More Than a Salon: Creating a Safe Space for Textured Hair Since 2008
An interview with Sarah Åsard, founder of Urban Hair.
When Sarah Åsard opened the doors to her salon in 2008, she wasn’t just starting a business, she was planting a seed of change. A change that has now grown into a thriving, safe, and empowering community for people with textured hair who for far too long, have felt overlooked in the beauty industry.
What inspired you to start your salon, and did you ever imagine it becoming a safe haven for people with textured hair?
I started this salon because I knew what it felt like to sit in a chair and not be understood, not just as a client, but as a person. Growing up with textured hair, you were often treated like the exception, not the standard. I knew I had to create a space where people didn’t just feel accepted, but truly seen, celebrated, and understood.
Back then, people with textured hair often got their hair done in someone’s home or in salons where the stylists weren’t properly educated in how to care for our hair. That was the reality. We rarely experienced high-end salons with great coffee, inspiring magazines, and professional stylists who actually knew what they were doing with textured hair.
I wanted to change that. I wanted to create a space where textured hair was treated with the same expertise, care, and luxury as any other hair type. So no, I didn’t just imagine it becoming a safe haven, it was my mission from day one.
Can you tell us about a moment early in your journey that made you realize there was a deep need for this kind of space?
Growing up in Sweden, I never felt that traditional hair salons were a place for me. Whenever I visited London, I made sure to go to a salon that specialized in textured hair, it felt like a safe space where I was truly seen, understood, and represented. In Sweden, that sense of belonging was missing. The salons didn’t reflect the diversity of hair types and textures, and as a result, I didn’t feel they were meant for people like me. It comes from a lived experience. Every time I saw a child shrink in the mirror because they didn’t like their curls, or a grown woman say she had ‘bad hair,’ I knew this work had to go deeper.
I remember one moment very clearly. I was 11 years old when I passed by a hair salon in Stockholm and saw a beautiful photo of Whitney Houston in the window. Something about that image made me feel hopeful, like maybe, just maybe, this place could give me that same look, that same confidence. So I walked in and asked if I could get the exact haircut.
The hairdresser said yes and started spraying water on my hair before cutting it. When he was done, he told me I’d need to perm my hair more to really achieve the look, and that he didn’t have the right products to style it properly. I left the salon with hair much shorter than I imagined, harder to manage, and feeling a deep sense of shame. I remember thinking: maybe hairdressers in Sweden really aren’t for us.
That experience stayed with me. It planted a seed, not just of frustration, but of purpose. I didn’t want other young girls to feel the way I did walking out of that salon. I wanted to create spaces where everyone feels seen, celebrated, and truly cared for.
Did you face any challenges breaking into the industry as someone focused on textured and afro hair? How did you overcome them?
Absolutely, I faced quite a few challenges breaking into the industry as someone focused on textured hair. I was deeply committed to becoming a well-rounded hairdresser, someone who could work with all hair types at the highest level. But early on, people in the industry would often reduce me to just being “the afro hairdresser,” and assume I must be great at braiding, like that was the extent of what I could offer.
I knew I had to break that stereotype. I started sharing my knowledge, speaking up about textured hair as part of professional education, not a side note. Over time, that led to the creation of Urban Academics, a platform we built to educate other stylists, hairdressers, and students. It’s my way of opening doors and helping raise the standard across the industry, so no one gets boxed in the way I was.
“We’ve had clients cry in the chair because it’s the first time someone truly knew how to care for their hair. That’s not just about styling. That’s about healing.”
There’s a strong focus on education, too, both for stylists and our clients. “We teach people how to care for their hair at home, not because we want them to stop coming in, but because we want them to feel empowered between visits. ”The salon trains every team member with deep, ongoing education about textured hair, scalp health, protective styling, and the history behind it all.
Looking back, Sarah feels proud, not just of the growth of the salon, but of the lives it’s touched.
“We’ve watched young girls grow into confident young women who now embrace their natural hair with pride. We’ve had grandmothers walk in unsure and leave glowing. And through it all, we’ve built a community, one that uplifts, supports, and celebrates our differences.”
Sarah, is there anything you hope for the future? When asked what she hopes for the future, her answer is simple: “Oh, yes, I really hope that every person with textured hair finds a space where they feel safe, seen, and celebrated. And if we can be that place, even just for a few, then we’ve done something truly meaningful.”
