Most of us grow up with a love/hate relationship with our hair. We never seem to be satisfied with our hair texture or length. If you have curly hair, you want straight hair, or vice versa. We dye and fry our hair and change the styles to fit our personalities or whatever phases we go through. You could say that our hair is our frenemy. We don’t seem to appreciate our hair until something traumatic such as excessive hair loss occurs. Hair loss is mistakenly thought of as a disease that only happens to men, however, 50% of all women start losing their hair by the time they are 50 years old. Statistics also show that 29% of those women who report having significant hair loss attribute it to two key symptoms of depression, which, as it turns out, can play a significant factor in hair loss (Jenifer Kuadli, 2022). Other contributing factors that can lead to hair loss are hereditary such as hormonal changes, medical conditions, aging, dietary choices, and stress. While hair loss doesn’t cause physical harm, it can create emotional stress and also affect the confidence you have in yourself.
I happen to know this reality all too well. Six months after my daughter was born, post-partum had set in and between the breastfeeding and extra hormones wreaking havoc in my body, I began to see excessive hair loss with every single stroke of the brush or comb through my hair including whenever I would go to wash it. Within six weeks, my hair that had once reached the middle of my back, was now looking like the hair on a newborn baby. This experience prompted me to visit several dermatologists in which I was then diagnosed with Alopecia; a medical term for excessive or abnormal hair loss, of which there are different kinds. Most hair loss, whether it be in men or women, is typically the symptom of something else that is going wrong in your body (Association & McAndrews). The most common type of Alopecia is areata which is an autoimmune disease that attacks the body’s hair follicles, causing hair loss. It’s great that as black women, we have created and showcased unique hairstyles offering a wide variety of ways to wear our hair. However, at the same time, black women have also become more prone to a type of hair loss called traction alopecia, caused by heat, chemicals and tight styles that pull at the hair root, such as braids, dreadlocks, extensions, weaves and even wigs if improperly applied or removed. Without a professional hair stylist that can provide you with excellent hair care, or properly maintaining your own hair, traction alopecia can be easily developed.
So, you might be asking, what options are there if you’re suffering from significant hair loss or alopecia? One thing you can do is to see a dermatologist that specializes in treating alopecia and can do so with routine intralesional steroid injections into your scalp. The injections help to reduce inflammation, suppress the immune system, stop the body from attacking the hair follicles, and helps in the regrowth. Of course, with every benefit of treatment comes side effects. Some of the side effects include bleeding, soreness, headaches, skin thinning, pigmentation disturbance, acne, and absorption into the rest of the body (Rajpar, 2020). While some are rare side effects, everyone’s reaction will vary. Steroid injections do not cure alopecia areata but can temporarily or permanently resolve a patch. I have tried the steroid injections off and on throughout my hair loss journey but was never consistent with it. However, what I have been consistent with is using Kaleidoscope products created by Jessica Dupart who I discovered on Instagram when my sister shared a profile and told me to try her products…because why not? At this point I had bald patches throughout my hair and nothing much left to lose.
Who is Jessica Dupart?
Jessica Dupart, who is a native of New Orleans, is the proud creator and owner of Kaleidoscope Hair products. As someone who has always been passionate about hair styling, she started by styling her father’s hair as a kid and then moved on to styling her friends in the neighborhood. Despite her natural talent, her parents wanted her to become a lawyer or a doctor and encouraged her to focus on her studies instead.
Regardless of this, Jessica’s love for hair styling never faded. She continued to practice her skills and even started sneaking her friends into her bedroom to style their hair for free.
Her journey to becoming successful was far from easy. She had to face a series of obstacles that would have discouraged many, yet she kept pushing forward. From getting kicked out of school to becoming a teen mom, life’s challenges were thrown at her from all directions. Instead of giving up, Jessica channeled her struggles into a deep determination to succeed.
After graduating from one of the best cosmetology programs in New Orleans in 2000, Jessica’s talent and passion for hair quickly caught on. She was inundated with clients day and night wanting her creative touch, and especially seeking her iconic big hairstyles which were popular back then. With her hustle in full gear, Jessica eventually became a co-owner of a salon, which allowed her to make the money needed to move her career forward. Jessica wasn’t satisfied with just being a local sensation. She wanted to be known as the best. She then decided to create her online persona, “Judy”, and take the social media world by storm. She had arrived and was here to stay.
She took a leap of faith and created her business, Kaleidoscope Hair Products, first in 2013, and reviving it again, in 2014 after the first shop burned down. She has since seen many victories. During the first quarter of 2018, her company’s sales experienced a remarkable increase, surging from $100,000 per month to $1 million by the end of March that year.
Today, Jessica is not only the CEO of a thriving business but also an investor, mentor, teacher, and popular influencer. She has a massive following of 2 million on her social media pages, where she shares her thoughts on life, business, and spirituality. She’s the star and executive producer of a hit TV show on WETV called Brat Loves Judy.
Jessica Dupart also created The WAP parody called ‘LAH’ (or Long and Healthy) starring YouTuber Lala Milan along with reality TV star, Kandi Burruss-Tucker that has garnered nearly 1.84 million views. This parody is the most recent in a long line of parodies of cultural phenomena and was a part of her marketing strategy to draw people in not just in her capacity as a social media influencer but for her Kaleidoscope Hair products of which she used in each parody she created. Her comedic take on hair loss allowed people to take a serious situation and open up a discussion about that issue online in a relatable way. I was a fan immediately and became a loyal customer soon after.
Kaleidoscope Products
With a range of shampoos, conditioners, and hair oils to choose from, Kaleidoscope products are versatile enough to suit any hair type. What makes them stand out from the rest is the use of high-quality ingredients that are known to promote healthy hair growth.
Back in 2015/2016, when I first started using their products, it took a while to get used to the strong peppermint scent, but I fell in love with the tingling sensation it gave my scalp. The scent is subtler now, but still works wonders for my hair, particularly when paired with my consistent vitamin and scalp injection regimen that I started two years ago.
I do, however, miss the old packaging, which were rectangular squeeze bottles that left me feeling like I could get every drop out of them. The newer squeeze bottles do not have the same satisfying feeling but that doesn’t deter me from continuing the use of the product.
There’s a variety of collections you can chose from such as Miracle, Moisture, SoulFed and the Therapeutic Collections, but the therapeutic and moisture collections remain my go to. The miracle and SoulFed collections are newer products and are next on my list to give a try but I have no doubt that they will become regularly used products on my shelf as well.
In addition, Dupart has added a protective style collection inspired by her wife, Grammy-nominated Soul Train Lady Award winner and Billboard Award-winning rapper Da Brat. In addition to Da Brat being known for her fast-paced rap style and being able to hold her own in a male-dominated industry at the time, she has also been known for her creative protective hairstyles that she has worn for decades. With her inspiration combined with her wife’s expertise, Dupart and DaBrat collaborated on this collection to help you achieve the greatest possible benefit from your protective style while maintaining the health of your hair and scalp. The packaging is colorful, with fun product titles that stay true to Da Brat’s style, with her picture being the face of the collection.
Let’s not forget about our kiddos! It is never too early to start teaching your little ones about how to properly care for their hair. Dupart developed a line of products specifically for kids called the Kaleido Kids collection for use with kids of various ages to enjoy, like my eight-year-old does. When you are selecting the right product for you from the Kaleidoscope line make sure you don’t leave out the kids!
This modern-day hair product company has quickly become one of the most well-known black-owned hair companies worldwide. Even as I research and test out other products for my blog, this line of hair products will remain a consistent and effective part of my hair care routine. Apart from the other benefits I have accounted for, something else I love about Kaleidoscope is its dedication to creating products that help repair hair damage and promote hair growth, particularly in areas that have thinned out. Do you want to know what the most amazing thing about Kaleidoscope hair products is? These are products that work for any type of hair, regardless of race or origin, which makes their products truly inclusive. Kaleidoscope’s main goal is to ensure growth and proper care for all types of hair. And of course, the product is not only for women. It is equally effective for men as well.
According to Mokoena (2022), the black hair care and beauty market is worth billions, and Kaleidoscope has expertly tapped into this market by providing products that initiate hair growth. The owner, Jessica Dupart, is a marketing genius, and has been using social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to spread the word about her products. She’s even incorporated digital marketing tools like Search Engine Optimization and content creation to make sure that Kaleidoscope reaches an even wider audience. This company knows how to connect with its clients and create a loyal fan base. With all these efforts, it’s no surprise that they’ve become one of the most successful black-owned hair care companies worldwide.
Conclusion
I can confidently say that the Kaleidoscope hair product has proven to be a game-changer in my hair care routine. Its unique formula, infused with healthy ingredients, has provided me with remarkable results that I have been pleased with. Now this is not to say that I don’t still battle with hair shedding and bald patches from time to time as that comes with the territory of having developed alopecia. However, I know that if I do not keep up with the regiment that I have developed through the use of Kaleidoscope products then I would not be doing my part to fight off and prevent further hair loss. Similar to how dieting and exercise work best for weight loss, hair upkeep requires both internal and external care.
Overall, I think Kaleidoscope hair products are a fantastic choice for anyone in the market for a high-quality, effective, and luxury option that won’t break the bank. These products can be used to help hair loss and hair maintenance. Of course, it goes without saying (but I will say it anyway) that everyone’s experience and results will vary but it is definitely worth adding Kaleidoscope Products to your cabinets!
My Personal Results:
Current hair status (please keep in mind that I have Alopecia and with that it requires management and patience as Alopecia can be triggered at any time):
My baby’s review from three years ago, she loves beauty and hair just as much as I do.
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