From Finance to Natural Hair Stylist
July 2026 will mark 12 years since licensed cosmetologist and certified trichologist Shanelle Harris-Burke has been in the hair game. She specializes in natural hair from twists to curly cuts, but her most popular service is the silk press.
“I grew my clientele through word of mouth,” she said.
But before hair, Harris-Burke was in finance for her early to mid-20s. She had always been interested in hair, but never really thought it was for her until she started seeing signs. She would drive down the street and see billboards for hair school, or be on social media and see more advertising; she felt this was a sign for her to take a chance on herself.
Harris-Burke had experience in doing her own hair, which she constantly gets compliments on, but working on other people’s hair was a new ballpark for her. She enrolled in Cosmetology school and finished a year to the day she started.
After graduating, she said her experience in the field was terrible, leaving her feeling she had wasted $20,000 on school. Those first five years of professional hairstyling taught her all the things that she didn’t want to do, which led her to natural hair.
She leaned into doing more natural hair, but was constantly told she wouldn’t make it in the industry unless she focused on sew-ins. After leaving that salon and finding a new home, her new boss encouraged Harris-Burke to become an expert in what she’s passionate about, so she did.
She said it’s very important to keep educating herself, no matter how many years she’s been in the game.
“I’m that person that I never know enough,” Harris-Burke said.
Harris-Burke is located at The Hair Bawse Salon, 7300 Westown Pkwy, Suite 250, West Des Moines, Iowa.
Natural Hair Tips and How Lab Results Help
Harris-Burke doesn’t just learn for herself but also for her clients.
“There’s a gap in education in natural hair care,” she said.
We asked her to provide tips on achieving healthy hair, and she gave us a few, starting with the art of shampooing.
“Healthy hair starts at the shampoo level,” she said.
- Use a clarifying or deep-cleansing shampoo to strip the hair
- Follow up with a moisturizing shampoo
- Then use a moisturizing conditioner. And every six to eight weeks, she recommends using a strengthening conditioner or reconstructive conditioner
She says to think of your hair like a plant and treat it as such, and to imagine your scalp as the soil.
“[Shampooing] is the foundation to any style,” she added.
She says that if you wash your hair weekly and use minimal product, you may not need a strengthening conditioner.
But shampooing is just one step to a healthy head.
As a certified triocologist, Harris-Burke serves clients ranging from high school students to those aged 70. But no matter the age, she has seen some of the same hair issues, from hair loss to scalp disorders.
She said many of her clients are doing the right thing with their hair, but they aren’t seeing the results they want. Instead of blaming themselves, Harris-Burke advises her clients to see their doctors for lab testing. Based on those lab results, she has helped her clients create a hair routine to support a healthy hair journey.
To expand on that knowledge, Harris-Burke recently released her e-book The Healthy Hair Lab Guide: The Blood Work Every Woman Should Check Before Blaming Her Hair.
The e-book provides detailed information on how your lab results, from low iron to hormonal changes, can impact your hair.
“I want black women to know they don’t have to figure it out on their own,” Harris-Burke said. “Stop blaming yourself.”
To purchase the e-book, click here.
Nyesha Stone founded Carvd N Stone in 2017 to cover positive news while attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Stone has a B.A. in Journalism. She has raised over $30,000 to award grants and scholarships. She has also been featured in ESSENCE and worked with the American Black Film Festival.
- Nyesha Stone
