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- In the wake of L.A.’s wildfires, L.A. hairstylists and barbers are providing free hair services — braids, twists, haircuts and more — to affected Angelenos.
- Nicole Dezrea Jenkins, a visiting assistant professor of sociology at Harvard University, explained that the stylists are offering a unique kind of support: “In a time of crisis, it’s really easy to focus only on the basic needs, things like food and shelter, but an aspect of emotional recovery is just as vital.”
Angie Martin was the first client to arrive on Sunday morning at Pasadena City College, where a group of hairstylists and barbers were providing free hair services for people affected by the Eaton fire. After fleeing her Altadena home on the evening of Jan. 7, getting her hair done wasn’t top of mind, but then she learned about the two-day “Dena Strong” hair event on the news.
“I started thinking, ‘Oh, my God. How wonderful. How wonderful to be blessed to get my hair done,’” said Martin, 60, who got her hair washed and blow-dried, dyed black and braided down in a protective style so she can wear wigs.
The Eaton fire devastated Altadena. Black Angelenos are mobilizing to protect its future.
Like many residents of Altadena, a historically Black neighborhood that was decimated by the Eaton fire, Martin expected to return home on Jan. 8. Instead, all she has left from her now-scorched apartment unit is a folder of important documents. She is temporarily living in an Airbnb unit provided by 211 LA, an organization partnering with Airbnb.org on the effort, and before Sunday, her hair was “a mess.”
For Ja’Von Paige, a hairstylist born and raised in Altadena, that was a recurring theme when talking to members of her own family who were affected by the firestorm: No one’s hair was done.
So, she decided that’s how she would give back to her community. “Who feels right if their hair isn’t done?” said Paige, 33.
Paige connected with Tara Brooks, another stylist who specializes in braiding, and Darshell Hannah, a celebrity hairstylist and president of the community service organization Charlee’s Angels, to host the event. Nearly 250 people, including first responders, attended the event, which received donations from several businesses including Beyoncé‘s Cécred and Wolfgang Puck.
On Sunday, 44 booths inside of the college’s cosmetology building were filled. Kirk Franklin, a popular Black gospel artist, was blasting from the speakers and laughter filled the room as those affected by the fires received hairstyles ranging from box braids to lineups and retwists. In addition to free hair services, student and alumni volunteers from the college’s cosmetology department offered free nail and facial services.
“All of us are struggling, and one thing about our hair is it’s going to take some time, and that’s one thing I don’t have, time and capacity,” said Jada Tarvin-Abu-Bekr, 24, a social worker who was receiving braids.
As firefighters continue to battle multiple major wildfires, The Times has compiled a list of resources to help.
The energy in the room was not what one might expect from people who just lost everything. (“I’m having more fun doing it for free than when I normally get paid!” said Davon Parker, 33, a stylist who traveled from San Bernardino to staff the event.) But stylists and clients alike shared that community-organized support like the Dena Strong hair event left them feeling blessed and rejuvenated in spite of the tragedy.
“In a time of crisis, it’s really easy to focus only on the basic needs, things like food and shelter, but an aspect of emotional recovery is just as vital,” said Nicole Dezrea Jenkins, a visiting assistant professor of sociology at Harvard University. “The salon is offering a unique kind of support. It is restoring confidence and joy for people who have experienced so much.”
Jonathan Gonzalez, 33, was getting a haircut when he spoke to The Times. On Jan. 7, he had been working on the Palisades fire as an engineer with the L.A. County Public Works. By the next day, he’d lost 11 properties and an aunt to the Eaton fire.
“It’s been a long week, right? So being able to get a cut before I go back into work, get a facial, see people that have experienced what I’ve experienced is really everything for me,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to kind of get my mind off everything.”
As the second-oldest sibling and eldest brother, Ifeanyi Ezieme, 27, said he has been very action-oriented in helping his family recuperate in the aftermath of his home burning.
“This is the first day since everything that I’m like, ‘All right, let me take care of myself for real,’” he said.
After both of her parents’ Altadena homes were destroyed in the Eaton fire and multiple other family members were displaced, salon owner Jazmyn Hobdy was searching for ways she could help affected Angelenos like herself. Then one of her former classmates reached out to her about hosting a free hair event at her Glendale salon in collaboration with Cécred.
Hairstylists and barbers from across L.A. are offering free hair services and products to victims of the wildfires.
“Right now, working is actually the one thing that feels normal,” said Hobdy, 32, whose family has lived in Altadena since the 1970s. Her parents are currently staying with her at her home in the Valley. “It’s the one thing that is actually bringing me peace. I really just love doing hair, and I feel like [the event] just made sense.”
Roughly 35 people attended the Monday event at Extended Beauty Bar, where Hobdy and her team of stylists did an array of services, including wash and blow-drys, haircuts and trims, silk presses and hair extensions. Greeters warmly welcomed clients as they arrived for their appointments. Feel-good music played over the speakers, while staff passed out drinks (mimosas, coffee, tea and water) and pastries donated by Porto’s Bakery & Cafe, and each guest received a goodie bag filled with hair-care products.
“It’s not just that their house burned down,” said Hobdy. “There’s so many things to do right now. People are overwhelmed with what to do with all this information. Everyone is so thankful, but it’s hard to even sit and read stuff. Like what do you do next? So I wanted to just bring people out of their reality and kind of just give them that ‘me time.’” She plans to host another free hair event in February and March.
For Kya Bilal, a celebrity hairstylist whose family home was also destroyed in the Eaton fire, doing other people’s hair during their time of need felt therapeutic.
“I just honestly feel like so many people have been blessing me that there was a point where I’m like, ‘I can’t just sit around and be sad.’ I felt compelled to do something more,” said Bilal, who also works at Extended Beauty Bar. She fled Altadena — where she’d lived since she was a teenager — with her mother, 3-year-old daughter, stepfather, brother and two pets to Inglewood.
“I can’t really give much right now but my creativity,” she said, adding that she cried several times during the event as she connected with other victims, some of whom she knew. “With your hair, when you look good, you feel good, so I’ve been doing that for myself. I’ve been getting up, doing my makeup and curling my hair, and I know how it’s helping me to get through, so I just felt like it would help other women.”
Companies, businesses and nonprofits that are offering free supplies, resources and services to victims of the Los Angeles-area fires.
Although some hair events were one-offs, other hair salons are offering services for an extended amount of time for fire victims. For example, BraidHouse, a beauty supply and braiding salon in North Hollywood, has been giving out complimentary wigs and doing free protective hairstyling such as box braids. BraidHouse is also offering displaced hair braiders a free space — there’s typically a fee for stylists — to do hair at the salon.
Owner Brittney Ogike said these complimentary services will continue as long as there is a need. People can make ongoing appointments via direct message on Instagram.
Black barbershops and hair salons have always been more than a place to simply get your hair done. However, their significance during times of tragedy is increased in a tight-knit community like Altadena.
For Eugene Leo Draine Mahmoud, 45, the Dena Strong event provided a respite from a week of grueling conversations with his insurance agency and FEMA — the latter of which was simultaneously operating a disaster relief fund in the PCC parking lot. The event was also an exercise in learning how to receive care.
“There’s a difference between the energy across the street and in here,” said Mahmoud, who attended the event with his wife and two kids. “There’s a recognition that things take time, but there’s a different conversation in here about people’s lives.”
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