By Daniel Alfred

To what seems like a job for the women is gradually been overtaken by the male counterpart and have begun to take the lead in the business.

beauty salon

This is a case of Frank Obaze, a hair stylist who is a student of the Prestigious university of Benin of the ancient Benin Kingdom, where he is presently studying Biochemistry. Frank who hails from Igbanke Orionwon local government in Edo state, is from a family of six with five younger siblings who are based in Sapele in Delta state.

The young man who have decided to make a career in making female hair, described it as God given Talent for him.
According to him, he said “ I believed the Talent has been in me since my days as a little kid, I have little sisters that I enjoyed making their hairs while playing with them.

Even when I came to Lagos, I had this lady friend that has a salon around my area that when ever I am idle, I go to her place to pass time. And most times I watch her do her thing, that was how I began to pick more interest in the business.

One day I said to my self that I can actually do what this lady is doing. Luckily for me, one day one of the cousin that came to stay with us came with her teddy bear and I began to practice with the hair. I realised I was making the hair though wasn’t perfect on it. One day, that my friend whom I go to her place, gave me the opportunity to work with her and that was how the business started for me and today I am here and I have been into the business since four years now.”

Speaking on the challenges he added, “I want to believe that my set are lucky because a lot who started before now faced a whole lot of challenges and it was odd then to find a man doing women’s job. But today, the case is different because guys are doing more wonders than expected. Where I was working before, we had four boys and just a girl.

Even now, people still marvel at the act because they still look and say “look at a guy making a woman’s hair”. I used to see the fact that people tagged the business  a woman’s job as a big challenge at initial stage, especially amongst some of my friends then. But there is this joy I derive doing it. I even go as far as doing it for free. I do it most times to make sure that the person looks good and to see them appreciate my works. There was a place I worked before, the ladies there, struggles for who to make their hair”.

“Speaking on the special attachment on ladies wanting the boys to make their hair, he said he is not really aware of that, stating that all he knows is that the ladies often says the guys really take there time to make their hair and almost all the guys that makes hair are good in the job. He also stated that the boys are more creative and they put the creativity into play and that is what brings out the difference.”

Frank stated that he generates his own hair do by simply playing on what have been in vogue and bringing uniqueness out of it. “ I have just finished a hair do and I call it ‘Effizy’ all I did was to make it a little more different from what it used to be and I found out that they like it and that is how I continued with the hair. We hardly see a girl that can compete with a guy in hair do, it is rare.” He said

Another challenging aspect of his career, he noted is the ability to juggle between class works and his business, “I am presently at the university of Benin, studying Biochemistry. It really has not been easy for me, but I think it is a case of one programming his time very well.

I have my time for studies and I make sure it doesn’t collide with my business. I give out my complementary card and I have the whole day on Saturdays to attend to my make my customers. So many of the girls even book before hand. So, I have been able t bring out a schedule for my self. I have the time to read, make money, attend to church activities and time for my school assignment. I thank God so much for his Grace because I don’t sleep so much. I am usually very active at night and I utilize it a great deal.”He said.

Speaking on his charge rate, he said he doesn’t have a particular charge and that it is based on the person who wants to make the hair.

“Like the one I just finished right now, I could do it for another at a cheaper rate. But in most cases, I charge about three thousand naira and above. And most times I even make free hairs for people. It is all about my love for the job. And for fixing of nails, I charge from 600 and above. Like I said it all depends.”

On his line of study, he said, “I ventured into Biochemistry because I loved biology while in secondary school then and I had always wanted to study medicine and surgery and when it was not forthcoming, I upped for the nearest which is Biochemistry. I really want to get the knowledge as a biochemistry and don’t think I will practice. Any way I really don’t know what the future holds for me. I believe that when I get to that bridge I will definitely cross over it.

All in all, I just love making people look beautiful and bold and at the same time, help my parent and my younger ones as well.”

“All I am doing right now is 70percent of what I would want to do in life and the remaining 30 percent goes to what am studying in school.

There is good money making female hair and as long as they keep wanting to look beautiful, money will always come. All I do is to keep improving my skills so as to remain in the scene and that is the reason I surf the internet on daily bases to get new hairstyles and see the one I could improve on. Girl like crazy things and if you are able to give them something different, then you have finally caught them off guard. I wish to grow to the stage that I will have to make a hairstyle that will be named after me and people will know me for it.” He said.