Curl power: Charlotte Mensah’s guide to afro and textured hair
What is ‘good hair’ anyway?
It depends who you’re asking. If we’re basing it on the mainstream, and let’s be honest - typically white - hair product ads and magazines spreads, it would probably mean hair which has volume, shine and a smooth and silky texture. For those of Afro-Caribbean heritage, however, ‘good hair’ takes on a whole new meaning, one which legendary hairstylist Charlotte Mensah has rebranded for her new book, the aptly-titled Good Hair.
With clients such as Michaela Coel, Jourdan Dunn and June Sarpong on her list, Mensah’s reputation as the go-to hairstylist for afro and curly hair precedes her. Following the loss of her mother at age 13, her journey began when she took over hair care duties for her younger sister. This birthed a passion for everything haircare from braiding to dyeing and experimental cuts.
Mensah packs an impressive resumé which includes styling for the average customer in need of some hair TLC at her eponymous salon on Portobello road, styling on editorial photoshoots and high profile events and even releasing her own line of hair products (she swears by the Manketti Oil). Now she’s gathered all of her expertise into the newly released Good Hair.
The title is a nod to what it means to have healthy and luscious locks, yes, but it also references the Eurocentric beauty standards that have plagued Afro-Caribbean communities for centuries, with ‘good hair’ often meaning hair which is long and loose rather than kinky or tightly coiled.
Mensah’s essential guide to afro, textured and curly hair flips this heavy term upside down, offering advice, knowledge and tenderness for people with curly and kinky hair who may not have had access or exposure to the key information they needed growing up.
We caught up with the hairstylist to chat about her rise to the top, tips for looking after natural hair, and why every girl with kinks and coils needs a copy of Good Hair.
How did you get your start in hair?
I left the UK when I was three months old to live with my grandparents in Accra, Ghana. I remember my aunties always having nice hairstyles and there was a woman who used to come to their house and thread their hair. I enjoyed watching them getting it done but I never thought that later in my life I’d be a hairstylist. At the age of 11 I joined my mum in the UK and I’d watch my mum do my sister’s hair and she would do mine as well. Sadly my mum passed away when I was 13 so I took over with my sister’s hair and would braid, canerow and wash it. Every time I did her hair it felt like mum was around and that made us bond more. I later got a job at the first black salon to open up in the UK called Splinters and it was run by the late Winston Isaacs. I started to enjoy doing hair on a professional level and it just felt like a happy space since the last four years of my life had been quite traumatic. People would come in and we’d share stories so it felt like a healing process. Splinters was the only amazing place in the UK that specialised in curly textures and it was known. People were coming from all over the world. You could have colour and braids all in this one place. It felt like home.
Your favourite celebrity clients?
There are so many. To me, all of my clients are celebrities whether they’re coming from college or just about to start their career journey. I will say that someone I can always connect with is Erykah Badu. We have a great connection and she’s a very different type of woman in terms of her outlook in life. We’re both very spiritual and when I met her it was like I’d known her forever.
Why did you write this book?
[The black community] has a lot of issues around our hair and for so many years we’ve had this rigid European standard of beauty enforced on us. Because of this we spend so many years abusing our hair and wanting to look like these images at the risk of hair loss. I’ve had girls coming into my salon who are 15-year-old and wearing wigs. I ask, ‘why are you wearing a wig? Where is your hair?’ I’m not saying you shouldn’t wear wigs - you’re free to create whatever you want with your hair - but there must be a balance. It’s really stressful when you think about it psychologically with how they feel about themselves. Hair is a big thing to us and we’re so lucky our hair is so versatile; we can have it straight one day and coily another day. This book is a deeper understanding of what hair means to us and what we can do to save our hair today and many more years to come. I always thought my first book would be a massive coffee table book with lots and lots of pictures of all of my hair collections - I never knew it would be me sharing my story with the world. The book is everything from education to inspiration for you to get up and do something with your life.
What’s your definition of ‘good hair?’
All hair is good hair. It’s about us accepting, honouring and appreciating it. For so long we’ve had these rigid ideas of what it should look like. It doesn’t matter whether it’s two inches or ten inches, whether it's kinky or coily, wavy or straight. It’s just about knowing what you can do to make your hair look amazing. Yes, we should be able to be versatile, but the key is to know how to look after the hair that grows out of your head.
How does culture and history play a role in the meaningfulness of black hair?
Black hair is not hair that you can just farm off of to anyone to do it for you. We have a lot of spiritual connections with our hair. In certain African tribes your hair communicates everything from whether you’re available for marriage or whether you’re of a certain rank in society. In parts of Ghana and Nigeria, when you lose a spouse you shave your hair completely and start again so that’s part of a ritual. In other parts of Africa, when you have a baby you also shave your hair off because it’s communication to the ancestors to say that a new person who is part of this bloodline has arrived. There’s so much to it.
Charlotte’s 5 top tips for healthy natural hair:
1. Be gentle with your hair. When detangling, take your time and work your way up to the roots very gently, using the right tools.
2. Don’t forget to get regular trims. A lot of people are walking around with two years of dead hair without realising it.
3. Regular treatments. If you want your hair to remain nourished, hydrated and moisturised, make sure you go for regular treatments.
4. Always sleep with a silk scarf.
5. Good hair starts from the inside. Are you sleeping enough, drinking enough water and eating properly? Even your mental and emotional wellbeing affects your hair, so you need to keep on top of these areas too.
Good Hair: The Essential Guide to Afro, Textured and Curly Hair is available to buy now.
