TALKING POINT
HAIR PERSONALITY
AND YOUR PERSONAL
BRAND
By Boniface Ngahu
W
e start to form an
impression of someone’s
character within seconds
of meeting them. Good impressions
can break or make your chances in
some situations like job interviews or
dates.
While there are many aspects used
to form impressions, hairstyles have
been found to be one of the most
prominent factors. Perhaps this is
because people tend to use a top
bottom approach where they start
assessing someone from head to toe.
It is always my pleasure to keep a
track of hair trends especially among
ladies in Nairobi. One my hobbies
include watching hair trends in
Nairobi streets and the salons. There
is a Swahili saying, Akili ni Nyele
meaning that your hair is your brain,
a street version of the saying adds
that it follows that weave ni Ujinga
(equating weaves to stupidity).
Just for your information am not
a weave hater. Also in the bible
Samson’s secret to strength was in
his hair. We can play with words and
state that your hair is your brand,
people usually use radical hairstyles
to describe others, by stating things
such as that rastaman.
Short is in and Dreadlocks are Risky.
Recently I noticed that many ladies
cut their dreadlocks. There was word
that dreadlocks are so marketable
that one can make some good cash by
selling them to the market.
This demand is also associated with
‘‘While there are many aspects used to form
impressions, hairstyles have been found to be
one of the most prominent factors. Perhaps
this is because people tend to use a top
bottom approach where they start assessing
someone from head to toe.’’
08 MAL 11/16 ISSUE
the risk of robbery.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that
a dreadlocks salon in Nairobi was
stormed by robbers at gun point
where all customers were shaved
their highly valued hair. A creative
insurance company should come up
with hair insurance to address the
emerging risk.
Dreadlocks are associated with Hon.
Wangari Maathai kind of toughness
and one can easily fail a customer
care job interview if the employer is
conservative like one of the big banks
in Kenya. Still one can easily be hired
as an activist, artist or a computer
geek.
If a company’s clientele include
many old people, having dreadlocks
can easily be associated with
bad customer service or lack of
seriousness. Still, in an academic set
up you are likely to notice a professor
with long beards and hair which is
an indication of freedom of ideas and
the universal aspect of academics.
I noticed in an office that I frequent
where more than half of the ladies