“In The Chair With” spotlights the incredible hairstylists in our community who are giving us major inspiration. Each week, they discuss their personal hair and career journeys, what they’ve learned from their clients, and their top hair care tips.
For many young Black girls, getting their hair styled at home by their grandmothers, mothers, or aunts is a rite of passage. But this experience can be fraught with tender-headed memories. As a child, celebrity hairstylist Annagjid “Kee” Taylor wiped her tears and picked up her great-grandmother’s comb and brush to slay her strands without the stress.
The West Philadelphia native went on to sit at the footsteps of a neighborhood friend to learn the art of the French roll and braiding. She grew up to become “that girl” in high school who carried hair magazines inside her Trapper Keeper and did all the boys’ cornrows during lunch.
While Taylor studied at the now shuttered Berean School of Cosmetology, it wasn’t until she secured a job at one of Philadelphia’s most popular hair salons that she learned how to shampoo and condition “the correct way.” Taylor tells ESSENCE, “That hands-on training helped me to be the best me. I took the techniques that I learned there and turned them into my own.
She sharpened her skills and built a portfolio styling friend and actress Nafessa Williams for all of her gigs. Their “master alliance,” plus word of mouth, and many years of hustle, led to Taylor opening Deeper Than Hair Salon, penning a children’s book, and editing her very own hair magazine.
Celebrities like Kelly Rowland, Tika Sumpter, Keke Palmer, and Mara Brock Akil trust Taylor with the health of their natural strands. And she’s gone viral for challenging critics who believe that Black hair isn’t beautiful.
“I thank God for the opportunities that He placed before me and I also thank God for being able to recognize that there was more for me besides just being on 46th and Market,” says Taylor. “Sometimes it’s hard to believe that you belong in certain spaces, especially when you’re just a little girl from West Philly. It’s hard to understand that you belong.”
Below, Taylor gets candid about coming out of a creative rut, why we should “speak nice” to our hair, and more.
Her favorite hairstyles
My favorite hairstyles lately have been avant-garde. Starting Deeper Than Hair Magazine has helped me to get back into my creative bag. When you’re in a salon or working in the industry, everybody is like, “I want straight. I want curly hair. I want a middle part. I want a side part. I want a bob, bob, bob!” For years, all you hear are four different hairstyles and you get stuck in a box.
I’ve been having a good time being creative for my magazine. The clients, models, actors, and singers I’ve had on the covers are so into it and most of them have never seen themselves like that.
Her current favorite products
I really love Beauty by Anna Braid Bae Styling Gel. I’ve been using that a lot for braiding my hair, slicking it down, and keeping it away. And, of course, Jamaican Black Castor Oil.
The RevAir Reverse-Air Dryer. I love it so bad! It takes me back to when I was a child with the most tender head and wished that my mom-mom had a tool like that.
Aunt Jackie’s Curls & Coils products are my favorite for my twist outs, braids, and natural curls. When I take my braids out, I use Knot on My Watch Instant Detangling Therapy to help me comb my hair without causing too much breakage. I also use the Curl La La Defining Curl Custard and Don’t Shrink Elongating Curling Gel.
Her top tip for healthy hair
Make sure you get your ends trimmed at least every eight to 10 weeks. Let’s be real, Black women have long hair. Somebody out there just made us feel like we couldn’t have long hair. But for many Black women who may not have long hair, sometimes it’s hard to retain length. I feel like when we see a little pinch of growth, we don’t want to let go of it. Trimming the ends can be intimidating because you feel like you’ve worked so hard for the hair that is coming and as soon as you do, you feel like you’re moving backwards. In order to retain the length, you have to make sure your hair is solid from root to end. And sleep with a silk or satin scarf on your head!
A hair myth she wants to debunk
Believing that your hair can do exactly what others can do with theirs. Stop comparing. Go off exactly what your hair needs. We spend too much time wanting our hair to look like others. Accept it for what it is!
What she has learned from her clients
The importance of loyalty. I’ve had clients for years that have stuck with me through everything, even when I was traveling back and forth to New York and coming to the salon. I think a lot of it had to do with them believing in me. And they were kind of scared because they probably knew what was coming — my dream was to live in Los Angeles. But they always supported me, saying: “I got you, Kee. You’re gonna be good.” Even my celebrity clients have been loyal to me. It has zero to do about hair and more about the love we have for each other.
How she uplifts her clients
When people talk bad about their hair, afterwards, I would tell them to say something nice. I’d say, “Your hair heard you.” And I have those moments, too. So I ask myself, “What do you love about your hair?” I love the texture of my hair. I love the tightness of my coils.
There’s that meme that says, “You’re not depressed. You just need your hair done.” And honestly, women come into the salon in one mental space, turn around, look into that mirror, and become so happy. Or their hair is going through something and all I do is put it into a nice cut for them to feel amazing. It’s helping people to see their full potential. It means so much and they are in a good healing space.
