Stylist Mel Reneé Leamon on the Liberation That Comes With Short Hair

Texture Diaries is a space for Black women across industries to reflect on their journeys to self-love, and how accepting their hair, in all its glory, played a pivotal role in this process. Each week, these women share their favorite hair rituals, products, and the biggest lessons they’ve learned when it comes to affirming their beauty and owning their unique hair texture.

New York City-based stylist Mel Reneé Leamon is as chic as they come. Her personal touch always shines through in her work, whether she’s consulting for Martine Ali Jewelry, or on set as a stylist for Alix, MCM, Private Policy, and celebrities like Keke Palmer. Her style is an effortless mix of sleek silhouettes, classic pieces, occasional funky patterns, and chunky jewelry, all topped off by her signature buzz cut, which she celebrates by dying it various hues: pink, blonde, and turquoise among them.

“It wasn’t until I cut all of my hair off that I really began to love it,” the stylist says of the big chop she undertook in 2012. Before then, she loved to rock weaves and extensions. “I woke up one morning and randomly decided that [going short] would be my next hair journey,” Leamon recalls. “I was nervous but also excited. I felt so liberated.” Inspired by rapper Eve in the early 2000s as well as the natural hair movement back in 2011, Leamon says she wanted to free herself from the standard of beauty that she “aspired to at the time.” Since the initial cut, she’s kept it short.

Leamon has found versatility and even more confidence in dying her hair different shades. “I love to change the color of my hair from time to time to give variety to my look, since it has been the same for so many years,” she says. To keep it healthy, she deep conditions with Palmers Coconut Oil deep conditioning pack. “It’s about $3 but it locks in the moisture really well, and I love the smell.” Otherwise, she reaches for Carol’s Daughter’s Moisture Milk Leave-In conditioner and Moroccanoil’s Dry Scalp Treatment oil. She wraps her hair in a silk scarf before heading to bed for extra protection.

As for the hue Leamon is considering next? She’s contemplating going ginger. “That’s a color I’ve never tried before and I’m thinking fall could be the right time,” she says. “Stay tuned.” Until then, Leamon will be continuing her self-care routine, in this current time of uncertainty. “My daily walks are extremely important to my mental and physical health,” she says. “I love to wake up early and walk about 4 miles, listen to my music—it’s basically a meditation for me.”

When her confidence dips, Leamon makes a point to “do something that makes me feel cute,” be it a face mask, simply getting dressed, or putting extra effort into her skincare routine. “We should look at self-care as a day-to-day ritual,” she says. “Taking care of yourself has to come as natural as waking up.”

“It’s not all about bubble baths and face masks,” she adds. “Self-love is the foundation of a happy and successful life. Once I started to practice that love in ways that went deeper than just the surface and how I looked, my life began to change for the better.”