PAK COSMETICS and UK HAIR

[pureebony]

Hello,

i have been MIA, but i just wanted to speak on something and wanted to hear everyone-if any- responses.

I am disappointed by the lack of knowledge that PAK cosmetics has on hair, not to mention their rude attitudes and notorious habit of selling out of date products up to 7 months past the sell by date.

when i used to wear weaves they had no idea what silk closures were, and look at me strangely when i mentioned virgin hair, and the quality of wigs they sell are 10 years out of date.

i really wish black people would stand up and get educated about 'our hair' and stop trusting these uneducated fraudsters about what is good for our hair.

i would love to see more natural women around but i know that its going to take time as most women especially in the uk feel that natural is somewhat less attractive. and would rather have hair like the dominating celebrities rather that be opposite of that and find their own beauty in their uniqueness and individuality, because sorry to say in the uk black women do not represent their natural hair like in the US.

the old fashioned mentality that our haor is too hard to handle and needs a relaxer!?! it got to the point that when i went to a black hair salon and got my hair washed women were laughing because of my shrinkage?!! then stunned at the length!

im fed up of the ignorance on both sides, but even more so with the standard of hair product quality. i got so many women stopping me asking about what hair i used when i wore weave?!? i would think to myself are we that out of touch. since being natural i have women staring at me in amazement, because Afro hair is beautiful and is not hard to handle. and if there are more of us the minority will become a majority.

we need to begin educating black women on good hair care, and that is by eradicating the nonsense approches that have long been appart of black hair care for a long time, and that starts by black people opening healthy hair care shops and salons. and promoting good haircare, becuase as we know good health care=longer healthy hair.

does anyone agree of disagree?

thanks x

 

[Chioniso]

I'm in England and I hear what you are saying. I have only known one black beauty store run by black people, all the rest are Indians simply selling products they never use.

 

[LittleLuxe]

Very true, it's like fighting against the tide currently still I feel it can be done. Still a part of me wonders at how effective real world application a healthy hair salon would be. Not that I'm saying it's impossible but it would be challenging to any stylist as it would knock their pre-conceived feelings on what happens during an Appt. out of the park.

I also wonder how pricing would go.

 

[lilyofthenile]

I completely agree with you. My experience with PAKs isn't good. First, the staff aren't helpful and they keep eying me as if I would really steal their products... I mean, they make me as a customer feel very uncomfortable.

We need to support our community and I do try. But it always requires doing a lot of research to find out where our people sell and how much. Some people don't want to go through the trouble of researching... and some people have the belief that we really cannot have healthy and long hair =/

Anyhow, I think we should definitely educate our people. Educate us that we CAN have healthy hair and that we CAN and should support each other in the community.

 

[SkySurfer]

Girl I agree, only last wednesday was I in one of their shops; they have the nerve to follow you around like you're a common criminal and 'flirt' with you, without any shred of respect. I'm sorry, but I kindly asked the guy following me to get the hell out of my face, because he was making me feel uncomfortable. I mean he was RIGHT NEXT TO ME, watching me choose braiding hair...telling me such and such colour looks 'sexy' and making generally inappropriate advances towards me :/
I kindly sent him on his way!
I was fuming!

I don't think that after this I will go to buy braiding hair from any of these shops, I have to either find a black-owned beauty shop (which is quite TALL order!) or order on the internet.
This is not acceptable.

And don't get me started on the lack of hair knowledge in this country... no knows about blending textures and colours properly, closures.. it's ABYSMAL!!
Ok I've finished venting

 

[Danewshe]

Paks cosmetics are garbage! I've actually been barred from the branch in Dalston just because I asked them for a refund on some expensive item and didn't back down when he said no. They are overpriced and disrespectful.

 

[lolascurls]

PAKs is funny! They are ridiculously rude in the weave and wig store. They do eye you like a thief all the time....I have actually stormed out of that store once!
The main hair store is not so bad although they still encroach a bit on the experience. Thankfully, I'm too tough to be intimidated by the not-so-sly looks! I just browse, read product ingredients and leave if I find nothing good enough for me (even if I've been there an hour- lol!)

 

[melissa-bee]

I've only been to the Paks in Finsbury Park and have never had a proble with them. I don't buy weaves so don't need that much advice about them. The only time I gave them the side eye was when I asked for coconut oil and they pointed me towards the Blue Magic coconut petroleum grease. I don't go there much anymore cos my regimen has changed so much. I don't really expect much from them tbh. They sell products and people buy them; the only thing I expect from them is politeness and respect.

 

[pureebony]

Ladies it gets worse, I knew they were rude and I had other problems with their attitudes. But the worst came 2 weeks ago, I went to the product shop in finsbury park, and picked up a tub of cantu hair gel. I wanted to try it out, so I kept looking round then as I went to go and pay I opened the tub just to smell it, lo and behold the gel was out of date and was covered with a mould of green and brown, it was awful. I reported it to the staff, the man nearly took it off me and went back to what seemed like to put it back. I have heard of this before, it's awful, they make me so upset. I would love got black owned beauty suppliers to grow its absolutely awful what they are allowed to do. People complain about them selling out of date products all the time. They dont deserve our service at all.

 

[melissa-bee]

Yuk, I didn't know about the out of date products.
I'm glad I don't need to go there anymore.