With over 30 years of experience in hairdressing, you’re a highly respected veteran in the field. What’s changed the most since you started out?
I think the biggest change within the industry in the last 30 years is the innovation of products that are available for hairdressers to use. I think we can be far more creative. We can carry out services that, 20 years ago, we would not have even considered doing because of the impact it would have on the hair. Now, we can do a hell of a lot more with clients, especially women with textured hair, where there was so much limitation before.
If you go back 20 to 30 years. The quality of products that were available for black hair was not very good. We had to make a lot of adjustments ourselves to ensure that we kept the hair in good condition. But with the new scientific breakthroughs, we’ve been introduced to products that we can use in the hair that are not damaging.
Unfortunately, we’re in a country where people can buy chemicals and use them with very little or no experience or knowledge, and that’s where damage occurs. But when chemicals are utilised by professionals, you’ll find that the damage is very minimal, even if we take into consideration things like relaxers. The percentage of professionals that damage client hair with relaxers is less than 3%. Therefore, I think there needs to be perspective when talking about this, because unfortunately, when it comes to black hairdressing, there is a lot of negativity around chemicals.
So it’s the DIYs that we should stay from, and go to the professionals?
Let’s put it this way. Can I drill a hole in my wall? Yeah. But am I qualified to do that? Do I know what I would do if I hit a wire? No, I’m taking a chance and I’m having a go. It’s human nature. People are always going to do what they want to do. So, if you want to go and buy a relaxer and do it yourself, I won’t say you shouldn’t do that. I think there should be some caution, because we’re talking about chemicals that are quite harsh. And if you don’t know what you’re doing, you will cause a lot of damage to the hair.
I’m a hairdresser first and foremost. I’m not a politician. That means I need to be able to give my clients whatever they want, as long as I’m not compromising their hair. We have clients or we have women of colour that want to keep their hair in their natural state. And that’s amazing. But we have women that want to experiment chemicals and I don’t feel that they should be penalised or feel less black because of that. If we go back in history, we’ve always experimented with chemicals in our hair, whether it be clay, water mixed with mud, or whatever. Yes, I appreciate we were in a time where wearing our hair straight made us more favourable in white society. It made us more acceptable. No one can eradicate that history. But at the same time, I think we need to be clear about where we were in those days. We didn’t have the vast choice of products that we have now. We’re in the 21st century. We have a lot of choice.
Your background is steeped in professional hairdressing. Do you think this is still a viable profession in 2023? If so, why?
Absolutely. I think there’s a lot of opportunity for young people in hairdressing. But the fundamentals of hairdressing will never change; it’s about work. And unfortunately, I think the commitment that is required makes it unattractive to the younger generation, plus it is very poorly paid when you first start. But if you have love and passion for it, you will accelerate very quickly and be in a position to earn from it.
I think it’s an amazing career. It’s one of the most unbiased careers out there. It’s one of the most ageless. And to be honest with you, it’s one of the most non prejudicious, because no one cares about what colour your skin is or how old you are, or what your sexual preference is. Your skills are what sell you more so than anything else.
“Unfortunately, when it comes to black hairdressing, there is a lot of negativity around chemicals.”
Do you think mobile hairdressing is the future for hairdressing?
I think mobile hairdressing has always been there. It has never gone anywhere. I think that, now, a light has shone on mobile hairdressers and they have a platform they’ve carved. I think it is a side of the industry that will continue to grow purely because of people’s lifestyles.
There are clients that will never go to a mobile hairdresser because it just doesn’t fit their DNA. They like to sit in a salon and be in that atmosphere. But then you’ve got some clients that hate walking through a salon door; they find it quite intimidating. I think there’s room for everybody, but I don’t think mobile hairdressing is going to be a decreasing side of the sector.
Social media is a great way for stylists to brand themselves. What did you do to reach the top of your game?
You had to get to the top of your game based on your work. You were as good as the last client you did. It was about maintaining a level of professionalism and maintaining a standard of work that allows people to source you and want you to do their hair. I think social media has its place; however, for professionals, social media is only as good as the way you use it.
In terms of building your brand, if you’re new in this industry, I can see why you’d be attracted to social media. But if you’ve been in this industry, you’ve got that traction because you’ve already built your clientele. So you’re going to use social media in a very different way to somebody who’s trying to find their path and build their audience.
Was it word of mouth that helped you get your name out there?
A lot of it was word of mouth. I think I’ve been very lucky because I’ve worked for a brand for most of my hairdressing career. Before I worked for Avlon, I worked for brands like L’Oréal and Soft & Beautiful. I work for a lot of major brands. That helps with your profile, because you’re seen at shows, in magazines, writing articles or given an opinion on things.
As much as I liked the creative side of hairdressing. I really am a technical hairdresser. I like product knowledge and I like to know about the science of hair. I’ve built myself on that element of hairdressing. The technical side of hairdressing is what excites me more so than photo shoots. That doesn’t mean I don’t like doing them, but for me it’s always about the integrity of the hair.
Do you think it was a lot harder than without social media?
I think to some degree, it was, because you had to do the work. You didn’t just get likes and buy ticks. I don’t want to take anything away from anybody who’s doing social media, because it’s a different time. And I think it has its place. If social media was around in those times, I probably would have a tick behind me too. But it just wasn’t there. You got recognised based on what you did.
“There are clients that will never go to a mobile hairdresser because it just doesn’t fit their DNA.”
What’s been the highlight of your career?
Gosh, there have been so many and I’ve been very lucky. I’ve had the ability to work with so many people and do so many faces. But I think the biggest thing for me was going back into education and qualifying as a trichologist, because that was tough. And the reason why it was tough is because, when you’re new to something, you’re a sponge, and you haven’t got any preconceived ideas or knowledge of a subject matter. But when you go into something with knowledge and experience, and you have to learn something else, in a way that is being delivered outside of what your comfort zone or knowledge is, you really have to suppress what you know, to leave yourself open to what you’re learning. That was a real journey for me.
As the director of Avlon, the science of textured hair is at the forefront of what you teach. Can you tell us a fun fact about textured hair?
It’s the most unique hair type on the planet. We hear so much about the fragility of it, but it is the most universal hair texture that you ever have the pleasure of working with. You can do anything with textured hair, as long as you know what you’re doing.
You’re also the team leader for The Fellowship for British Hairdressing’s Project Afro. Can you tell us a bit more about Project Afro?
It was so nice to be approached by The Fellowship to be the project leader for Project Afro. It’s a great responsibility, because it is the first Afro project for The Fellowship for British Hairdressing, and I felt it was important to not only bring on board mentors that may not necessarily be seen on social media or in magazines, but that are amazing hairdressers, barbers and creatives. Secondly, it was important to educate people on black British hairdressing. Because I’m a black British hairdresser – I’m not an American hairdresser. I stand on the shoulders of people that have come before me: amazing hairdressers who helped build this industry from the floor up. American hairdressers are amazing, but they fundamentally work on black hair. Black British hairdressers are trained on European hair. We’ve had to utilise our European hair training, and bring it over to our Afro training that we’ve learned alongside.
As I Am has become a firm favourite with naturalistas, Why do you think that is? And what are your favourite As I Am products?
I think the reason why As I Am has been so prolific amongst naturalistas is because Dr. Syed [founder of As I Am] took the time to understand their needs. And this is why I respect this man so much.
In terms of my As I Am favourites, I’ve got to go with the Classic So Much Moisture Hydrating Lotion. It’s for textured hair clients whose hair is thirsty – and I’m one of them.
One of my other favourites is the JCBO Water. Water dries our hair out, so a water-based liquid that has black castor oil in it gives you the lubrication and hydration that you need without drying out your hair.
And then I like the Smoothing Gel because I wear my hair short and the gel locks everything down and keeps it in place. And, oh God, the DoubleButter Cream – I could go on. The CocoaShea Whip is amazing for moisturising the hair. There are so many products that would be favourites, but the ones that I’ve just mentioned are core to the brand.
