My hair journey began the moment I arrived on Earth, with thick, big curls as a baby. As I grew older, my hair continued to grow and became a significant part of bath time, which I often resisted. I would accept my mom’s generous offers of sweets and toys in exchange for letting her brush my hair, but these offers only lasted so long before the tears and discomfort. As a result, my mom turned to the happy and beautiful girl on the front of a relaxer box, hoping to instil the same joy in me about my hair. I always looked forward to getting my hair relaxed because I wanted to be just like that girl. Having straight and long hair made me feel beautiful and seen.
For eight years, I sat on a special cushion and had my hair relaxed until one day in high school, I saw a girl with beautiful curls that I wanted. I was confused when she told me all she did was wet her hair, so I went home and wet mine as much as I could. No curl appeared, and my mom told me I would need to cut all the relaxed hair off.
I bleached my hair in 2017 after an attempt of wanting to have the brightest and biggest hair. It worked and I resembled a baby lion, but after a while, my hair started to break and I had to cut it all off to start again. It was such a liberating experience to let go of something I had depended on for so long to feel beautiful
This was in 2008 and since that day, I have grown with my hair learning and loving it. From blonde to a pixie cut, I’ve explored it all and met myself in different ways. My big chop was a turning point in detaching from my hair as it was a main attraction and had become a safety blanket for hiding my flaws. I realised I didn't know myself without my hair.
Currently, I see my hair as a part of me, and it's the healthiest it's ever been. I take my weekly wash day pamper as a way to pour into myself. As a full-time hairstylist, I cannot dismiss the tips I give to my clients and not do them for myself.
My hair is a conversation starter, an accessory to any outfit, an expression of self-acceptance, a reflection of my unique heritage and a form of dedicated self-care.
I bleached my hair in 2017 after an attempt of wanting to have the brightest and biggest hair. It worked and I resembled a baby lion but after a while, my hair started to break and I had to cut it all off to start again. It was such a liberating experience to let go of something I had depended on for so long to feel beautiful and my self-care journey began. I felt vulnerable at times but it was a time to get to know myself from a new perspective.
Growing up, I was too young to understand that I was being pressured into conforming, and the outcome of that meant I was seen and accepted by the cool girls in school. I had no desire to rebel against the pressures because I didn’t know they were there. Now, as I get older, I have a greater desire to just authentically be me, and life feels lighter doing so.
My hair is a huge part of self-expression for me, especially when I travel. It’s so big and can sometimes look “untamed”, which is actually when I feel most beautiful. As amazing as it is to be natural, I still think there is a huge pressure to always have perfectly defined curls.
When I was in Kenya last year, I spent all day in the pool jumping in and out like a 9-year-old kid with no worries, I didn’t care about ruining my hair and just felt a freedom I cannot explain. When it was time to head to dinner, I didn’t have enough time to style, so I just went out with my hair un-styled, and it dried within minutes. I took photos the next day, and I felt so powerful because I really take pride in my hair routine to make sure that my curls look perfect. That moment changed my perspective of my hair, and now I love it at all stages. Since then, I have fallen in love with my hair again because I accept it for what it is.
I am a huge advocate for keeping things simple. We live in a world where there is always a brand selling us every product to remove frizz or elongate hair, and the pressure to have it all or know what to use can be overwhelming. I am fortunate enough to receive PR packages, but through my experience of trying numerous products, I've realised that hair benefits most from a simple routine: a clarifying shampoo, a hydrating shampoo, a conditioner to detangle and smooth, and a styling product to set all that hard work.
Zimbabwean & English Gemini Nia is a breath of fresh air in the social media community. She is a confidence advocate with younger girls learning to accept their bodies and quirks and has started a movement called #HappyFroday (Fro Friday) dedicated to embracing her curls! She has launched her own hair salon called 'The Curl Bar London' where she specialises in styling curly hair as well as becoming an author of her self-love journey The Book Of Light.
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