Afro hair specialist and co-founder of Ascend, Naomi Brooks shares why she decided to step into the field of hairdressing education
For me, becoming an educator was never about adding another title to my career. It came from recognising a gap in our industry that had existed for far too long.
After more than 20 years in hairdressing, specialising in Afro and textured hair, I’ve been fortunate enough to work across salon, editorial, fashion and education. Every experience has shaped me as a stylist, but one thing has remained consistent throughout my career: textured hair has too often been treated as a niche, rather than an essential part of professional hairdressing.
Time and time again, I’d meet stylists who genuinely wanted to learn but had never been given the opportunity. Many had completed their qualifications without receiving meaningful education on textured hair, leaving them lacking confidence when clients with curls, coils and Afro hair sat in their chair. It wasn’t because they didn’t care – it was because the education simply hadn’t been there.
Rather than accepting that as the norm, I knew I wanted to change this. Moving into education wasn’t driven by wanting to teach techniques alone. It was about helping to raise standards, challenging outdated thinking and creating a more inclusive hair industry where every client can expect knowledgeable, professional care, whatever their hair type or texture.
When I teach, I focus on far more than cutting or styling. I teach understanding. Understanding curl patterns, product selection, hair health, protective styling, consultation and texture-specific techniques. Most importantly, I want people to understand why different approaches are needed; rather than relying on a one-size- fits-all method, it needs to be bespoke to the client in the chair.
That philosophy has become the foundation of everything I do. Education has allowed me to extend my impact far beyond the salon. I’ve had the privilege of mentoring professionals, delivering specialist education and supporting initiatives that help foster carers and social workers understand the cultural importance and practical care of Afro and textured hair. Those experiences have reinforced my belief that education isn’t just about creating better stylists; it’s about improving confidence, identity and representation within our wider communities.
For me, education is an opportunity to make our industry more inclusive than it was when I first started my career. When I began there wasn’t the level of structured education around textured hair that we should have had, there still isn’t. Rather than allowing that experience to become a limitation, I chose to use it as motivation to create the kind of learning environment I wish had existed for me.
Everything I teach is rooted in real salon experience. Every technique has been refined behind the chair, every piece of advice comes from working with clients, creating editorial looks, styling backstage and continually developing my craft. I want people to leave my courses and walk back into their salons feeling confident enough to put their new skills into practice straight away.
The hair industry continues to evolve, and our clients’ expectations are evolving with it. Today’s clients expect their stylist to feel confident working with every texture. They want professionals who understand healthy hair as well as beautiful results. That means education is no longer a luxury, it’s a responsibility. That’s something I feel incredibly passionate about.
One of the most rewarding parts of teaching is seeing confidence grow throughout the day. I often meet stylists who arrive feeling nervous about textured hair because they’ve simply never had the chance to learn. By the end of the session, they’re asking questions, trying new techniques and realising it’s not as intimidating than they imagined. Seeing that transformation and confidence grow is exactly why I continue to teach and strive for inclusivity in education.
Ultimately, becoming an educator has never been about standing at the front of a classroom. It’s about opening doors that were once closed, helping raise standards across our profession and ensuring textured hair is no longer treated as an afterthought within hairdressing education.
If everyone who attends one of my classes leaves with greater confidence, broader understanding and the ability to provide a better experience for every client who sits in their chair, then I’ve achieved exactly what I set out to do. That’s why I started teaching, and it’s why I continue to do it.
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