Growing up, I always had super thick hair! My hair was a lot to handle, especially once my mother‘s carpal tunnel, heavily effected both of her hands! During that time, I was in middle school and was forced to figure my hair situation out by myself. During certain times, my parents were able to afford to get my hair done, professionally.

Within that time, I was able to learn what worked and what did not work for my hair. After high school, I started dyeing my hair and wearing weaves, pretty often—unhealthy hair along with breakage followed. I became dependent on weaves and felt unattractive, whenever I didn’t have one in. It wasn’t until my husband proposed that I realized I wanted to go on a healthy hair journey—if I expected my husband to love all of me, I had to love all of me, myself. Shortly after, I started experimenting with my natural hair and doing protectives styles (braids, twists, and crochet styles). I started to get so good at it, others often asked who did my hair, and when my response would be “I did it myself,” I would get “OMG” and “I could never” blah blah blah.

I decided to start doing hair tutorials and posting them on my Instagram page. At that time, I was working in education and my students started seeing my hair videos on their social media feeds—my classroom became a hair salon, during nutrition class and lunch. This caused me to start paying attention to my students, in a new way—I noticed the difference in their class participation, when their hair was done and when it was not.

One day, it clicked for me that I should start a program teaching my babies how do their own hair, so they wouldn’t make the same hair mistakes as I did. Hair is where a girl’s confidence is mainly found. This revelation birthed “Confident Combs”—a program centered around building confidence through teaching young girls how to love and appreciate their natural hair. Confident Combs also provides different techniques to perfect protective styles, in a manner that allows them to save money as well as make money doing hair.

While working in education, one thing I noticed is that everyone loves feeling and looking good, no matter the age; and at a young age, girls deserve to experience the same hair care, hygiene, and self-confidence the older women in their lives have experienced. “Confident Combs” believes it is important for young Black girls whose heritage stems from a long history of misplaced cultural identity and resistance, to have adequate knowledge of the various ways they can maintain their hair.

Historically, Natural Hair has been deemed “untamed” or “un-ethical.” Certain products and false images of what should be considered “appropriate” hairstyles for Black girls create false notions and share imagery pressing a need to assimilate into a culture where natural hair is unfortunately undervalued.  This has been damaging to the self-love that all people rightfully deserve. “Confident Combs” will aid in the teaching and hands-on skill building of the knowledge necessary to love and maintain a head full of healthy hair. Building confidence, at a young age, is important for girls to understand early on that they have the ability to care and love themselves as they are and not seek external validation.