About Nadine

Hair was always the plan. Almost.

By seventh grade, my friend Destiny and I had already decided that each of us wanted to become a cosmetologist.

After high school, though, I was encouraged to pursue a “real career” instead.

So I went to junior college.

And eventually realized I was trying to talk myself out of something I'd known I wanted to do for years.

After a lot of thought and prayer, I finally decided to go for it. Less than a month later, I started cosmetology school.

And once I was there?

I was ALL in.

I originally imagined myself doing bridal hair and makeup because I've always been a little “artsy fartsy.”

But I'm also an overachiever.

So instead of simply completing cosmetology school, I pursued every opportunity I could, earned Dean's and Honors recognition at Paul Mitchell, and worked hard enough to leave with a letter of recommendation from the school's owner.

What started as a creative career quickly became something much bigger.

The shy hairstylist became a chatterbox.

This might surprise anyone who has actually sat in my chair, but meeting new people used to make me incredibly nervous.

I've always known I'm a little weird.

And awkward.

And for a long time, I worried about being judged for it.

Doing hair changed that.

Somewhere between consultations, color bowls, haircuts, and thousands of conversations behind the chair, meeting people became one of my favorite parts of the job.

Today, an appointment with me might include talking about your kids, my kids, something ridiculous that happened that week, the latest thing I learned about neuroscience or neuroplasticity, and approximately seventeen other subjects before your hair is finished.

I talk a lot.

You've been warned.

But underneath all of that talking is something I genuinely value: connection.

Then my career took me across the world.

I spent almost three years working behind the chair in Okinawa, Japan.

Living and working there changed more than my résumé.

Being immersed in another culture made me more open-minded about how differently people experience beauty, community, and everyday life. I especially admired the respect and compassion I experienced in Okinawan culture and the ways personal style could reflect culture and ancestry.

It also happened to be a very humid place.

Which brings us to curls.

Curly hair got personal.

I have curly hair myself.

For years, I knew what it was like to sit in someone's chair and wonder why getting a haircut that actually worked with my texture seemed so complicated.

During college, budget haircuts were sometimes the only realistic option, and I remember being genuinely confused about why my hair never seemed to come out quite right.

Later, living in Okinawa meant being surrounded by humidity, sudden rain showers, and plenty of people learning very quickly that sometimes your natural texture is going to win the argument.

My curiosity took over.

I wanted to know why curly hair behaved differently.

Then I wanted to know more.

And more.

Which is pretty much how I approach everything.

The science became just as interesting as the art.

The longer I worked with hair, the more questions I had.

Why does hair behave differently from one person to another?

What's happening at the scalp?

Why does hair shed?

Why do certain products work beautifully for one person and terribly for another?

What is actually happening chemically when I color hair?

I started studying hair and scalp science more deeply and eventually became certified as a Hair Loss Specialist.

And I'm nowhere near finished.

Scalp health led to more questions about hair science. Hair science is leading me deeper into cosmetic chemistry, hair color chemistry, ingredients, and product formulation.

If there's something I don't know, I'm comfortable saying I don't know.

Then I'll probably go home and research it.

I like knowing things.

It's a problem. 😂

Hair is art, too.

Science isn't the only thing happening in my brain.

I'm an artist outside the salon and am currently pursuing my bachelor's degree in art studies.

I draw, paint, and especially love working with charcoal.

Light, shadow, highlights, depth, contrast, shape, and color are interesting to me whether I'm looking at a canvas or someone's hair.

That's part of why hair has remained such a fascinating career.

It's never just one thing.

It's chemistry and color theory and geometry and biology and communication and creativity all happening on the same head.

So the idea that cosmetology is simply a “fun job” for people who didn't want to go to college?

Yeah.

I have some thoughts about that. 😂

Then came the books.

Eventually, learning wasn't enough.

I wanted to share what I was learning.

I love writing, I love teaching, and more than anything, I like taking information that feels complicated and making it easier for someone else to use.

My own experience with curly hair inspired me to write Curly Hair, Understood, creating another resource for people who wanted to learn more about the hair growing out of their own heads.

That became part of something larger: writing, education, and creating approachable resources about hair, scalp health, color, and the science behind the beauty industry.

Because information isn't very useful if nobody can understand what the hell you're talking about.

The thing I'm proudest of isn't a résumé line.

I have worked behind the chair for more than a decade.

I've taught as a Paul Mitchell Learning Leader.

My artistry has appeared at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Show, Temecula Fashion Week, and on the runway for designer André Soriano.

I've earned a Business Administration degree, pursued advanced education in hair and scalp health, become an author, and continued my education as an artist.

I'm proud of all of that.

But what I'm proudest of is that I keep learning.

It's easy to get comfortable.

But hair changes. Trends change. Products change. Research evolves. The beauty industry evolves.

I don't ever want to reach a point where I decide I already know enough.

At the end of the day, it's about the person in the chair.

Of course I want your hair to look good.

But that's not the only thing that matters to me.

I want the interaction itself to add something positive to your life.

Maybe you leave feeling more confident.

Maybe you finally learn something about your hair that's been driving you crazy for years.

Maybe you spend the appointment laughing.

Maybe you just needed a couple of hours where somebody listened to you.

Whatever it is, I want you to leave my chair feeling better than you did when you sat down.

That's the part of this career that can't be measured in followers, certificates, books, or years behind the chair.

It's also one of the biggest reasons I'm still here.

Well...

That and apparently I really like talking.

Meet Nadine Brasfield

Hairstylist • Artist • Author • Educator Pell City, Alabama