Find your true passion
Anima Agyeman was born in Virginia as the daughter of proud Ghanaian immigrant parents. She started studying medicine, but quickly realized it was not for her. “I was worried about disappointing my parents, but luckily I organically and quite quickly found a new path with modeling and content creation for beauty brands. I have always loved clean products and have been a strong proponent of natural hair in the modeling world. I saw too few ‘girls like me’ growing up and I wanted to change that. In my work, I want to show young women who resemble me that they have representation and that they can have confidence just as they are.”
"Be yourself"
Anima feels that her content creation work is far more meaningful and effective when she represents herself and brings her own values and diverse audience to the table — “Overall, I want to work with brands that champion diversity, equity, and ethical standards.” She does not see herself as an influencer, however, as she believes “we’re all influencing someone”. In her opinion, the influencer role has become a little clichéd and focuses too much on vanity and clout.
Diversity in hair care
Anima sees a clear need for more representation and role models for young women. She points out that “that most dark skin models have cut their hair or keep it really short. Since I book a lot of jobs because of my longer hair, I have had to speak up in a couple of uncomfortable situations to prevent my hair from being damaged by stylists trying to use tools and products unsuitable for my hair type.
Preparation is key
I try to get details about the look a client is going for before a shoot. Then, I usually spend a few hours the day before getting ready. By the time I get to set, the hair stylists usually don’t have much to do, unless there’s a last minute change. They always thank me as I have quite a fro to tame! I understand that if you don’t have my type of hair with so much density, then these hours of prep may seem excessive — my fellow models with looser hair textures are always super surprised that I have this experience. They just roll out of bed, do their usual morning routine and go to set. Although it’s harder for me, it's also super rewarding. I’m grateful to have this much hair after modeling for five years now. Good preparation helps protect my hair and ensures I don’t risk it being over-manipulated which leads to breakage.
Anima’s hair restoration journey
Anima first visited Harklinikken in the Summer of 2021. Her scalp was a little flaky and she struggled to keep it healthy and well-nourished. The New York weather, styling requirements and lack of diversity and knowledge about her hair type in the modeling world were taking their toll. She noticed that when she was in Ghana for vacation her skin, scalp and hair flourished. However, whenever she returned, her hair and scalp were not as healthy.
A unique routine
Anima began her hair journey with her customized Harklinikken treatment regimen that included the Hair Gain Extract and recommended supporting products. The naturally-derived Hair Gain Extract helps combat the flakiness and dryness of her scalp. She applies it once or twice a month, the night before her wash day and admits that “with my hair type, getting the Hair Gain Extract into my dense scalp is a bit of a challenge.” She definitely feels the beneficial results are worth it though.
“Before washing my hair I detangle and section it for about three hours and apply the moisturizing Hair Mask. This keeps my hair hydrated so that when I use the Stabilizing Shampoo, my hair doesn’t dry out completely and re-tangle or break. After I wash out the Hair Mask and shampoo I apply more Hair Mask to once again replace the moisture in my hair. Then I rinse it out and, as a final step, apply the Leave-in Hair Hydrating Crème.
The right hydration is vital
Anima now knows how important hydration is for her hair health … and not just any hydration. For best results, moisture needs to penetrate each hair strand and moisturize deeply from within, not just sit on your hair’s surface. Harklinikken’s award-winning and patented Hydration Technology does just that, without weighing your hair down. Optimal hydration not only makes Anima’s hair feel wonderful, it defines her curls and helps her retain length.
Immediate results
“I saw results almost immediately, because Harklinikken’s products hydrate my hair unlike anything I’ve ever used before. I especially love Harklinikken’s nourishing Hair Mask and Leave-in Hydrating Crème, because they moisturize my hair so intensely. My curl definition is amazing whenever I use them.”
Natural hair and natural products
“I love using all natural products. I literally don’t lose any sleep over moisturizing my hair anymore and this makes me so much happier. I also really prefer my hair in its most natural state. I just love the shrunken look. My type of hair does, however, need to be stretched out to prevent excess tangles so I still have to style it in some way.”
Knowledge is power
Anima notes that there is a great deal of miseducation and many misconceptions in the ‘natural hair community’ due to a lack of proper studies. This results in many women not being able to grow their hair adequately. She claims that “there are many trends and regimens that people claim work, but they don’t work for everyone and, in some cases, may even be harmful. For example, I used to use home-made avocado or banana hair masks, believing I was treating my hair well. However, I’ve since learned from my Harklinikken Hair Specialist that microscopic food particles can remain on your hair and form hard casts that literally have to be cut out. Otherwise they’ll grow bacteria. That was scary to find out. I haven’t done an avocado or banana mask since. So, just beware of the latest rice water fad or inversion method trend. Having a credible, science-backed regimen is really important for genuine hair health.”
