Hair-raising fight over braiding business

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The battle lines are being drawn in a war over hairstyles.

The state said professional braiders must be trained and licensed.  But many veteran braiders disagree.

It’s tedious and time consuming, but braiding is big business and a lot of women love it.

“I enjoy getting the braids,” said Sheniece Kauffman, braid client.

“It’s just a convenient way of taking care of your hair,” said Udora Sawyer, braid client.

But after 17 years of braiding in Houston, this veteran stylist said the state of Texas is trying to push her out.

“When we came here in 1995 we didn’t need a license,” said Khady Diouf, co-owner Heidi & JoJo’s.

The state now requires braiders to be trained and licensed like it does cosmetologists, which is something these braiders said is unnecessary.

“We don’t need a license,” Diouf said.  They don’t have anybody that can teach us how to braid.  We end up teaching them.

Although Khady Diouf and her partner are licensed, some of their top braiders aren’t and the shop has had to shell out $11,000 in fines because of it.

“Money, it all has to do with money to me,” she said.

“I think it’s only fair that they’re licensed,” said Yolanda Richardson, Signature Spa Salon.

Yet Yolanda Richardson, a licensed cosmetologist, said state regulations are needed to stop bad braiders.

“Right now 80 percent of my clients are coming with hair loss because of braiding,” Richardson explained.  “Actually they’re growing my business because I’m getting more bald clients.”

“I can say the same about them because of the perms,” said Diouf.  “A perm will damage your hair.”

You might call it a clash of cultures, but braiders in other states have banded together to have the licensing requirements dropped.

So at Heidi’s and Jo-Jo’s customers have signed petitions, hoping to change Texas’ mind about braiders before they have to change their hairstyles.