Renee Abeo Williams is not a professional hairdresser, nor does she aspire to be one. In fact, her expertise is in the area of management finance. But when a person appreciates their natural hair as much as Williams does hers, it is only natural (no pun intended) that they find themselves tangled in the coils of the hair care business.
Williams is the founder of My Great Hair Company, a platform through which natural hair enthusiasts – professionals and amateurs alike – can learn about their hair and find various sources of support and advice on caring for it.
“My Great Hair Company was birthed under the premise of hair love, hair appreciation, hair support and hair acceptance,” Williams told WMN.
[caption id="attachment_931550" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The Great Hair Chronicles journal by Renee Williams. Photo by Cheers Visual Communications courtesy Renee Williams -[/caption]
“My vision is to create strategic alliances with corporations and institutions interested in diversity and inclusivity,” to work together to help young people love and accept themselves.
She said many women turn to chemical processing because they’ve been taught that they have "bad hair" or find it difficult to manage their natural, curly hair.
“For some women, going back to their roots is almost like a challenge, or a struggle.
"You often ask yourself ‘what does my hair feel like coming out of my scalp after so many years of chemical processing?' Sometimes you end up in forums with other confused people, and spending a lot of money trying out different products in an attempt to find the right fit for you.
"That’s one of the main reasons I decided to build this platform – a place or space where I could give my experience and where others could give theirs, whether they are professional hairdressers or not.”
She said because of society’s view that some people having “good hair” while others didn’t was what prompted the name of the platform.
“I wanted to give a message. ‘Your afro-textured, coily, wavy hair that is on our head is beautiful just as it is.’
"Some people use awful terms to describe the natural hair. ‘This child’s hair is so hard. I have to burst out the hair to comb it out.’ That’s why I called the company My Great Hair, because despite what other people may think, I believe I have great hair.”
Williams said she started experimenting with her own products and putting in a lot of research into it. But she firmly believes they were “divinely inspired.” Initially, she gave them to her family and friends to try.
“The feedback was good. I had one relative telling me that it made their hairline grow back.”
[caption id="attachment_931548" align="alignnone" width="683"] Renee Williams formulates hair and face oils, body massage oils, and lips, brow and lash oils in her ‘little’ Diego Martin workspace. Photo by Cheers Visual Communications courtesy Renee Williams -[/caption]
She makes hair oil, face oils, body massage oils, and lips, brow and lash oils in her “little” workspace in her Diego Martin ho
