Homecoming a busy time for hair stylists

FAMU transfer student Dominique Jackson. Photo courtesy: Kaylah Burns

With homecoming approaching, the competition between hair stylists on campus has reached a new level.

Many female students at FAMU have been scrambling, looking for the best stylist with the best price to do their homecoming hair. This has left stylists frantic to take greater measures to make sure they get as many clients on campus as possible.

However, some stylists have struggled with getting their business to reach a large number of students. Dominique Jackson, a third-year transfer student, is new to campus this semester and has been trying to reach out to students who need their hair done. She says it has been challenging, though, because the hair community at FAMU seems like a popularity contest.

“I’ve only had two or so clients so far that I’ve found in GroupMe chats,” Jackson said. “Everyone just goes to who’s more known on campus instead of going to who’s actually better.”

Jackson specializes in installing wigs, and says she’s hoping to book clients outside of just who she knows for homecoming. Although she hasn’t had much luck to date, she plans on advertising herself in campus group chats as much as she can.

Other stylists have actually found it easier to work together than to compete with one another. Fourth-year business administration major Maya Simmons and third-year occupational therapy major Breanna Lawrence have put their skills together to work on most of the same clients.

Simmons specializes in installing wigs and Lawrence specializes in braiding. They created a system where clients who want a wig installed can first go to Lawrence to braid their hair down, then to Simmons, who installs the actual wig.

“I can’t really braid hair that well, so that’s something that would make me lose clients,” Simmons said. “Now I just tell them to go to Breanna first so I don’t have to send them away altogether.”

Lawrence says that this strategy has been very lucrative for her.

“I had already been doing like box braids and locs, things like that,” Lawrence said. “So now I can get clients that come from Maya on top of the girls that I usually do. It’s been working out good so far.”

Both Simmons and Lawrence said that they already have more clients than usual booking appointments for homecoming. This is the first homecoming where they will be working together, and they plan on continuing their partnership provided homecoming is successful for them.