“In The Chair” spotlights the incredible hairstylists and makeup artists in our community who are giving us major inspiration. Each week, they discuss their personal beauty and career journeys, what they’ve learned from their clients, and their top glam tips.
“As a hairstylist, I’ve done everything to my hair,” celebrity hairstylist and Dippity-Do hair expert Suzette Boozer tells ESSENCE. In part, because taking care of her textured hair has been trial, and error. “My texture is easier to style now than it ever was in the ’90s when we were all just trying to figure it out with limited options and unpredictable results,” she says. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t. But, for Boozer, that gap was where she learned the most about her hair—and in turn, her clients.
“In high school, my friends would always request, ‘Who did your hair?’ When I told them I did, they never believed me,” she says. That was, until she started touching up their hair between classes. Even as most young girls practice on Barbie dolls, Boozer was practicing on real people with different textures, densities, and lengths at school and, on the weekends, in a salon. Once summer break hit, the Brooklyn-born stylist was in the salon full-time as the owner’s apprentice until she received her cosmetology license. “But, that still wasn’t enough for me.”
Years later, she went back to school while on maternity leave. Then, she landed her first celebrity client. “One of my clients impressed an artist in a nightclub with her hair,” she recalled. “That artist booked me, then introduced me to another and it continued to grow organically from there.” Since then, she’s had clients like Missy Elliot, Mariah Carey, Quinta Brunson, Teyana Taylor, and Jodie Turner-Smith on the books, and even went on to be the beauty editor at Honey Magazine. But, at the root of it all, she’s giving Black women the tools to learn their hair themselves. “Textured hair isn’t difficult,” Boozer says. “It just requires understanding.”
Read on for Boozer’s top tips for healthy hair, how she uplifts her clients, and more.
What She Loves Most About Hairstyling:
“My favorite part of what I do is giving a client complete satisfaction, the kind that brings tears of joy. There’s nothing more fulfilling than creating a look someone once thought was impossible for them. Watching their confidence shift in the mirror. That moment never gets old.
For me, it doesn’t stop at the chair. I walk my clients through every step of what I’m doing, why I’m doing it, what products I’m using, and what they should expect not only with me, but with any stylist they sit with. I believe education is part of the service. Teaching a client how to maintain their look, how to understand their texture, and how to recreate styles on their own that’s the true accomplishment. That’s when my role transforms from hairstylist to trusted professional. Real success isn’t just about how great they look when they leave, it’s about how confident they feel when they do it themselves.”
The Hair Products She’s Loving Right Now:
“There are so many products I love working with because every head of hair requires something different: texture, density, length, maintenance, and performance all matter. Lately, I’ve been working heavily with natural textures, especially curly girls who are just now discovering how advanced products for textured hair have grow.
One brand I’ve genuinely fallen in love with is Dippity-Do Girls with Curls. I remember it from when I was a little girl, and now seeing how they’ve expanded specifically into curly hair is exciting. Their range is thoughtfully developed; each product serves a clear purpose for different curl patterns and styling needs and because it’s curated for curls, it removes confusion. It becomes easier to understand what to use, how to use it, and why you’re using it.”
Her Favorite Hair Styles to Do:
My favorite hairstyle to create isn’t about trends, it’s about what truly suits the client. Yes, I love incorporating current trends, but only when they’re adjusted to complement the client’s face shape, bone structure, lifestyle, and personality. A look can be beautiful on its own, but if it’s not compatible with the person wearing it, it doesn’t translate. For me, the goal is harmony. The right shape, balance, and energy. When a style enhances someone instead of overpowering them, that’s when it works. That’s when it feels authentic. I don’t just give clients what’s popular. I give them what belongs to them.”
Her Top Healthy Hair Tip:
“Never abuse it. Do what’s right for your hair, not just what’s trending. Treat it with intention. I always say, talk to your hair like it’s a plant. Give it the attention, nourishment, and the consistency it needs and it will grow. Healthy hair isn’t accidental. It’s maintained.
Now, sometimes damage isn’t in a client’s control. There are unfortunate horror stories where someone trusted the wrong stylist and their hair suffered because of it. That’s why I always share people: research the stylist you’re going to. Make sure they value hair care just as much as they value the finished look. A great style means nothing if the integrity of the hair is compromised. True beauty is healthy hair first and style is second.”
A Hair Myth She Wants To Debunk:
“‘My hair can’t do that.’ Most of the time, it’s not that your hair can’t, it’s that it hasn’t been understood properly. With the right technique, the right products, and the right approach, hair is far more versatile than people think.
Another myth I can’t stand is when products are labeled or mentally assigned to a certain race. Hair doesn’t operate by race, it operates by texture, density, porosity, and condition. When we reduce products or techniques to race, we limit people. Education removes those limitations. The truth is, understanding hair scientifically and technically opens possibilities. Assumptions close them. I’m here for informed styling, not boxed-in thinking.”
What She’s Learned From Her Clients:
“It moves me when they come in with awareness sharing what they’ve noticed, what’s changed, or even offering thoughtful suggestions. That tells me they’ve been listening. That tells me they care. I can see the difference in their questions, in their habits, in the health of their hair. That evolution means everything to me because the best results happen when it’s not just stylist and client, it’s a partnership built on trust, education, and communication.”
How She Uplifts Her Clients:
“I always say I’m a therapist behind the chair. Not because I claim to fix everything, but because I know how to listen. Most of the time, I don’t have to say much to uplift my clients. I remind them that beauty already lives within them. What I do is simply the enhancement. When someone sits in my chair, they’re often at a vulnerable moment. Hair carries emotion, identity, and confidence. When it’s not where they want it to be, insecurity can surface. That’s why listening is the most important part of my job.”
The Deeper Meaning Behind Her Work:
“[Hairstyling is healing] not because I claim to fix everything, but because I create a space where people feel safe, heard, and restored. Healing doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like consistency, like a client returning weekly, biweekly, or monthly not just for the style, but for the experience.
When I look at my client list and see relationships that have lasted over a decade, some even two decades, I know I’m doing something right. Healing is trust, loyalty, and someone choosing your chair again and again. If my work makes someone feel lighter, more confident, more themselves then yes, that’s a form of healing.”
Did you know? The MUAHS Awards were held on February 14, 2026, at the Westin Bonaventure in downtown Los Angeles.
Pro Tip: Understanding your hair’s texture, density, porosity, and condition is key to choosing the right products and techniques.
What are your biggest hair challenges? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
