At a young age, I learned what discrimination was. As a little African American girl growing up in Inglewood, California, you would think that I would’ve been discriminated against the most because of the color of my skin. Don’t get me wrong. Oh, I definitely was! But, never in a million years would I have expected to be discriminated against, teased, and bullied because of my hair! Whether it was overt discrimination/bullying because of my hair or subtle backhanded comments that chipped away at my self-esteem for years, my curly hair was one of the biggest sources of pain in my life.
I want you to take a minute and think about your life. Can you remember instances where people discriminated against you or bullied you because of your hair? Can you remember instances where someone made you feel ugly because of your hair? Can you remember feeling helpless because you didn’t know what to do with or how to take care of your hair? Can you remember being embarrassed because of your hair or praying for different hair…anything other than your hair? Yes, these questions are all the foundation for my life’s story, but it’s likely your story too. Unfortunately it’s the story of waaaaaaay too many curly haired men and women that I speak to.
When people meet me, they often ask me what was the motivation behind the creation of “Numbered Curls.” To be honest, I never had any intention on starting a business. All I knew is that I had severe skin allergies and the “natural” hair products on the market 1) didn’t get the job done and 2) always gave me an allergic reaction. Since I’m a “kick the door down” type of woman, I turned into a mad scientist and started experimenting on myself. Looking back at this… I highly DO NOT recommend that people do this! Lol. But by being my own guinea pig, I learned a lot about what my hair and skin liked and a whole lot of what it didn’t like.
It wasn’t until late 2018 when a woman at my church asked me what I used on my hair and I told her “nothing!” I explained that my years of experimentation led me to creating my own hair products that allow my hair to thrive and flourish. She then asked if I could replicate the process. Although unsure, I was open to giving it a go. She told me of her hair pain points, described her known allergies/sensitivities, and I went to work. In the end, she ended up loving the finished product. It’s because of her that our first product was created: “Beauti’FULL hair oil.”
This woman motivated and encouraged me to start a business. She let me know that my gifts and talents would make room for me. And they have! Another woman at our church saw her results and came to me with a similar request. Up for the challenge, I went to work yet again and our “Sahara hair oil” was born. In fact, each and every product has a story behind it… one that is similar to the two that I’ve mentioned above. It felt good helping them. But, when starting the business, I didn’t want to take those two success stories for granted. In fact, I strongly considered not starting a business. I knew that entrepreneurship isn’t easy. I knew that there’s a lot of blood, sweat, and tears involve and that scared me.
But, at the heart of Numbered Curls is this… “And the very hairs on your head are numbered.” ~ Luke 12:7. I realized that I have a heart for people, especially those that have been discriminated against and/or taken advantage of. I have a heart for people who often won’t or can’t speak up for themselves. For years I thought that this meant that I was supposed to be a lawyer. But now, I see that I was meant for so much more. I AM A CURLY HAIR ADVOCATE! I am someone who cares about each and every curl that’s on a person’s head. Why? Because I know what it feels like to be teased because of those curls. I remember the helplessness that I’ve felt as I’ve lost curls due to hair loss. I can relate to the pain and hopelessness that comes from not knowing what to do with my curls. I remember the anger that I’ve felt seeing companies taking advantage of me and other curly haired people via toxic products and products that flat out just don’t work. And, I NEVER want ANYONE else to experience what I have.
Thankfully, there are many more advocates (now) than there were years ago. For this, I am so grateful. But, if you get nothing else from this blog post, please know this. Just as God cares about every single hair on your head… so much so that He’s numbered them, it’s my mission to strive to care about your hair just as much as He does. Know that I love you, even though I don’t know you. I lose sleep wondering how I can best help, service, and be an advocate for you. And I won’t stop until I’ve made a significant impact on the natural hair/ curly hair industry.
CURLY HAIRED PEOPLE, UNITE!