Heal by Hair Is Tackling Mental Health Crisis in Africa in a Unique Way

When Marie-Alix de Putter encountered a tragedy years ago, she found solace and support from an unexpected place. “My husband was murdered 12 years ago, and I was also four months pregnant at the time,” says de Putter in an interview with OkayAfrica. “Throughout this challenging period in my life, my relationship with my hairdresser became my primary source of support.”

She recalls being surrounded by numerous folks with important titles. “Yet, it was my hairdresser that I confided in. She was the one who held on to me, and urged me to keep going. Seeing the power of our relationship, and the emotional solace she offered me, sparked the idea for Heal by Hair, where we equip hairdressers to support their clients’ mental well-being,” says de Putter.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 116 million people were already estimated to be living with mental health conditions pre-pandemic. The pervasive impact of mental health challenges within African communities is undeniable, worsened by the social and cultural taboos surrounding depression and other mental disorders. To gain an acute understanding of these realities, de Putter meticulously researched the landscape before launching Heal by Hair. “One in three women and one in five men will experience major depression in their lifetimes,” she says. “There’s a prevailing stigma attached to mental health in Africa. There’s this notion that depression is not an African issue, that it’s reserved for other cultures. This is compounded for the Black woman – the ‘Strong Black Woman.’ We carry everything, we support everyone.”

But where is the support for Black women? This is what de Putter set out to change in the midst of her own struggle. “Before launching Heal by Hair in 2021, we asked more than 700 women in six African countries whether they trusted their hairdressers.”

The findings were remarkably encouraging, to say the least. The survey revealed that 64 percent of the women frequently confided in their hairdressers, with 86 percent believing others did the same. “We all agreed that we talk to our hairdressers,” says de Putter. “We asked hairdressers the same question, and 85 percent of them confirmed this.” In African salons, hairdressers typically tend to five to seven clients daily, spending their time listening to the challenges of the women they tend to, offering empathy and support. They were already fulfilling this role; it just hadn’t been formally acknowledged. “We wanted to support women, but the hairdressers were already doing that,” de Putter notes. “Our goal was simply to equip them to do it in a professional capacity.”

The initiative

Heal by Hair’s training program comprises a free three-day in-person training session. “It’s led by medical professionals, especially psychiatrists,” de Putter explains. “The objective is to empower hairdressers to observe and recognize the first manifestations of mental health issues their customers are going through, and if needed, [guide] them towards mental health professionals.”

Following the completion of the training program, the women are awarded certificates. “For many of them, it’s the first time they’ve received such certifications,” de Putter says. This is largely due to the fact that many of these women lack formal education, hail from low-income communities, and survive on as little as $20 per month, she adds. “They’re usually overjoyed to receive this certificate, you know, something tangible that says, ‘Yes, I learned this, I achieved that!’ And it in turn makes me happy.”

Since its inception in 2021, Heal by Hair has provided training to numerous hairdressers in Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, and Cameroon. While securing additional funding to sustain the program remains a perpetual challenge, de Putter, who invested all her savings to initiate Heal by Hair, remains undeterred and refuses to let it hinder her progress. “We’ve had a professor from the World Bank measure the impact of Heal by Hair. The data shows that this is working,” she says. “Qualitative studies have been conducted, and the positive feedback has been overwhelming. We’re supporting mental health in Africa.”

Community impact

Women coming in for hair appointments are not the sole beneficiaries of Heal by Hair’s impact. Three weeks following the inaugural training session, during which de Putter had harbored doubts about attendance, one of the hairdressers disclosed her experience of domestic violence. She had fled her home with her children. “She told me she needed to provide a better environment for them. It was so unexpected; no one knew at the time that she was going through that,” de Putter recalls. “And having someone open up about such a major challenge, and make such a powerful decision, is a testament to what we are doing.”

It became evident the hairdressers weren’t just offering support for the mental health and well-being of their customers; they were also extending it to themselves. The entire community, including men, was reaping the rewards of this initiative. “There are clients who come in with their sons to get a haircut and say to the hairdresser, ‘Please talk to him.’ Men come in seeking who to confide in. They’re like, ‘Oh, I have this situation, I don’t know what to do, I know my woman trusts you,’” says de Putter. “It’s not just women who are benefitting.”

While Heal by Hair initially began as a mental health initiative centering women, its reach has clearly extended to other members of the community. “The youth are benefiting, men are benefiting, everyone is,” de Putter affirms. But for her, the journey doesn’t end here. She envisions expanding this initiative to Senegal, Nigeria, and beyond. “There’s a lot of potential; the opportunities are vast,” she says. “There is a lot more impact to be made.”