It's totally worth it to go to a curly hair salon though. They cut my hair in a way that leaves it looking awesome. My hair looks a lot better leaving a curly hair salon vs going somewhere else. I just know exactly what my hair likes and how to style it so it looks perfect, but that's hard for a salon to replicate since they're not working on MY unique hair each day. It's more important for me to get a cut that I like...then I can go home and have great hair every day. If you can I'd save up for a cut at a special curly salon. In Toronto I like the Curly Hair Institute and The Curl Ambassadors. Depending on what stylist you choose you can reduce the cost of the cut.

Just wanted to open with: I wouldn't really sweat the differences in product lines with a hair dresser. When I was relaxed, I would occasionally bring products with me and I never had a stylist flatly refuse to use them on me. I have had a couple that balked a bit and then tried to sell me on the benefits of the products they use in their salon, but bottom line is that you're a paying customer so, in the end, they'll use the stuff you bring in if you request it.


With that out of the way, I have to say that I am EXTREMELY nervous about salons and I have not been to one since I stopped relaxing my hair about 2 years ago. I'm more concerned with technique (getting a bad cut, bad dye job, etc). I don't want to have to transition out of the damage that someone else does to my hair--lol I can do bad all by myself.