Small Business Highlight: Luxe Locs

Maya Snipe, a local Natural Hair Loctician, started Luxe Locs after she started to embrace her own natural hair. She told me, “ I began to tire of wigs and sew-ins and wanted to embrace my hair in its natural state. During the process, I developed a love for my natural hair and wanted to share the experience with others.” With Luxe Locs, Maya gives people the confidence and understanding of how to embrace their own hair and make it beautiful in the process. She specializes in “all tenants of the hair locking process which include creating, installing, maintaining and styling of locked hair.” The way Maya styles and designs each of her clients' hair you can tell that she is passionate about what she does, as well as beyond talented. Below are a few examples of her work!

Maya has a lot of clients that have never had locs before, so I asked Maya what the process is like for starting locs on a client. “The process of starting locs on a new client is always an exciting time for me… it is like starting with a blank canvas and creating a new work of art.” She went on to talk about what aspects of the client that she takes into consideration when beginning their loc journey: “I use the client’s hair texture, length, and facial features as a guide to creating the perfect locs. The boost of confidence I see in my clients and their words of gratitude mean everything to me!” Hair may seem like such a small element to who a person is, but it’s a very important feature for a lot of people. It helps someone feel more like themselves and it’s so wonderful that Maya gets to do this everyday by bringing joy to her clients through locking their hair.

Maya also has her own hair oils that she uses on all of her clients called Luxe Essential Oils. I asked her what made Luxe Essential Oils pair so well with the client's locs and how it helps with their maintenance. “While working as a loctician, I noticed that many of my clients suffered from dry scalp, itching, and dandruff. I began working on a product that could assist with alleviating many of these issues. I spent a course of four months researching and handcrafting my essential oil hair care product. Luxe Essential Oils is crafted with 100% organic oils and is totally chemical free… [and] provides vital nourishment needed for a healthy loc journey.” She added that her product isn’t just for locs, it can be used on any natural hair styles as well.

When I first saw the Luxe Locs Instagram page, the first thing I noticed was how beautifully crafted each of her clients' locs were, so I asked Maya if the designs of her client’s hair are requests or does she improvise? She told me that this is her favorite part of being a Loctician. “It allows me the opportunity to be artistically creative and to try new techniques. I usually style according to the client’s facial structure and overall aesthetic. The majority of my clientele does not request specific styles, but allow me the opportunity to try new designs and to express my creativity through their locs.” Overall, she wants her clients to be comfortable in speaking up and telling her what they like and don’t like. The relationships that she builds with her clients are very important to her. “For me, open communication is the key to a satisfied customer.” She wants people to keep coming back to her again and again and this is a step that will make sure of that.

Another question I had for Maya was what she saw for the future of Luxe Locs? She told me that she hopes to expand her business to have multiple locations in more than just Tennessee. “The Art of Locs is not recognized as a craft in many places, so I would love the opportunity to shed light on such an amazing art form.” She went on to talk about how she would like to open an online store for her products, so more people have access to them and can protect and restore their hair in its natural state. With this expansion, she told me that “Luxe Locs and Luxe Essential Oils will soon be a household name!”

The last question I had for Maya was what she loves most about being a small business in Memphis. The first thing that she loves is that she gets to meet so many different people. “Some clients are native to the city while many others are from all over the states.” And another aspect she loves is the loyalty of her local customers. “They have their choice of locticians all over the city, but they continue to provide me with the opportunity to assist them through their ongoing loc journey.” If you would like to begin your loc journey, but don’t know where to start, Maya at Luxe Locs will be happy to help. She welcomes anyone who wants to wear their natural hair in a healthy state. Again, here is Luxe Locs website and Instagram, as well as Maya’s email if you have any questions: snipemaya@gmail.com.

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