‘Create To Heal’ Is Reviving The Salon’s Role As A Space For Community Care
On a rainy April day in Los Angeles, Ms. Carolyn Smith decided she was ready to release decades worth of grief. The longtime Altadena resident and survivor of the Los […] The post ‘Create To Heal’ Is Reviving The Salon’s Role As A Space For Community Care appeared first on Essence.
Black News 
Courtesy of Create To Heal 
By India Espy-Jones ·Updated May 5, 2026 < /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… On a rainy April day in Los Angeles, Ms. Carolyn Smith decided she was ready to release decades worth of grief. The longtime Altadena resident and survivor of the Los Angeles fires in January 2025, sat inside North Hollywood’s Braidhouse with the hum of blow dryers and the buzzing of styling toolssrc="https://media.essence.com/vxcjywbwpa/uploads/2026/05/Candace-Interview1.heic" alt="‘Create To Heal’ Is Reviving The Salon’s Role As A Space For Community Care" width="400" />
As head barber Geoffrey Cathcart, thanks to the Create to Heal initiative, cut off 20 years-worth of Smith’s matted hair, the room grew quiet. We witnessed more than just a typical haircut. Rather, a purification ritual. When the final coils separated from her scalp, a heavy weight was not only lifted from Smith’s shoulders, but a new chapter opened for her wellness journey.
Create to Heal is a service-first, restorative community activation led by Don’t Forget About Me (DFAM) in partnership with ESSENCE, and Myavana, the pioneering beauty tech company for textured hair.
The initiative >Myavana’s Hair ID Technology, an AI driven tool that assesses texture, density and scalp care. The digestible data gave stylists detailed insights, allowing them to personalize treatments to each individual’s needs. For many of the participants, it was the first time their hair had been examined with this level of precision and expertise.
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For participants, the >Cécred deep conditioning treatment, Reynaga’s hair was voluminous, soft and restored. Seeing herself in the mirror after her hair reveal, she described a renewed sense of confidence. As Reynaga shares with ESSENCE, experience reminded her that if she looks good, she feels good. And that this experience allowed her to catch up on self-care rituals she neglected due to devastation of the fire.
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Inside the salon, that personal touch and sense of care was visible in every interaction. Stylists, barbers, and wellness practitioners working together to ensure participants receive white glove treatment—seen, supported, and catered to. “The energy in Braidhouse is palpable,” says Joy Williams, CEO of Joy Williams Beauty and Smith’s professional hair stylist for the day. “Everyone just wants people to feel amazing and exactly how God created them.”
At the center of Create to Heal is Co-Founder and CEO of MYAVANA Candace Mitchelle Harris, whose technology bridges beauty and AI through data driven hair analysis. The app allows stylists and clients to have a clearer understanding of scalp and hair conditions, providing solutions that move beyond vanity styling.
“We are bringing women back to themselves,” Mitchelle shares. “Personalization creates space to feel empowered, connected, and to truly be cared for.” While visiblerel="tag">Create to Heal
The post ‘Create To Heal’ Is Reviving The Salon’s Role As A Space For Community Care appeared first on Essence.
