Self-proclaimed beauty business maven Christine Renee Banks started a wildfire in her comments section on Instagram after her video bashing “cheap braiders” went viral.
Doing a deep dive into the value of braids, Banks addressed why the protective style is not typically serviced by aspiring licensed stylists on May 19.
Her caption read, “So LETS STOP 🛑 ! Hair school don’t even let you come get the service because it’s LABOR!”
“Even in beauty school, you can’t go to beauty get a head full of individuals [braids]. You can’t even go to beauty school to get a head full of knotless braids, feed-ins, or anything like that. Most you can get in Beauty school is cornrows.”
She continued the rant by pointing at industry outsiders for their audacity to say braiders should charge less for the cultural look.
“So if beauty schools understand that this service is labor, and I will not put this on my students,” the influencer argued. “Why do y’all think you can come over here in the industry and tell us that $100 is too much for braids?”
Her point for the video is that “braids are so much labor that they don’t even let us do it in hair school, and that should tell you the value of that service.”
She then turned her attention to fellow braiders, telling them that they are only devaluing themselves when they price their work so low.
“So, braiders, stop getting in these comments flexing about being cheap because even beauty schools understand the value, and we do that shit for free.”
The ‘Cozmodiva’ and her comments section were at definitive odds, as one chimed in saying that braiders actually over-charged for short-term stylings and require additional products from the clients,
“Y’all charge people $400 for a hairstyle that last a month. Majority of us don’t have that kind of money, and we make $400 in a week. Y’all want $400 for 3 hours, and we still have to bring hair and wax that’s crazy. ”
Another commenter shared the same thoughts about the hiked-up prices, implying that customers are being taken advantage of by stylists,
“You guys overdo it. The prices should be regulated in all states because y’all have the power to set the price, and 99% of you abuse it!”
A woman swore Banks was blowing the braid debacle out of proportion, saying the hairdo isn’t “anything new” and what more known IG stylists charge is “ridiculous.”
However, the content creator refused to fall prey to the critics, letting them know that she will not be gaslighted into believing anything else from her video.
