As a fellow member of the Black Girl Hair Struggles at a PWI, I am very aware how hard it is to keep your hair looking cute. In the New England area, the nearest ethnic hair salon resides in Manchester or if you want a variety of hair salons you’ll have to travel to Boston. Now both of these locations aren’t close enough and if you don’t have a car you’re really out of luck. Box braids is a popular style for black girls when they are away at school. Box braids are convenient, they last long, don’t require that much maintenance. But box braids also can create damage, from thinning edges to lack of moisture.
However, us black girls have always been able to survive even when we didn’t have much of a choice. But here on the NEC campus, us black girls have been blessed with two amazing females who do hair well and at college-friendly prices.
Debbie, A.K.A. Pinky, a freshman from NYC and Shawna, a sophomore from Boston.
These two girls have really made a name for themselves when it comes to hooking other girl’s hair up on campus. And I have been a client of both females multiple times.
While getting my hair done, I was able to speak with Debbie and ask a few questions regarding her success as the go to hairstylist here on campus.
“I just love doing hair,” she begins, “doing hair is what I love to do.”
Debbie even went on to talk about before college she worked at a beauty salon and was accustomed to doing every hairstyle on every hair texture. She also has her cosmetology license and plans on opening her own hair salon after college. You can walk pass her room and someone will be sitting there getting their hair done.
“I do my own hair all the time, I install my own weaves and I even color my own hair fluorescent pink. I like doing my own hair.”
Debbie can be identified by her bright hot pink hair.
Shawna does a lot on campus, from being the dance captain to being an RA as well as a student ambassador. Her other hidden talent is doing hair. The first time I heard Shawna did hair was at an event that the Office of Diversity and Inclusion hosted last year giving women of color a platform to expose their talents from hair to nails and even makeup.
Shawna expressed that she did hair. I also love having my hair done by Shawna had the pleasure of speaking with her about her hidden talents.
“Hair is everything, I love doing hair and I love making sure my clients like it!”
I think I can speak for the rest of the black girl community at NEC that we are so happy to have two amazing talented black women to help us in our times of need.
