texture and behavior to her ethnicity. Instead, what she received was radically different—an assessment of her hair based purely on observable, measurable characteristics, not cultural bias. Rather than referencing her ethnic background, I focused on her hair’s diameter, porosity, elasticity, and the buildup of heavy metals that were weighing it down. Due to its larger diameter, her hair was more prone to retaining environmental pollutants, which created surface buildup that masked her natural curl pattern. Despite years spent in different hair salons, Dania had never received an exfoliating or chelating treatment targeting the full hair shaft, only the scalp. Heavy metals had coated the hair strand, weighing it down and distorting its natural pattern. These metals weren’t part of her biology; they were environmental pollutants deposited onto the hair over time.
In salon culture traditional shampooing methods focus solely on the scalp and roots, leaving the rest of the hair shaft clogged and dry. Hair bunching while washing might feel thorough, but without directional rinsing and proper technique—known as mechanical detachment for proper chelation—you’re not effectively removing buildup. Add to that the critical role of heat in forming hydrogen bonds within hydrated strands, and it becomes clear: you’re working with biology, not stereotypes.
After a complete chelation and deep hydration using a hood dryer, Dania’s curls bounced back. Her hair became lighter, springier, more defined, and separated—not because we understood her ethnicity, but because we understood and honored her biology. Her hair’s porosity was medium-low, her elasticity moderate, and with the right water-based product and application method, she saw curl formations she never thought she had. This is the heart of what I teach at Inhairitance Curl Spa: a curriculum rooted in curl science, not cultural projection. If we understand type 4 hair, the driest and most fragile hair type, we can reverse-engineer hydration protocols that support the entire curl spectrum, from loose waves to tight coils. It’s not just inclusive science—it’s effective science.
Unfortunately, despite widespread public interest and support, our efforts to institutionalize this educational approach in Quebec were blocked.
Despite nearly 25,000 petition signatures and support from professors at professional hair schools in Verdun, LaSalle College, and local curly hair salons, the Quebec government rejected our proposal. They claimed that implementing a curly and natural hair curriculum would be “racist”—a statement both offensive and structurally ignorant. Racist toward whom? Toward the stylists who didn't learn how to wash, treat, or even touch the hair of 67% of the global population? Refusing service to someone because of their curl pattern is not only unprofessional, it’s discriminatory. In 2025, it's unacceptable for licensed professionals—many of whom pay over $13,000 or attend publicly funded institutions—to graduate without knowing how to safely chelate, hydrate, and style textured or wavy hair without relying on high heat, flat irons, silicone serums, or endocrine-disrupting sprays.
The true root of the problem isn’t ignorance—it’s an education system that resists change, refuses to acknowledge diverse hair types, and ultimately upholds structural inequality. That’s why I don’t teach race—I teach biology. Removing race from the haircare conversation doesn’t erase identity; it dismantles the barriers that governments and institutions use to justify exclusion, inefficiency, and inequity in hair care. Science, if anything, demands observation, not bias. And perhaps, when we erase race from the formulation table and bring in porosity charts, curl pattern measurements, hydration timelines, and chelation protocols, we might finally stop erasing people instead.
Quebec Government. (2021). Response to petition regarding natural hair education in professional cosmetology schools. [Source: National Assembly of Quebec - Petitions Archive]
Dania Soleman. (2025). De-racing Hair. Al Hayya Magazine
Inhairitance Academy Internal Curriculum. (2023). Curl ID Science and Hydration Protocols.
D’Souza, P., & Rathi, S. K. (2015). Shampoo and Conditioners: What a Dermatologist Should Know. Indian Journal of Dermatology, 60(3), 248–254. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5154.156355
Robbins, C. R. (2012). Chemical and physical behavior of human hair (5th ed.). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-25611-0
Québec métiers d’avenir. (2025). Aesthetics and hair removal (DEP+ASP). Retrieved from https://www.quebecmetiersdavenir.com/en/training/aesthetics-and-hair-removal-depasp/