We deserve to see beauty in the hair that naturally grows from our scalps. “The idea about what people see as beautiful is a new mission of mine,” she says. “All curl patterns are beautiful and it’s really a matter of accepting and feeling proud of the one that you have.”

We didn’t go into all the details—and honestly, we didn’t need to. Because when you’ve been doing this work long enough, you begin to recognize the signs. The tension. The hesitation. The unspoken stories hiding in someone’s strands. Sometimes it’s neglect. Sometimes it’s transition. Sometimes it’s uncertainty.