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LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME
LIKE MANY PEOPLE WITH TEXTURED HAIR, I SPENT YEARS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT.
Hi I'm Fola,
Like many people with textured hair, I spent years trying to understand it. I immersed myself in education, trained professionally and applied that knowledge every day behind the chair.
But over time, something didn't quite add up... Some of what I was taught worked consistently. Some of it didn't. The more people I worked with, the more I began to notice: patterns that weren't being explained. Hair with a similar structure could behave very differently. Techniques that worked beautifully for one client needed to be adapted for another.
Working in London, one of the world's most diverse cities, gave me the privilege of working with an extraordinary range of hair textures, curl patterns and lived experiences, and those observations became impossible to ignore.
That's when I realised the gap was a lack of understanding. The Curl Coach was built to bridge that gap.
I THOUGHT QUALIFYING AS A HAIRSTYLIST WOULD GIVE ME THE ANSWERS.
My journey to understanding textured hair began with my own hair. Like so many people with textured hair, I spent years searching for answers. I tried products, routines and advice that promised results, but when they didn't work, nobody could explain why.
When I trained as a hairstylist, I expected those answers to come. Instead, as I began working with clients, I realised that what I was seeing didn't always match what I had been taught. Rather than accepting that, I kept asking questions.
It wasn't the qualification or one holy grail technique that changed my understanding. It was seeing the same questions and the same challenges appear again and again in different people, revealing something I hadn't expected... Styling is only half the story.
STYLING IS ONLY HALF OF THE STORY.
AS I WORKED WITH MORE CLIENTS AND CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING ONLINE, SOMETHING BECAME INCREASINGLY CLEAR
Many of the issues people were experiencing weren't really about styling at all. The biggest obstacle wasn't the routine, technique or products being used. It was that the hair wasn't in the right condition to achieve or maintain the result people wanted.
Before we could focus on styling, we first had to understand the hair itself. Its health, structure and natural characteristics needed to be understood before styling could become predictable or consistent.
I realised that a great hairstyle doesn't begin with technique. It begins with building the right foundation.
That's when my role began to change. Rather than simply styling hair, I began working in partnership with my clients, helping them build the foundation that makes beautiful, lasting hairstyles possible.
That's where The Curl Coach began.
TRADITIONAL HAIRDRESSING BEGINS WITH THE HAIRSTYLE
HISTORICALLY, MUCH OF TEXTURED HAIRDRESSING HAS FOCUSED ON ACHIEVING A PREDETERMINED RESULT.
Whether through chemical straightening, heat styling or braiding, the desired outcome is known before the process begins.
And to be clear, the traditional approach was not wrong; it's simply that defining curls whilst maintaining health is dependent on a slightly different starting point. When the goal is to wear textured hair in defined curls, the starting point has to change.
Rather than asking, "How do I make the hair do this?" the first question becomes, "What is this hair capable of in its current condition?"
When the hair is worn in its natural state, its behaviour is influenced by its overall condition, structure and individual characteristics such as curl pattern, density, porosity, surface texture and lustre. The healthier the foundation, the more predictable and consistent the result becomes.
Technique still matters. Products still matter. But they work best when they're supporting the hair rather than compensating for it.
That's why my approach starts with the hair, not the style.
WHY THE CURL COACH EXISTS
IF YOU'VE READ THIS FAR, I’M SURE YOU KNOW THE ANSWER...
For years, the conversation around textured hair has focused on products, routines and trends. While each of these has its place, I believe they were never meant to replace understanding.
MY WORK IS BUILT ON OBSERVATION AS MUCH AS EDUCATION.
Years of working with hundreds of heads of hair taught me that while the fundamental biology of hair is shared, differences in curl pattern, fibre geometry, density, porosity, lifestyle and styling practices can lead to very different behaviour and care requirements.
Rather than asking people to follow a routine, I believe we should first understand why their hair behaves the way it does.
When understanding comes first, better decisions naturally follow.
EDUCATION SHOULD CREATE INDEPENDENCE, NOT DEPENDENCY.
MY GOAL ISN'T FOR YOU TO
NEED ME FOREVER.
EDUCATION SHOULD CREATE INDEPENDENCE, NOT DEPENDENCY.
MY GOAL ISN'T FOR YOU TO NEED ME FOREVER.
One of the greatest compliments I can receive isn't that you continue booking appointments with me for years. It's that you leave feeling confident enough to care for your own hair independently.
Whether we're working together in the salon, through digital education or professional training, my goal is always the same: to give you the understanding and confidence to make informed decisions long after we've worked together.
Education should create independence, not dependency.
HOW I WORK
THE CURL COACH IS BUILT AROUND A BOUTIQUE WAY OF WORKING.
Rather than operating a traditional full-time salon, I offer a limited number of personalised appointments alongside my education work. This allows me to dedicate my full attention to every client while continuing to develop resources that make textured hair education accessible to more people.
Every appointment is tailored to your individual hair, your goals and the way you wear it day to day.
BEYOND THE SALON
EDUCATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT THE HEART OF WHAT I DO.
Alongside working directly with clients, I also work with hairstylists, salon teams and organisations, helping professionals build greater confidence working with textured hair through workshops, mentoring and education.
I'm also developing digital learning experiences so that location never becomes a barrier to understanding textured hair.
A CLOSER LOOK
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I'M ASKED MOST OFTEN IS:
Why does so much textured hair advice seem to work for some people but not for others? It's a question that has shaped the way I think, teach and work.
I'm currently writing a longer article exploring this idea in more depth, looking at how observation, lived experience, and professional practice have influenced my understanding of textured hair, and why I believe there is still more to learn.
Coming soon: Why Understanding Comes First.
(Read the article →)
HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER
EVERYONE'S JOURNEY LOOKS DIFFERENT.
Whether you're looking for personalised support, professional education or the opportunity to learn at your own pace, there's a pathway designed to meet you where you are.
Salon Sessions
Personalised one-to-one appointments designed to improve the health of your hair while helping you better understand it.
The Shift
A new educational experience designed to help you think differently about textured hair through understanding rather than routine.
Professional Education
Training, workshops and education for hairstylists, salon teams and organisations looking to build confidence working with textured hair.
A FEW THINGS I BELIEVE
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UNDERSTANDING COMES FIRST.
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HEALTHY HAIR SHOULDN'T FEEL LIKE GUESSWORK.
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PRODUCTS ARE TOOLS, NOT SOLUTIONS.
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EDUCATION SHOULD CREATE INDEPENDENCE.
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EVERY HEAD OF HAIR DESERVES AN INDIVIDUAL APPROACH.