Does being natural mean I have to care for my hair myself?

If you've noticed in the past couple of weeks, my posts have dealt with Natural Hair Fail and Typical Regimen. Maybe I'm the only one out there who thinks that taking care of our hair can be quite tedious and time-consuming sometimes... actually, a lot of the time. With the typical regimen showing a 9-step process, that can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours, with the amount of money spent on looking for the best hair care products (for YOU), and all the time spent perusing Google and Youtube looking for different styles to wear, it can be SIMPLY EXHAUSTING!

So! I'm toying with the idea of just making my regimen work at a salon. Never fear, I'm not saying I'm leaving my hair to the total care of someone else. I just mean that I want to engage a stylist at a salon near me and [painstakingly] teach him/her how to take care of natural hair, using my head. Now now, there are somethings that must be put in place.

1. KNOW YOUR HAIR - Hopefully you've spent enough time caring for your hair and know the ins, outs, curl patterns, textures, etc of your hair. Does your hair need more protein? Is your scalp itchy? Do you have dandruff? If you know what your hair is like and what it needs, you're on the right path to having control over how it's treated at the salon.
2. KNOW YOUR PREFERRED REGIMEN - Do you wash once a week or twice a month? Do you deep condition every other week? Does your hair need a protein treatment? Whatever your routine is, know it from A to Z and be in command of what your stylist does at every single step.
3. TAKE YOUR PRODUCTS/TOOLS WITH YOU - You know what products and tools work best for your hair. You don't know what kind of combs,  shampoos and conditioners are available at the salon. Take your preferred oils, butters, shampoos, moisturizers, brushes, comb, etc with you and know what's being put in your hair.
4. SELECT YOUR SALON/STYLIST CAREFULLY - I constantly go up to other natural ladies and ask them where they got their hair done. It's the fastest, easiest way to know where other naturals go and if their hair looks good, then you're almost positive that you'll be in good hands.
5. KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN - Watch your stylist like a CRAZY HAWK! Heaven forbid she tries to dump half a bottle of Ecostyler gel on your head (happened to me once). Are they trying to "trim" off 4 inches of growth? Did they reach for a different product than what you brought? I heard a story about a girl who went to a salon and they texturized her hair without her consent!
6. BE ASSERTIVE. SPEAK UP/OUT - You know your hair best. Is the stylist being stubborn and trying to force something on your head? Ask for a different person. Is the stylist refusing to listen to you and doing what they want? Girl, threaten them with hell fire and brimstone if you have to, but make sure they do what YOU want.
7. SAY NO TO HEAT OR DRY-COMBING! - If you won't put your hair under heat at home, then don't let the stylist talk you into applying any heat. I almost had my head yanked off by a stylist trying to comb my hair while it was dry and using a fine-tooth comb (wasn't at a salon though). Just SAY NO!
8. KNOW WHAT STYLE YOU WANT AHEAD OF TIME - If you have a tab or phone that plays videos well, and there's a Youtube video you want to reference, bring it out and show your stylist. If you have pictures of what you want, whip them out. I'd also advise that you research the least manipulative ways to achieve said styles, and communicate to your stylist.

Of course, there are downsides to going to a salon (cost, stubborn stylists, etc) but if you put the aforementioned points into practice, it just might work for you. 

*fingers, toes and kinks crossed*

Berry