Get The App

Download the Josplay app for the best experience.

Download Now

Charts

Discover the latest hits and trending music.

Explore Charts

Podcasts

Stories, music and conversation from Africa and its diaspora.

Browse Podcasts

New Releases

Stay updated with the latest music releases.

See New Releases
← Awf The Record
The Biggest Hair Myth, Texturism, and the Pressure to Be Perfect artwork

The Biggest Hair Myth, Texturism, and the Pressure to Be Perfect

Awf The Record
S3 E854:51
Play episode

Show notes

Celebrity hairstylist and salon owner Yene Damtew joins us to talk about the real work behind “good hair,” the pressures Black women face around beauty standards, and what it was really like doing Michelle Obama’s hair at the White House and beyond. From the rise of Instagram stylists to the myths around natural hair, Yene gets brutally honest about the hair industry, client relationships, and why the best stylists are educators first. 💬 In this powerful and hilarious convo, we cover: - Her journey from neighborhood braider to celebrity stylist - Navigating hair trauma and salon PTSD - The truth about heat damage (and why “heat trained” is a scam) - Her most viral moment doing Michelle Obama’s hair - How Black women navigate “presentation pressure” at work - Her biggest career lessons from working with the First Lady 🎯 Whether you’ve got natural curls or a silk press, this episode will challenge what you think you know about hair care — and why the stylist you choose matters more than you think. KEY POINTS: - Why Black hair is an identity, not just a style - Good hair is just healthy hair. Period! - Those baby hairs gotta do, darling - Michelle Obama’s viral moment? Yeah, Yene approved - Not every stylist is for you — and that’s okay - Flat iron vs. ceramic? The damage is real - Your hair is stressed because you are, too - Why textured hair needs its own standard of beauty - Are you also a victim of these common hair myths? - The First Lady treatment? It’s not what you think QUOTES “Healthy hair is good hair, whether it is looser, curl, tighter, curl, wavy, straight, anything in between.” – Yene Damtew “My main thing is helping my clients really love and embrace whatever texture that they have and teach them how to maintain it and keep it healthy.” – Yene Damtew “More than anything, my passion is always teaching and creating an environment for women to come and feel good about themselves.” – Yene Damtew GUEST RESOURCES: Yene Damtew IG | @YeneDamtew RESOURCES: Keep in touch with Awf The Record: Youtube: @AwfTheRecord Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast TikTok: @AwfTheRecord Mona Kosar Abdi IG | @monakabdi Jeannette Reyes IG | @msnewslady Keep in touch with Awf The Record: Watch on Youtube: @AwfTheRecord Follow us on Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast Follow us on TikTok: @AwfTheRecord Visit our website: www.AwfTheRecord.com Follow Mona on TikTok and IG Follow Jeannette on TikTok and IG

More from this show

More
  1. [Go Awf] The Biggest Lie Social Media Tells Us About Love | Kier Gaines

    How do you stop the internet from affecting your relationship? In this segment of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi talk with Kier Gaines about how social media c…

    S4 E3105:13
  2. When Resentment Turns Your Partner Into the Enemy

    Join The Press Club by AWF The Record for exclusive conversations, guided challenges, and a community of women building careers, businesses, and lives on their own terms: https://w…

    S4 E3101:01:22
  3. [Go Awf] How a Professional Matchmaker Vets Your Future Partner Before the First Date

    Tennesha Wood takes Mona and Jeannette inside her matchmaking process, from two-hour interviews and home tours to reference checks and conversations about money, family, therapy, s…

    S406:11
  4. Top Matchmaker: The Dating Standards Keeping Successful Women Single

    What happens when you’ve built the career, earned the degree, bought the house, and still haven’t found the relationship you want? Professional matchmaker Tennesha Wood joins Jeann…

    59:12
  5. [Go Awf] How To Help Family Without Draining Your Future | Vivian Tu

    What do you do when you become your family’s financial safety net? In this segment of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi talk with Vivian Tu about the pressure of…

    S405:33
  6. Rich BFF Vivian Tu: Why You Still Feel Broke Even When You Make Good Money

    In this episode of Awf The Record, Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi welcome Vivian Tu, aka CEO and Founder of Your Rich BFF and Ask Dolly, for a no-fluff conversation about why…

    S4 E2950:44
Now Playing

No Track Playing

Awf The Record — The Biggest Hair Myth, Texturism, and the Pressure to Be Perfect | Podcast | Josplay Music