Interview : Dominique Snip, Sheado and Natural Hair Academy founder

For us curly hair community is all about inspiration. So we share with you today, an interview of Dominique Snip, a girlboss and a natural and curly hair specialist based in Nederland.

She is the founder of the hair brand products and salon Sheado and of the Natural Hair Academy. Rosine (COHEA’s founder) has been trained by her. She shares with us her story and a few tips to care and embrace your curls.

Enjoy and thank you so much Dominique.

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• Where are you from ?

I was born and raised in Surinam in 1983, its a small treasure in South America where different cultures live together peacefully. In 2000 we moved to the Netherlands, where I have been living ever since.

• What is your job?

I’m the founder and owner of de natural hair product line Sheado, the Sheado salons and the Natural Hair Academy. My job is to manage the product line, employees (3) and business on a daily basis. Once a week I teach at the academy and if there is time I occasionally also do consultations, treatments and haircuts.

• Why this career ?  What motivates you?

I was motivated by my own natural hair experience. I did the big chop in 2004. Then my journey started. I researched products, ingredients and methods for natural hair because the things I did for my relaxed hair did not work for my natural hair. It was only years later that I started the hair brand professionally (2012) and from there the salons. The academy was founded in 2016 because there was no professional education about taking care of naturally curly and afro hair.

• Since when are you natural and why?

I did not want to comply with the white beauty standards any longer. I wanted to accept myself as I was and that was with my natural hair.

• What is your go-to hair routine?

I usually wash every 10 days with my shampoo and conditioner. Every other day I moisturize with my hair milk and butter. I keep it in twists, a twist out or a high bun (pineapple).

• Do you have bad hair days?  If yes, what do you do to go through the day?

To avoid bad hair days I go for a high bun or  twists. When I want to wear it loose I have to do a lot more to make it look nice. I don’t have a lot of time in the morning. I’m also a single mom and my son is 3 years old. So you can imagine that things may be quite hectic in the morning.

• What is/are your advice(s) for women who don’t yet dare to wear their curls, kinks or coils?

Don’t worry about what others will think. Going (returning) natural is the best thing you can do for yourself considering the harsh chemicals in chemical treatments and the risk of developing alopecia when you wear weaves, braids and wigs too often. Natural hair is part of who you are and there is nothing wrong with that. Love your hair, love thyself.

More info: Sheado