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With over 20 years braiding, locking, weaving, hair restoration and hair care in the cosmetology industry, Newark, NJ native Qiana Johnson, known as "Yonni Red", or as her friends call her, Red brings a proven track record of new and exciting styling options to the naturl hair industry. She began her career as a braider at just 12 years old. Yonni earned her cosmetology degree in the state of New Jersey in 1998 which allowed her to learn how to add hair care from a professional standpoint. After working in a variety of different beauty salon settings:African braiding salon, loc shop, blow dry bar, barber shop, chemical service salon (relaxers and coloring), she has become a well rounded stylist and hair care professional.
Yonni has recently established a full curriculum for locs and dreads to protect consumers wearing this hairstyle. Many states have not recognized the loctician craft as an industry in need of skilled professionals. After years of experience doing locs and dreads, Yonni will be launching a new product line for locs complete with shampoos, conditioners, and pomades that all focus on hydration of ethnic hair. Yonni has bought many new hair styling techniques to loc such as Looms, Zstitch, Barrels, Triple Barrels, and more to come.
 
 
Have you always been exclusively a natural hair care specialist?
I am a licensed cosmetologist, who specializes in natural hair. I do everything with hair except barber cuts. But as of the last 10 yrs I exclusively advertised dreadlock services.
What is your goal as an educator?
My goals as an educator is to give consumers with natural hair, professional options for hair styling, also to inspire and empower my own people to become independent and confident doing services that beautify us in our natural state creating real self esteem.
Do you thinks states should require a license for Locticians?
I do believe states should require locticians to have a license to protect the consumer just as they have to be licensed to do chemical services as a cosmetologist for the same reason. Locticians do provide coloring services and proper twisting and styling techniques ensure that hair loss is prevented.
Since many states don't recognize "Loctician" as a profession, how can clients ensure that they're patronizing someone who has been properly trained?
Since many states don't require loctician licenses or certification, I have created my "Yonnified Trained Locticians" Database for my Locticians who have trained with me.
Is a certain texture of hair better for dreadlocks than others?
I believe that any hair texture can lock and I dont feel any texture is better for locking than another but some textures lock faster than others.Texture matters much less than locking procedures when it comes to how long it takes for someones hair to become fully locked.
How important is social networking to your business?
Social media is very important to my business of teaching as it helps me to connect with the whole world and to provide online classes, also offers low cost high results advertising.
What advice/tips do you have for Locticians and clients who wear dreadlocks?
My advice for locticians and clients who wear dreadlocks is to do your research. Be careful of youtube channels with false information and join my classes and free seminars for real info.
How can stylists enroll for your training classes?
Stylists can enroll in my class by logging on to www.yonnired.com and going to the Loc Course Info page http://www.yonnired.com/#!loctician-course/c1nke for the Master Loctician Course, however I have online and private classes available on the site also.
Photos and info courtesy of Yonni Red
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