My name is Vanessa Bailey.  Since I was old enough to play with barbie dolls, I was creating hairstyles for them. They had real-life hairstyles that I do today. 

I’ve been doing hair since I was 13. I started practicing on my mother’s hair, she soon saw that hair was
a talent of mine and that I should follow that path. She encouraged me and was the first person to pay for
her service. She let me know that although she was my mother, my work deserved to be paid. I started
booking heads daily at lunchtime, at Solano Junior high school, in the 8th grade. While students were
eating, I found a classroom or a corner to set up a hair work station. I was also taking on my friends'
parents as clients after school. Hair was always fun to me, and I love how people either smiled hard,
gave big hugs, or cried when I was done with their services. Throughout the years I’ve maintained loyal
and consistent clientele.

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Often, when we talk about the deeper issues when it comes to hair, people ask me, "It's just hair, who
cares?" That's a narrow way to think of things when it is so much more than “just hair.” Hair is a means
of expression. It’s a testament to self-love and acceptance. It's a vehicle that can connect us to our
traditions or be a display of devotion to your faith. It can even be a political statement. But, it shouldn't
be something by which people judge your worth and penalize you for, as what happens so often in
society. I've fallen in love with hair, and my goal is to always make sure that when people look at
themselves in the mirror, they feel good. Hair is also a ministry for me.