Word of mouth can be an effective method for connecting people with hairstylists, but when beauticians are unequipped to work with kinky and curly textures, those friendly referrals can turn into a waste of time and money.
In recent years, technology has helped streamline the vetting process, and the Swivel app has made it even easier for consumers (whether their locks are naturally curly, transitioning or relaxed) to find the best hairstylists in their area.
“When we started Swivel, one of the things we quickly realized is that there are thousands of amazing stylists out there that can work with textured hair, but there’s not an easy way to find them,” Jihan Thompson, cofounder and CEO of Swivel, tells ESSENCE.
“So we wanted to take that discovery piece and make it easy. And put all of the best stylists into one platform,” she continues.
In addition to helping women of color find licensed stylists for their hair type in their area, Swivel also allows people to review stylists’ portfolios and ratings before booking an appointment on the app.
Not only is it “a complete experience,” it’s a better one too.
“Black women’s hair care needs weren’t being addressed in a real authentic way,” says Thompson. “We deserve a better beauty experience. And no one is going to create it for us. We might as well just create it for ourselves. And that’s what we did.”
Swivel has even made it easy for Black women to care for their crowns amid the pandemic by offering virtual appointments and will continue to make them available for women who don’t feel ready to go back into salons as they reopen. “We just want to make it as simple as possible for you to have a really good hair day,” says Thompson.
To learn more about Swivel and to find a hairstylist in your area, download the Swivel app or visit swivelbeauty.com.