Throughout the weekend, the quiet downstairs sitting room in junior Sharon Jackson’s house transforms into a braiding studio. Sections of hair brush through her fingers, beads rattle in the tray, and a bright ring light casts a soft halo over Jackson’s work.
What started as a few practice braids on her sister, Shaneda Jackson, in 2022, has grown into a steady stream of clients, neighbors, and community members lining up for new styles. Pushed by her mother to turn her natural instincts into a business, Jackson spends long nights and early mornings parting, twisting, and perfecting intricate braids, each a blend of patience, culture, and years of pure practice.
By the summer of last year, relatives, neighbors and friends were asking for the neat parts, clean lines and soft curls they’d seen her create. Her first official customer was a neighbor who spotted her little sister’s braids outside and asked, “Could you do that for my daughter?” From there, word traveled fast.
Before all of this, Jackson learned the craft by watching. Whether it was her mother’s hands or YouTube tutorials, it all helped her eventually see her own fingers in the mirror.
“Everyone around me knew how to braid to some extent,” Jackson said. “It was kind of a natural instinct, and I just started working on those skills to get better at it.”
Today, she has a growing list of “loyal clients.” Some are children she babysits on the weekends, others are mothers who trust her with their own children after seeing the work she’s done on them. Jackson always makes sure to post the results on her Instagram,”styledxsharon”, with each photo a small sign of how far she’s come and how much she has “grown.”
“When I first started, [my braiding] was good, but looking at it now, it is way better,” Jackson said. “I’ve gotten so much better at kids’ hairstyles, my precision, how neat the hair looks, and how well I blend in the natural hair with the client’s extension. I’ve gotten way better over time.”
Braiding someone else’s head is one thing; braiding almost blindly behind her own shoulders is another entirely. It can take twice as long to do her own hair as doing someone else’s. Even with the shoulder and back pain, knowing that she built the entire style alone helps the process.
“It took a lot of practice and it took a lot of effort and continuous hard work to get better at braiding my own hair because it is so much easier braiding someone else’s hair,” Jackson said.
Behind all of this, her setup is simple: an open space downstairs, a light stand for filming, a braiding rack, tools, combs and rows of different gel jars. She buys most of her supplies from African hair stores in Manchester or Lowell, or the occasional purchase from Amazon.
When she first started, clients brought their own hair because she didn’t have the “extra funds.” Now, as business grows, she invests in the right colors, lengths, and textures, so the final look blends seamlessly. When her clients enter this space, Jackson already knows the task at hand.
“When people reach out to me when we settle availability, I ask them what inspiration they have or the exact hairstyle they want to do,” Jackson said. “If it’s something way out there and I don’t have that much experience nor do I have the materials to give you the product that you want, then I tell them we can work around it and have it a certain way. There are times parents tell me to freestyle and do what I want to do.”
Jackson has always known her strengths: kids’ hairstyles, cornrows with beads and clean, polished parts, but, she’s pushed herself beyond the basics.
“I used to stick more to traditional braids, natural braids, no extensions, but I had to get out of my comfort zone and do certain hairstyles like boho braids with the curls,” Jackson said. “Even kids’ hairstyles with extensions. They are such intricate designs that it takes a lot of time and a lot of practice to get good at them. I started working on those and also just braiding because it is a different thing watching the videos than physically working on the skills.”
Her body often aches, as doing back-to-back clients is part of the business for Jackson.
“It is painful, even when braiding other people’s hair,” Jackson said. “I am standing up and braiding for hours. My neck hurts, my shoulders hurt, my back hurts, my feet hurt.”
But, it is not just the braiding that takes hours to perfect. The final steps can take just as long as the braids, bringing everything together, adding to the time. During her busiest season, back-to-school season, the hours add up.
“I have to curl the hair, put the mousse in the hair, and style it,” Jackson said. “I started Shaneda’s hair at 10 p.m. that Saturday, and I ended at 7 a.m. Sunday morning. I also have other people’s hair to do. [During] back to school season, I am booked and busy.”
For many clients, including Shaneda, getting their hair braided by Jackson has become a routine. Since eighth grade, Jackson has been providing polished looks with help along the way, making Shaneda “satisfied with her customer service.”
“She always asks for my approval during the process to make sure I am satisfied,” Shaneda Jackson said. “I always love my hair.”
In the end, braiding has taught her far more than how to part clean lines or blend in extensions; it’s taught Jackson “patience.” Even when she’s exhausted or ready to call it a day, Jackson always focuses on her business by taking pictures, recording videos and finishing the final details, because her work matters and every “sacrifice” made is to keep the business moving and create time for detail. It’s all a process she’s built, one that continues to grow each time she sits a client down and starts a new style.
“The best part of braiding is getting to see the results and knowing my clients are satisfied,” Jackson said. “But, I have to be very patient. Also, working with other people, because even though I’m the one doing the hair, I have to communicate. I have to be the flexible one and make those sacrifices.“
