Narisse Monkam, Afro hair specialist and founder of L’Afro Beauty and the organisation Epipheny, brings decades of experience in the hair industry to a deeply personal and transformative mission: helping Afro descendants unlearn shame, reclaim identity, and care for their natural hair with pride.

Her journey began at just eight years old in Cameroon, styling her mother’s and classmates’ hair with instinctive joy and skill. What started as play quickly became purpose. As a teenager, she trained and worked in her aunt’s salon in Douala, dedicating weekends and school holidays to mastering her craft. At the age of twenty, she opened her first salon in Douala. A few years later, she joined her family in the United Kingdom.

In this multicultural space, Narisse saw an even deeper need not just for haircare, but for healing. She pursued professional training at Salford College, where she spent three years studying hairdressing and the science of hair. Her education, combined with the real-life experiences of her family and clients, opened her eyes to the deeper struggles rooted in colonisation, identity, and self-worth.

Through her work, Narisse began to understand the psychology of black hair: how deeply it connects to black history and how often it has been misunderstood or mistreated, .and how powerful it is when embraced.