Mane Event Touches on Hair, Beauty, and Self Care

By Melissa Turosik

Carmella Marie’s fourth annual Let’s Talk Hair: The Mane Event was held at Youngstown State University on Saturday in the Chestnut Room in Kilcawley Center.

Marie, head of the Carmella Marie Salon in Liberty, said the purpose of the event was to help women with hair issues have a better experience with their hair care journey.

“Natural hair can sometimes be very stressful, so [we are] giving them some tips and insight on how to really improve that whole experience,” Marie said.

Jackie Carlisle, Marie’s sister, said over 300 tickets were presold prior to the event.

“It’s an all-day thing so people are coming and leaving and they come for what they want and leave,” Carlisle said.

Marie said she brought the event to YSU because it’s a place of learning and this whole process involves learning.

“We think it’s a perfect mix and allows people to address different things that apply to hair, especially African-American women who are more for wearing their hair natural in the professional work setting and school, and showing them how that looks like. I think it’s a great partnership,” Marie said.

The event opened with a dance crew performance, Marie’s speech on reclaiming your hair and Kelan Bilal’s lecture, “The Big Chop at the Barbershop,” about how to communicate with a barber to make sure hair comes out on point.

Audience members also had a chance to share some of their bad experiences at salons. Marie took questions about healthy hair care and demonstrated detangling hair to the audience at the event.

The event also had a poetry session, fashion show, dance party and classes.

Randi Hodge, owner of Goods, sold lotion, underarm oil, shaving oil and clay masks at the event. Hodge said her fruit and plant-based products are made from scratch.

She also said she does a lot of trial and errors when it comes to making her products.

Kenny Reyes, Young Living Essential Oils independent distributor for Youngstown and advisor at Rookery Radio, was promoting essential oils at the event.

“We try to educate folks about oils,” Reyes said. “What is listed on the bottle is exactly what you get. We know how the full process is done, and it’s 100 percent pure.”

Marie shared her personal tips on growing healthy long hair.

“The key to any good base of healthy hair that is growing at a speed of .5 inches a month, which is average, is starting out with a good clean base. So, cleansing hair with a sulfate-free shampoo, cleansing all the hair and then doing a deep condition at least once a month in addition to their everyday conditioner to lock in more moisture over time,” Marie said.