Getting their hair braided, relaxed or styled is an experience many Black women have in their lifetimes. It is a way to connect with their culture and community.
Veronica Holton, owner of Braids By Ve on West Old Plank road in Columbia, specializes in braiding, wig installations, twists and locing hair methods.
“I used to braid for my friend,” Holton said. “She showed me one braid, and I did her whole head. [After that], I was booked [up].”
Holton services many mid-Missouri cities surrounding Columbia. Her clients travel to her because the salons in their cities do not provide the services for curly to coily hair that they want.
“When I started braiding, everybody came so fast,” Holton said. “Because they were looking for somebody who was reliable, consistent and that they could count on.”
Mid-Missouri is considered a “Black hair desert.” These are rural areas with few to no salons specializing in texturized hair. Salons in these areas typically work with straight and wavy hair types and blowouts. Black hair deserts have always existed, but they were not defined until 2018.
The lack of salons that cater to curly and coily hair in rural areas stems from cosmetology boards not requiring natural hairstyling in their curriculums.
If a stylist wants to learn more about texturized hair, additional training and courses are usually the only way they can. Companies like Aveda Institutes have implemented these courses in recent years.
Holton said her inspiration for starting her business stemmed from her own experiences when she was younger.
“I’ve had a lot of different experiences growing up,” she said. “Different environments, feeling uncomfortable or past braiders made me feel like they were mad or angry. I [have taken] those bad [experiences] and given my clients a say because it’s their experience.”
One of Holton’s clients, Lianna Johnson, says she struggled to find braiders when she moved to Columbia.
“When I was looking for braiders, I probably found three of them,” Johnson said. “[Holton] was the only braider who had a good number of clients and a lot of posts. I wanted to go to someone with experience.”
Johnson says that she struggled with finding the right stylist while growing up in St. Louis, too.
“I [had] braiders, but [they were] inconsistent,” Johnson said. “I had a couple of them throughout different parts of my life, so it made it hard to rely on [one] braider.”
Johnson wanted a stylist who could work with her hair because she did not know how to style it herself.
“I would [ask my friends], ‘Hey, who’s doing your hair?’ ‘What styles do you do?’,” Johnson said. “And all their answers were ‘I do them myself.’ And I was like, ‘No!’ ‘Cause I can’t do my own hair like that.”
Johnson said that with past stylists in Columbia, she felt like an afterthought because they were not able to do her hair.
“It’s important for Black women specifically to have the option to get their hair done at places like [Holton’s],” she said. “We aren’t necessarily thought of first when it comes to hair braiding businesses [or stylists] who come to Columbia.”
While Holton said she is usually fully booked, she knows her services are essential to the community.
“People are already beautiful how they come,” she said. “I’ve had people who have never had braids before, so I have the opportunity to be the first one to make them feel that way.”
Clients like Johnson said they are grateful for Holton and the comfort, versatility and confidence she provides through her services.
“Having [Holton] do my hair has made me more comfortable with my hair,” she said. “She never complains about if it’s too thick or not detangled. A lot of braiders made me feel like my hair was too much for them, [but Holton] never makes me feel that way.”
Holton hopes that by providing her services, she can empower Black women to try new things with their hair.
“I’m in a position where I can give braiding a different meaning,” she said. “Most people come from different areas or had bad experiences. They didn’t have the resources at home to find braiders. I feel like I’m giving them the opportunity to know that braiding is safe and can be healthy for your hair.”
Black hairstyles have always been a source of pride and inspiration, and the more curly hair salons there are, the more basic needs of Black women can be met.
Edited by Alex Goldstein and Savvy Sleevar | ssleevar@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Brooklyn Cross and Mary Philip