This Latina Owned Beauty Salon Changed the Game In Curly Hair Care Forever

Very rarely are there beauty salon spaces dedicated to the care and upkeep of all curly types, nonetheless with salon professionals who actually know how to operate with and cut curls

curly hair

Image Credit: Instagram @officialcurlwhisperer

Very rarely are there beauty salon spaces dedicated to the care and upkeep of all curly types, nonetheless with salon professionals who actually know how to operate with and cut curls. This could lead to a never ending horrible experience for curly girlies, and there is nothing worse than a perpetual bad hair day! Founder Silvana Castillo of The Curl Whisperer saw this issue and decided enough was enough. 

Founded over a decade ago in Miami, Florida, the salon prides itself on incorporating professional curly hair care and styling. Castillo mentions how the creation of the salon was almost an accident. “The beginning of the brand was not intentional.” She says, “I learned a technique for cutting hair that worked well for curly hair, soon my clientele became 80 percent curly clients. At that time 8 years ago the demand was definitely there.” As many salons and their stylists do, the business has seen their fair share of difficulty along their journey, mainly with finding stylists who know their way around curls. “The hardest part of the journey then, and still continues to be now, is training new stylists,” the founder says. The salon makes it crucial for all stylists to be up to date with curl styling and upkeep for maximum client satisfaction.

The salon’s senior stylist and salon Manager, Pamela Viera, speaks on her experience at the salon. “ It’s a great environment” Viera says, “we walk you through the entire process as we go through it together, from the dry cut to the washing and styling of the hair, you are taught which products to use and how to use them according to the state your hair is in.” She goes on to emphasize the importance of educating their clients on their hair care in their process. “Styling of the hair is done at the chair where you are able to watch how to apply products evenly for the best styling results and lastly, shown how to use a diffuser to achieve max results. It’s very interactive, educational and informative.

“Empowering curly haired clients with the knowledge of how to upkeep their hair to be as healthy as can be…it’s intentional and instilled in all the stylists code of ethics, as it is so common to see so many stylists who do not know how to attend to curly hair let alone, people with curly hair have no idea how to care for it.”

Viera emphasizes that what we’re missing from the beauty industry today is more education. “The amount of products we find online and in stores are quite overwhelming but with no proper education by professionals we are left in the same bubble. We strive for education and learning as a team to give out clients the best advice and choices regarding their hair needs,” she says. 

I asked Viera’s professional opinion on hair care, but specifically two main realms that curly folks think about constantly that their salon champions in: Texture and Color. The best way to upkeep curls after one of their iconic haircuts, is by maintaining hair moisture. “I would 100 percent recommend using a leave-in conditioner. It’s a game changer, depending on how much volume you want to achieve, less is always more, but it will definitely help your style and keep your hair moisturized,” Viera encourages. The hair care game is so accessible nowadays, you don’t need to break the bank buying a salon professional leave – in product. All About Curls Daily Cream Conditioner is an amazing leave-in conditioner you can try and fall in love with as it has the same fantastic hydration, moisture, and curl enhancing benefits.

Healthy and hydrated curls are also the foundation of long lasting hair color. “Hair maintenance is important, color fades and needs to be refreshed,” says Viera. “We recommend gloss to help freshen up color that has faded from being in the sun or that has become brassy. Chemical services such as highlights or balayage can be maintained at home creating a routine of using a combination of a moisturizing mask weekly and protein mask bi-weekly.” A deep conditioner, like the All About Curls Curl Quench After-Color Conditioner that’s color safe, paired with a hair mask is a sure way to get not only long lasting vibrant color, but healthier hydrated hair.

To many curly haired folks, hair coloring can feel like a curl pattern death sentence, but little do they know it doesn’t have to be that way. Viera sheds light on how there’s nothing to fear when it comes to hair coloring. She points out, “Less is more. A more natural tone of highlights or balayage may be the option for someone who has never done color. My best advice is to look for someone who has the same curl pattern and skin tone to have a better idea of how you will look. Change doesn’t always have to be dramatic, it’s ok to be subtle.”

Credit: Henkel

As the demand for these specific style techniques for textured hair grows, so will the business of color hair care and the expansion of its knowledge. Pamela Viera foresees a bright future for curly hair styling. “It’s here to stay – [All people] love to wear their hair curly when told it looks good. It’s a sense of empowerment and such a personality trait.” She proudly represents the salon’s mission to make their clients feel good after getting their hair done, and don’t run into the experience of being singled out like in other non-inclusive salons, but instead welcomed and cared for.

The future of The Curl Whisperer is even brighter as the team has opened a second location in Miami, where they strive to grow as a team and salon. “We will continue to educate clients, learn new techniques, continue taking educational classes on new trends and products and always keep up with what is best to use to keep curls healthy,” says Viera with lots of joy and pride. 

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