Women define themselves by their hair. That is why there are so many stores and products dedicated to making her locks look the best they can be. For African-American women, it is not as easy. So many of them do not know how to feel comfortable in their own hair. Dr. Boogie is going to show them what they can do to let their hair shine through like their beautiful spirits, that they have been suppressing, on ALLBLK’s My Mane Problem.
By day, Dr. Boogie is a hairstylist to the stars. When he is not doing that, he is a shining star to so many women. He sits African-American women down, talks to them, and finds out why they hide and hate their natural hair. He wants to know why they are hiding their locks under wigs, weaves, and whatever else they can find. There are so many different reasons why they let their hair go. It could be things like depression, family issues, sickness, trying to fit in the White world, and so much more.
He talks to them. He gets to knows them. Some of these women have not shown their real hair to their loved ones or let them run their fingers through it. They might not have let anyone see their real hair in over a decade. Now, they are not only exposing their hair to him; they are also exposing their innermost thoughts and feelings to him.
“When you can actually talk to someone like myself as a hairstylist, I’ve talked to 1000s and 1000s of women. They let go and talk about these things without being judged,” Dr. Boogie said to me. “I want to dig back in and find out when did you let yourself go? What did you give up? I’m not a licensed therapist, lo and behold. But anybody who knows hairdressers, they know one person that they talk to, who’s the main confidant that is, is the hairdresser.”
While a therapist can work on someone’s inside, he is working on both the inside and the outside at the same time. As they tell him their story, he is going over the damage that has been done to their hair. He explains to them that the glue, the ponytail holders, the chemicals they use, and so many other things are what is damaging their hair. He explains to them what they unknowingly did wrong and how to fix it. Almost all of the time, he is finding out their real hair can be saved. These women covered up their manes, and now they are finding out their hair is salvageable. He works his magic to give them a new look with what they came in with to him.
But they are not leaving the same person. They are transformed from their heads to their toes and everywhere in between. The unhappy woman, who came in to see him, is leaving a strong, confident person.
“I got into the hair business because I love to turn a woman around, let her look in the mirror. And more than anything, the smile that she would put on her face. For me, giving her that smile just gives me so much great joy.” he said with happiness in his voice.
He learned this talent as a child. He did not have the happiest of upbringings. When his parents would fight, he would go over to his mom, comb her hair and make her feel better. He noticed that this would soothe her, and that is how Dr. Boogie was born.
Now, he is doing the same for women all over. Every Thursday on My Mane Problem, he is talking to two women, and he is giving them back their joy, one transformative hairstyle at a time. They come in with tears and leave with huge smiles.
The show is not exploitative. It is about a man who is all about making someone feel better about themselves the best way he knows how. He has a gift for giving people back something they never thought they could regain, their power to look in the mirror and love themselves. For that, I am thankful that ALLBLK is sharing it with us.
Before Dr. Boogie had his own show My Mane Problem on ALLBLK, he was a contestant wowing us with hair techniques on Shear Genius. He looks the same now as he did when he was 33 on that 2007 competition show.
