THE ROOT OF THE MATTER
Growing up, I had hair so long, flowing halfway down my back. Lo and behold, one day, I suddenly realised that my hair could not come together to make a ponytail. I was completely disheartened. I was only 24 and I was suffering from hair loss.
My hair had been a huge part of my physical identity and I had always paid some level of attention to it. I could not figure out what may have possibly caused this seeming misfortune. Based on the age old tale that the more you cut your hair the more it grows, I cut my hair, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best that it would grow. And grow it did. I knew this because every so often I would get a relaxer touch up at the point of new growth.
As if by serendipity, one night, I thought to myself “Hang on, this makes no sense. My hair is growing but it’s not getting any longer!!! How can something be growing but not be getting any longer?” So I did a google search and that’s when I stumbled into the insightful world of healthy hair care.
I stayed up for hours that night. What was this new knowledge and where had it been hiding all my life? That night I read about the unique pattern in which African hair grows, I read about shampoo types and how to use them, I read about deep conditioning treatments and the ways in which they help various hair issues, I read about heat, about chemicals and their effects on hair, I read about daily hair care routines for length retention, I read about reading labels and ingredients to purchase the right hair products, I read about healthy hair care methods. I just kept reading. There and then I decided to start my healthy hair journey.
My goal was restoring my hair to mid-back length. In six months, I bought over fifty hair products. I guess I became somewhat obsessed with this new found interest. On my trips abroad I was like a kid in a candy store as I approached the hair product aisle in stores. Over time, I streamlined my product use and set myself on a clear and strategic hair growth regimen. My hair thrived better than ever before. Everyone around me started asking questions. People would call me to ask for advice before they washed their hair. Some friends would go ahead and ask me to accompany them on their salon visits.
At this point I realised that beyond hair styling, women in our society had a deep need for healthy hair care. There was a missing education on the African woman’s hair type which had become glaring with the alarmingly increased cases of extreme hair loss and damage. If we did not take charge of our hair now, we would soon have no hair to fix our luscious extensions on. I resolved to bring that “new” knowledge out in the open. I wanted women to understand and believe that African hair was not difficult to manage - it was special. It was different and therefore had to be cared for differently. Indeed, there was hope for our edges!
I envisioned a safe space where women could work through their hair loss and scalp issues in the most comfortable and convenient way for their lifestyle. To achieve this goal I knew I had to improve my knowledge beyond what google and books had to offer because hair comes in a multitude of types and textures. I quit my job in legal practice and proceeded to pursue a Certification in Trichology (The scientific study of hair and scalp) in New York and a diploma in African hair care in London. In June 2014, I launched Tresses by K. Vera-Cruz – my Trichology Consulting practice and in October 2015 we launched our Healthy Hair Treatment focused studio. There is a misconception that for us to achieve healthy hair we have to do many tedious, strenuous, time consuming things to it. Not so. At Tresses we pride ourselves in a fuss-free approach. A healthy hair journey is about taking the time to understand your hair, accepting it like you would any other part of your body and caring for it according to its unique pattern. It’s about rocking gorgeous hair styles while ensuring we still have edges aka front hair when we are done. It’s about evolving our personal style hand in hand with head to toe confidence. Knowing that what we have underneath our turbans and hats is presentable so we are never caught in the middle of a quick (wig-less) supermarket errand looking wild and out. Since inception, we have consulted with over 700 women and carried out over 2000 treatments. With hair, you have to be age and lifestyle conscious. At Tresses no two women undergo the same treatment course or use the same product. I have taught seminars and master classes on the more technical aspects of hair growth however through this platform, I will share real life experiences and thoughts with you in the hopes that you gain clarity and confidence in the nature and possibilities of your beautiful, elegant head of African hair.