Cherie Gatson | HAPI co-founder | HAPI Hair Studio owner
I walked into a salon for the first time when I was eleven years old. Five minutes later I walked back out because I was turned away. Not because I couldn’t pay or was missing shoes, but because my hair didn’t fit the mold. It was unique in its texture and not one of the professional stylists could care for my hair.
Almost 25 years later and the salon experience hasn’t changed much for most Black individuals. Those with naturally kinky & coily hair are still severely unrepresented in salon spaces everywhere. We must move the needle and ensure that the salon & haircare industries become equally inclusive to all hair types, regardless of its texture or pattern.
These experiences we have as children seem to stick with us and it’s been a lifelong mission of mine to provide a safe haven for all those who have been excluded in the past. It’s my desire to make sure people of all races, hair patterns, and textures feel comfortable and accepted in my chair.
I am so fortunate to love what I do, do what I love, and make a difference while doing it.
Follow me @cheriegatsonhair.
Hair Artists in Pursuit of Inclusion 