This entrepreneur, stylist and healthy hair coach is changing lives, one cut at a time.
It’s no secret that Atlanta is home to some of the most creative souls you will ever meet. Over the years, the city has become a creative space for artists across all spectrums to not only hone their craft but also make a name and a living off their God-given talents. For Georgia’s own Jasmine Collins, that talent is hair. Collins, professionally known as Razor Chic, is a rock star in the world of hair care and styling. She’s amassed more than 700,000 Instagram followers and a huge international fan base.
With a salon based in Atlanta, she is one of the city’s rare gems who is talented beyond measure. Using hair care as her ministry, Collins goes beyond cutting hair. She changes lives through her work, making women feel beautiful again, inside and out. Originally from a tiny town called Statesboro, Georgia, the stylist quickly figured out that she had big-city ambitions. “I was 13 years old when I did hair for the first time,” she says, reminiscing about her humble beginnings.
Soon, lines wrapped around her grandmother’s house. Her grandmother, resistant to the foot traffic in and around her home, quickly put a stop to the in-home treatments, forcing her to set up shop in a salon. Everything happens for a reason, right? It was working in a salon that taught Collins that doing hair wasn’t just about creating styles and making money. She instantly knew she wanted bigger and better and had to learn the business of doing hair. It didn’t take long for her to follow her big-city ambitions to Atlanta, where she learned her first lesson in business: have a plan.
It’s no surprise that a small-town girl quickly fell in love with all Atlanta had to offer, including the night life. Collins said she went from making her money to hitting rock bottom.
“I didn’t save,” she said. “I went from having my own to being in a place where I wasn’t comfortable. It definitely taught me a lesson in humility and saving.” Not one to repeat the same mistake twice, Collins built her foundation from the lessons she learned, her strong faith and the support of her family.
“I put in blood, sweat and tears to get to where I am. People see me now and see the finished product. They don’t see the sacrifices. They don’t see the long hours I put in. Everything changed, from my dating life to my friends. I wanted to elevate, and it started from within,” she says, offering sage advice.
Living on Purpose
“There was one day I told God that I surrendered. I knew I had a higher purpose, and I was tired of fighting it. I knew I was here for a reason, and I wanted to live in my purpose.”
God answered her prayers. Almost overnight, doors swung open and the opportunities came flowing in.
“I used to post ‘after’ pictures of my clients, but people never saw the ‘before’ photos, the starting point,” she recalls. People never saw the process and the work it took to help women who came to me with damaged hair. I started posting pictures of women with slight baldness, and people really reacted to those photos. Before I knew it, women would sit in my chair with extreme damage to their hair and ask me to help them.
Women experience hair loss for different reasons.
It could be alopecia. Oftentimes, women have become so dependent on protective styles like braids and weaves that they forget to protect their natural hair. Before you know it, too many women are left with damaged hair and bald spots that they can’t cover up anymore.”
Collins went from helping women in her salon chair to being [flown] all over the world to help women experiencing baldness across the spectrum and bring their hair and self-esteem back to life.
At that point, Collins was no longer just an Atlanta stylist, and Razor Chic was no longer just a moniker. She’s now an international sensation, offering not only hair-care services everywhere she goes but also Razor Chic–branded seminars to teach women how to properly maintain their hair. She is currently gearing up to travel across the United States and Europe for her 2020 Hair Loss Tour. This small-town girl’s glow-up is real, and she said she is inspired by the women around her.
Who’s In Her Corner?
“I’m truly inspired by my friend and hilarious comedienne, Sommore,” the stylist says. “I have immense respect for women who make something out of nothing. There is something to be said about women who follow their dreams and make things happen. My mom also really inspired me.
Even throughout her own battles with her health, she supported me through and through. No matter what, she always told me how proud she was and encouraged me to push for bigger and better.” Razor Chic, who got her name from her surgical skills with a razor, says that her career in hair care has been nothing short of a blessing.
“There are women who see their hair for the first time after I’m done, and they break down and cry,” she recalls. “Your hair truly is your crown, and so many women have gone too long seeing an image in the mirror they don’t recognize. My ministry is adjusting those crowns and helping women see the beauty in themselves again.”
Collins has been cutting, coloring and styling hair for more than 30 years. Year after year, she has developed her skills. “I pay attention to detail,” says the hair-saving savant. “I practice something repeatedly until I get it right. It’s not just about doing hair, it’s about perfection. I have a process. It starts with a consultation. I never go in and just start washing hair. How can I correct your hair If I don’t know what’s wrong?”
Knowledge is power, and we are excited about Razor Chic’s 2020 tour. She’s slaying hair and giving us food for thought.
For deets about her upcoming tour, check out her IG, @theofficialrazorchic, or her website Razorchic.com.