The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

THEY call her “Fabulous Ronnie”, and it is by no mistake. She is more than a local cosmetologist who is known for making women look fabulous. When you meet her, you understand why her clients rave about her, why her family is so devoted to her and why she has become so successful.

Sharron Neely is the owner of the very first hair restoration clinic in The Bahamas that is Bahamian-owned with an exclusive line of Bahamian haircare products. This coming Saturday Fabulous Ronnie Hair Restoration Clinic will officially open its doors downtown on Bay Street.

This is an amazing accomplishment for the little girl who grew up in Lowe Sound, Andros. It was 22 years ago that she started out braiding hair on her parents’ porch in New Providence. Rich with island roots, Ronnie came from a family of hair braiders.

It was 1999 and the Atlantis Resort had recently opened: “When I started out, I was still living at home. Business was really good. Everyone wanted their hair shingled – natural hair and synthetic hair… especially the casino girls,” said Ronnie.

“I used to be a cocktail waitress and still do hair on the side. I was working for seven years and I never missed a shift. I never left them high and dry without my shift covered. I gave them the best of me. I realized that I was putting so much energy and effort into someone else’s business. I decided to invest in myself.”

During these years, Ronnie met and married the love of her life Rico Neely, a Royal Bahamas Defence Force officer. They got a three-bedroom house and began building their life together. Ronnie gave birth to twins Rico Jr and Ricah, and they couldn’t be happier. She started out braiding on the porch like before but eventually, she and her husband decided she should turn the third bedroom into a salon. The twins were small and enjoyed sharing a room and playing together. They made a separate entrance for the room and eventually, they added a bathroom.

From that small home-based salon in Elizabeth Estates, Ronnie attracted women from all walks of life. She went from being just a braider to becoming a wig and weave expert, and a cosmetologist with a wide range of skills. Police officers, nurses and executives passed through her doors. She has a talent for creating hairstyles that really suit her client’s face. Word of mouth spread and she came highly recommended.

But what many did not know is that the island girl had big global dreams; and while some saw her successful home salon as the goal, she saw it as a stepping stone.

Originally, Ronnie wanted to become a nurse. She always had a passion for the medical field. But she ended up getting pregnant when she was supposed to be pursuing nursing school. Although things turned out differently and hair became her career, Ronnie knew that education would be the key to elevating her life. She went to a trusted mentor, well-known industry veteran in cosmetology, Dot. Dot recommended a beauty school for her, and the journey began. She enrolled in the National Institute of Cosmetology in Washington, DC.

Ronnie always had dreams of pursuing tertiary education after graduating from RM Bailey High School. Today, Ronnie can say she went all the way. She has earned a PhD.

She is officially a trained cosmetologist, trichologist and formulator. She has bridged her passion for medicine with her love of beauty, and she can service her clients with true hair care. As a cosmetologist, she is an expert at applying cosmetic procedures, therapies and treatments to beautify the hair, skin and nails. As a trichologist, she has para-medical skills to help people with issues such as hair loss, hair breakage, oily or dry scalp and psoriasis. As a formulator, she has learned how to create her own hair care formulas that will bring about the best results for her clients.

With this trifecta, Ronnie has upped the ante on what haircare in the Bahamas should be. She has brought in state-of-the-art tools for her clinic, and will solve problems for men, women and children. Currently, she has a ten-year-old client who had a bad case of alopecia, now resolved.

All throughout the years Ronnie was serving her clients, she wanted to do more than just fix their hair. She wanted them to have healthy hair from the inside out.

Beauty school was just scratching the surface: “I remember when I was in one class and the instructor asked us to introduce ourselves. I was listening to everyone. I asked myself what it was that separated me from the rest of the class. The answer was nothing. As I listened to them talk about their skills in cosmetology, I would say, ‘check, check’… I could do all the things that they were listing. But what made me different? Nothing. I took a general census of myself and decided I wanted more.”

When Ronnie returned home, she made it a point not to be one of those stylists who just like to gel, spritz and style. She wanted to understand the science of hair care. Her husband helped to push her in this direction. His personal philosophy is to always try to understand the science behind the things one chooses to do.

“He would always push me to understand why certain techniques are used… why certain products are used,” she shared.

“So, I decided to get more into hair care and tap into this market. I realised how many people have issues with brittle, breaking hair and hair loss. People felt trapped and didn’t know what to do. I found so many women who have severe hair damage. Hair loss is almost like a disability. It takes away your confidence. It affects not only women, but men and even children.”

While at beauty school, Ronnie’s class paid a trip to the factory of a well-known hair product brand. During the tour, the host pointed out that there was only about seven percent of the natural raw material that was being touted on the label. To her, it felt like the company was lying on its label and cheating its customers. When she challenged the host, he said they were there “to make money, not friends”. With that, she felt determined to branch out beyond the beauty box.

“That sparked my interest in formulation,” she said.

“I started to dabble with my clients. I would use things like hibiscus in my products, taking baby steps with all the herbs, using it to see what would happen. I always wanted to know the benefits and how these things could help my clients. The medical profession has really lifted the veil for the beauty profession, and we are able to do so much more to help people.”

“I pursued formulation in school. It opened up a whole lot of do’s and don’ts, why’s and why nots. The dots just kept connecting. Living in The Bahamas we are surrounded by so many herbs. I learned how to pull medicinal properties out of plants, herbs, seeds and barks. I would test whatever the claimed benefit was for the hair. To see the results, I was getting for my clients pushed me to learn more and more.”

As Ronnie educated herself, she was able to fulfil her dreams of travelling and meeting successful people. As she studied for her Doctorate, she came under the tutelage of professionals like plastic surgeons, medical doctors, trichologists, and some of the best in the beauty business. It opened her mind and broadened her horizons, and she saw bigger goals of who she could be.

“I have a strong support system that made such a difference,” she confessed.

She is now the proud holder of a Doctorate Degree in Professional Cosmetology from the Texas State Institute of Cosmetology and Barbers. She is still pursuing other courses as she continues to expand her repertoire to better serve her clients.

Her twins, now 22, are succeeding in their own right. Rico Jr is a chef, studying in New York. He hosts the camp “Cooking with Nuncy” for kids when he comes home during his breaks. Ricah runs her own tutoring academy that is growing by leaps and bounds. Her academy is based on global best practices and focuses on life skills in addition to academics. They push their mom to strive to be her best as they continue to carve out their own niches in life. Ronnie and Rico also have another addition, three-year-old Skye – their daughter who naturally has taken over everyone’s life and filled it with joy. Ronnie’s support base also includes her sisters Natasha, Kisha and Sibeo.

Ronnie is also the founder of the Fabulous Wives Club – a spiritually-based club for wives, supporting them with Biblical principles to give their best to their families. These women, she says, are her extended family and an important part of the “relentless” support system that has pushed her this far in life. She says she has been able to do it all because of the grace of God on her life.

She is excited about what this new chapter in her life has to offer. She has rebranded and is moving into a storefront downtown that will elevate her as a pioneer in her field. Fabulous Ronnie’s Hair Restoration Clinic offers a wide variety of services, including, protective styles; custom wig construction and installation for men and women; hair colouring and extensions; treatments for alopecia, postpartum hair loss, trichotillomania, dandruff and more; micro needling; microblading; red light therapy and more.

Ronnie is a down-to-earth person with a magnetic personality. She is looking forward to offering hair consultations, where she can sit and have heart to heart talks with people about their hair journey before she even starts offering them a service.

In addition to her services, she has a product line which includes: restoration shampoo; restoration conditioner; restoration treatment; rice water treatment; rose water; liquid hibiscus; and edges grow back. For more information, email fab.ronnie@hotmail.com.

“I’m bridging the medical world and the beauty world and I am so honoured to have the first hair restoration clinic in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas,” she said.

“I am so happy to know I can assist persons who felt all was lost with instant hair gratification, day-to-day aesthetics, styling, pulling out that natural beauty, and finding things about them that they would never even look at. Then there’s natural nation… showing people that their natural hair is beautiful. For those who want the weave and make up, I have them too. Whatever makes you happy. To love yourself is amazing!”