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| Trina doing what she does best. |
This is the second time I have featured my hair stylist of
16 years, Trina, on my blog. She is a
wealth of hair care and style knowledge, so there is always endless insight she
can provide. The first interview, we
touched on some of her hair care tips. This time around, I wanted to focus more on
the business side. I mean, after all,
when we hear politicians discuss small businesses, how often does your local
hair salon come to mind? Every time you
have sat down in a swivel chair, been adorned with a cape and put your hair in
the hands of someone wielding flat irons, smoking hot barreled curlers or a
pair of sharp shears you personally supported a small business. For some, their support comes as often as
weekly or as little as annually for special occasions, trims, chemical
treatments or color. Regardless of the
frequency of your visits, the hair industry is big business. Whether the stylist is renting a booth or
owns the “shop”, those individuals act as their own CEO, president and
operations team all rolled into one. The
competition within the industry has always been fierce, yet in the wake of the
natural hair “movement”, women are becoming less dependent on their stylist and
more self-sufficient and knowledgeable about their own hair. If you stopped 10 random natural-haired women
on the street, at least 7 of them have done their own hair. With YouTube videos, meet-ups, product swaps
and natural hair bloggers infiltrating your Facebook and Twitter timelines,
there is so much information and there seems to be less of a need for going to
the salon. Visit your local Target,
Walgreens, CVS or even Whole Foods and you are sure to find an end-cap or two
featuring natural hair care products. So
with all of this information and DIY tips floating around, where does that
leave our beloved stylists?
I took the opportunity while having my hair finger-twisted
at Trina’s N.V. Hair Studio, located in downtown Chicago, to delve deeper into
the subject. I wanted her opinion. When I first met Trina, I was a junior in
high school; I just wanted my hair to be cute and manageable. At
that time, she was renting a booth. Now
the salon I go to is hers. This year
marks Trina’s 29th year in the hair industry. She graduated from Wilford Academy in
September 1984. Growing up, she was
fascinated with hair. She recalls her
mom sending her to school with her hair looking one way and at some point
throughout the day she would change it.
As early as the 3rd or 4th grade, she would do her
sister’s hair and make “concoctions”, but back then she never “really claimed
it”. Since Trina has been in the
business almost as long as I have been alive (she is not old, just started her
career right out of high school), she has seen many changes take place in the
hair care industry. Some of the changes
that stand out to her are the number of products and product knowledge by
customers. There has been an increase in
choices for both salons and products.
One change she is not happy with is the “assembly line” mentality of
some stylists these days. Trina wants to
put the “care back into hair care.”
Trina has fully embraced the natural hair movement. She has even started N.A.P.E.E. (Naturally
Attractive Proud Energy Empowerment) Cakes a name she has created and hopes to
brand to be synonymous with healthy hair.
The goal is to change the negative thoughts attributed to nappy hair and to use N.A.P.E.E. Cakes
as a source of education and a forum for those with natural hair. Trina admits the so-called natural hair
movement has changed the hair industry a lot.
Especially for the professional who did not “jump on the train”. She regrets that there are hairdressers who
are “turning [natural hair] clients away because they can’t do it.” What
are the benefits of the movement?
“It’s great that women have embraced their hair. [But] it’s a lot of work. It’s good work. Most heads need a break from the creamy
crack. That’s my campaign. That is my point.” Trina hopes N.A.P.E.E. Cakes will encourage
women to embrace their hair no matter the coil or curl. Making what may have previously been
considered nappy i.e. bad hair, into
the “new good hair”. She wants women to
“wear it and wear it well.” N.A.P.E.E.
Cakes workshops feature a wide range of hair textures and, of course,
cupcakes. “Who doesn’t like cupcakes?”
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| Trina throughout the years (clockwise): Top Left- 5th Grade and Senior Photo, Right- before marriage and kids (1995 & 2005), Bottom Right- daughter (R) and step daughter, Bottom Left- at last years inaugural N.A.P.E.E. Cakes event |
With that said, I asked Trina how she competes with all the
home techniques. “I don’t” was her
definitive answer. Instead of making
“How To” videos and blog posts the enemy-
to hair stylists, she too has learned a lot from them. Trina takes time to decode some of the
products and their uses for clients in need.
“It can get overwhelming.”
Furthermore, she laments, women are spending their “last [dollar] on
hair care products, [when] it’s all about DNA.
I want to bring the best out of your hair.” Although loving hair care and products is not
exclusive to Black women, there is something particularly special about our
spending habits when it comes to our hair.
Trina says that that kind of attention and affection is not new. It goes “way back. We have always based things on hair. We describe people by hair. No other culture does that. We have such diversity.” She is right, think back to how you describe
a Black woman, it usually goes something like this: She has
short hair. She has a weave. She’s the one with the braids. She had a bob. Her own family was always “fascinated with
hair, in particular, her grandparents.
Trina recalls often cutting her hair while in beauty school and her
family getting upset. Her grandmother
would tell her to “let your hair grow and wear your lip rouge.” As a culture, Trina says, we look at “hair as
beauty. Hair can change things, change
our moods.”
Trina counts YaYa from America’s Next Top Model cycle 3 as
her current “hair hero”. She adds Diana
Ross and daughter, Tracee Ellis Ross, “I’m naming all natural women, aren’t
I?” Viola Davis made the cut, no pun
intended, for just that- her haircut. “I
love that she cut her hair for the Oscars.
She stood her ground.” Rounding
out the group of hair and style icons is Solange. “I love her whole style. She’s got it together.”
With the wave of do it yourself product lines and salons
going out of business all the time, Trina simply credits her clients for
keeping her small business afloat. She
says most of her clients have been coming to her for over 15 years. “Old
clients keep the doors open.” Her
definition of success is “going to work and being happy first. The money will follow. God, health, family, fun- surrounding
yourself with people you look forward to seeing.” Some other keys to her success are, “staying
focused, learning new things.” The hair
industry is “full circle.” A stylist
must learn to take old “remedies and make them work for now.”
As the mother of an 11 year old girl, Trina wants to pass
along the deep-seeded idea that she can do anything in life. “She’s my inspiration. She is fearless and coming out of her
shell.” A recent letter, her daughter
Brooklynn wrote to her, ended with, “Mom, one day I think you’re going to change
the world with the hair [you do].”
Trina, with pride, gushes, “She sees that I’m doing something I
love. I want to make a mark; change
lives one curl at a time.” In the next
5-10 years, Trina wants to see New Vision Hair Studio become incorporated into
N.A.P.E.E. Cakes, becoming a household name.
Her ultimate goal is to host and create more style and hair workshops
for women and young girls; with the thought that the workshops can one day grow
into a fully-functioning hair school, providing young women an outlet and
trade.
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| Trina (Center) surrounded by hair models at the N.A.P.E.E. Cakes event |
Trina's Tips for Summer Natural Hair Care
Tip 1: Hair Mask
If you have never tried a hair mask, this is a great time to do so. Use a oil hair mask the night before a shampoo. Include a nice amount your favorite moisture conditioner, don't be shy! The more hair the more product. Part hair in four sections (if the hair is natural, you can skip this step). Apply the mixed conditioner and your oil of choice- coconut, olive or grape seed- to the hair. After applying to the entire head, add another round of the oil of your choice. Detangle with your fingers and put on a plastic cap. Let this sit overnight. This is a great pre-treatment before you go to the salon or as a DIY shampoo. From here you can wash-and-go with a PH Balanced shampoo or create a twist-out. The result is super hydrated, moist and shiny hair. I love, love, love this!
Tip 2: Try Color
Ladies, if you are natural and you don't have color, your hair can sometimes appear dull and dry no matter how conditioned it is. Consider getting a tone on tone color (your natural color), to add depth and shine or go a few shades lighter. If you have hair commitment issues, try a few highlights to add personality to your style. Talk to your stylist and get a good consultation. DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!
Tip 3: Enjoy
Have fun! Let your hair be a reflection of who you are within.
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