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If it's natural, it's better! Today's guest is Pekela Riley, hair care consultant, master stylist, and founder of Salon PK and Pure + True Texture. Pekela had a difficult childhood, but she never let that stop her from going on her way. Her mother inspired her to overcome obstacles and challenge her creativity, so while she was studying nursing she switched to cosmetology school. Six months after starting cosmetology, she went full-time to a salon to pursue her career as a professional stylist. Working with passion and determination paid off, because today she is recognized around the world as one of the pioneering stylists of the natural hair movement, and her Salon PK became a recognized styling house included in Elle magazine as one of the "100 best hair salons of the US." With a unique vision, she is truly an elite expert and one of the beauty industry's most innovative talents always staying on trend and looking for the next cutting edge.
Highlights
To learn more about Pekela, you can follow her on Instagram, or visit her website.
Check out past episodes!
Join us on our website for more information.
Remember to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Download Podcast Transcript
If it's natural, it's better! Today's guest is Pekela Riley, hair care consultant, master stylist, and founder of Salon PK and Pure + True Texture. Pekela had a difficult childhood, but she never let that stop her from going on her way. Her mother inspired her to overcome obstacles and challenge her creativity, so while she was studying nursing she switched to cosmetology school. Six months after starting cosmetology, she went full-time to a salon to pursue her career as a professional stylist. Working with passion and determination paid off, because today she is recognized around the world as one of the pioneering stylists of the natural hair movement, and her Salon PK became a recognized styling house included in Elle magazine as one of the "100 best hair salons of the US." With a unique vision, she is truly an elite expert and one of the beauty industry's most innovative talents always staying on trend and looking for the next cutting edge.
Highlights
To learn more about Pekela, you can follow her on Instagram, or visit her website.
Check out past episodes!
Join us on our website for more information.
Remember to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Embracing the Natural Movement of the Hair with Pekela Riley
Dr. Torkian 00:04
Welcome to Beauty In Progress. This is Dr. Torkian. Together, let's explore what it means to have an eye for beauty. This is Dr. Behrooz Torkian with Beauty In Progress. And I'm really pleased to have with me today Miss Pekela Riley , who is a global haircare consultants, educator, salon owner, Master hairstylist, and the Creator, and founder of salon PK and True and Pure Texture, which I'm going to let Pekela give us her explanation of what's True and Pure Texture is but exciting for me, is a movement towards more natural looks, rather than enhanced and fabricated books. And I personally think that that is pretty awesome. Did I get that right Pekela?
Pekela Riley 00:52
Absolutely. Right? Absolutely true. And Pure + Texture is all about natural, diverse textures that we, of course, naturally have been often been overlooked within the beauty industry. So you got that perfectly.
Dr. Torkian 01:07
I have no experience with hair, except I deal with hair as a facial plastic surgeon, I do hair transplantation for people, I help people grow their hair back. And I know how important it is to people. And I also know how important it is for people. I mean, look, the term bad hair day didn't come out of nowhere, right? It is a really important factor, and the way that we present ourselves, and the way that we feel presented to the world. And so I think that maintaining a more natural approach to embracing the cultural differences, the ethnic differences, the genetic differences, I would say, because, you know, within this city, I'm Persian I you can have like a million different types of hair. And I think that is really awesome, how you focused on just maintaining and kind of embellishing the natural texture in one's hair. I think it's really, really cool. So I want you to just give us your story about how this emerged. How did this idea come?
Pekela Riley 02:11
Yes, you know, I want to go back to something that just really just spoke to me. And really, what I recognized very early on as a stylist is that we can have a bad hair day, but there is no bad hair. You know, that was seem to be the case when it came to enhancing a style for my clients. You know, I served in the salon for many, many years and service many, many diverse women. And when I would run into those moments where we needed a little extra fullness or elongation to phenol to beautify moment, their organic texture seems to be an issue are considered bad and didn't really have that many offerings for that on the market. And so that really inspired my journey with trim pure texture just to bridge that gap and started with a very small group and it has grown. But we are in a space of beauty. I mean, I'll just jump off topic I was in target the other day and I saw a swimsuit ad and it was a slam woman and they showed a stretch bar. And that was the suit that I want it for that very reason. Because this is a very real thing. It is a very much a part of humanity is really accepting all the nuances of that. And so we find that the hair textures and I'm so thankful that we're finally in a space where we are embracing it 60 to 70 70% of the world has textured hair, it's not an afterthought, it never should have been an afterthought. It truly is the apex. And that's what we're seeing in beauty.
Dr. Torkian 03:51
Yeah, I mean, I think what has been seemingly I mean, throughout my podcasts, I've had the opportunity to speak to a number of people who are in the textured hair industry, some of whose product whose products are actually at Target and you probably you probably know them. But I think it's I think it's really interesting to see that we're moving away from just blow dry, blow dry, blow dry, right? We don't all have to have perfectly straight or those perfect, wavy beach beach wave curls and and that perfect haircut is now being embraced to use that texture to your advantage. And I think that's really cool as the father of two girls who have textured hair.
Pekela Riley 04:37
And even when we wear it straight, we still goes back to that point where we can have a bad hair day but there's no bad hair. And so even when we blow our hair straight, high texture hair, there is a micro texture to it. You know even the straight has a nuance to it. So by all means we're not shunning the versatility of all that comes with on natural textures, I wear my hair straight quite often and many naturals are wearing their hair straight. Many of them have made the choice to be on relaxed for the health of their hair. But what matters to them is does this look like my texture? When I wear it straight? Not does this look like straight hair? Or what is the ideal? What is the ideal? Straight here? Does this look like my hair if it was straightened? And so that very important piece is what is a value to the texture community is that microarchitecture those nuances these very things that we were sort of indoctrinated to eliminate as a as an indicator of excellence or mastery are now being sought after. Because people really start are valuing the uniqueness of their genetics, their background, their ethnicity, who they are and they want to see their they want to see their freckles. We're seeing freckles now so of course we want to see the product and pray of our natural texture. No matter if it's our own natural hair, or people we've decided to enhance it for a moment.
Dr. Torkian 06:16
Yeah, I think that's that's really beautifully said something you said that also really resonated with me I did a another podcast with someone named Shannon Decker Shannon is a is a fitness, fitness guru and a big fitness influencer. An amazing, remarkable human being as well. I've gotten the chance to know her since the podcast. But she I saw her on the screen and I said, Man, she looks familiar. I went back and I picked up speaking of freckles, the brochure to one of our lasers called clear and brilliant laser. It's basically just a skin resurfacing laser. Sometimes we use it to remove freckles or dark spots. And so I look at it. And it really I really loved their ad campaign to begin with, I look at it and I said, Oh my God, that's Shannon, I can't believe that I'm speaking to that same person, because that ad was so perfectly positioned as showing a natural and normal person, right. It wasn't perfect skin. It wasn't a flawless person. It wasn't someone with no wrinkles, or someone who has who has like tons of airbrush and makeup. It was someone who's natural and normal and looks happy and looks good. And our skin looks good. And that's that's what they were portraying. It wasn't trying to show perfection, which I thought as you're making your decision on this swimsuit this weekend. It's the same same thing that I had, when I saw this ad I was like, Man, this is just an amazing way to present this product. So I'm looking at I looked at your bio picchio. And I noticed that you have worked with pretty much everybody who's anybody an influencer in your industry. And to get to these heights, people need to have a certain drive. And I'm curious what the drive is, what was your drive to get you into the beauty industry to begin with?
Pekela Riley 08:00
Oh, wow. You know, there was just an inmate call him I come from a lineage of very creative women, my mother was a barber, and she could draw. And so there's just a lot of artistry within the lineage. But I know that there's always been a spirit of service, I actually started in nursing, you know, there's an element to, you know, catering that I do value and servicing. But again, paired with that creative sense from my family. That's what really brought me in the industry. What has continued to really push me or really, I guess, allow me to show up is that there is a spirit of excellence, or a vision of excellence in which I see and always feel compelled to deliver it in some type of way. Whether that is you know, just a hairstyle, or really adding that valued insight or education piece for brand. And I feel like today I'm I'm not running out of inspiration, as we are in such an important moment in history of beauty history, this awakening to the beauty of our our natural self, our organic self, more of that it's not that we just wake up and go on natural, but being more finally really understanding the beauty of those things not being apologetic for those things. And so, so inspired by that now I have inspiration for another 100 years for sure. Absolutely. And you have so I'm curious about the nursing. Did you serve as a nurse? No, I never served as a nurse. I literally went from one term college credit and to vacate vocational to cosmetology. I was the secretary for the cosmetology department and our local At our State College, and so it was, it was just divine. I mean, I'm working there, I was a horrible secretary. But I found success helping the students on the floor. And so was the kind of like the final piece to nudge me into my true calling. And that is telling stories through beauty. And more and more, those stories are about not apologizing for the individuality that we have in duty, certainly not apologizing, or shrinking our blackness, or our culture, over various cultures in beauty definitely continue to be motivated at different points in my career. But right now, like I say, this is just endless motivation, as it has always been my nudging, and push and my tapping on the glass. So you know, we are shattering ceilings and glass walls and ceilings now, but I think my whole entire career has been a tapping and a knocking and then a banging and kicking on that glass.
Dr. Torkian 11:08
It's a really a remarkable time in history. And you know, that glass is double pane. They say, yeah, I mean, you are definitely we are definitely at a time when both layers of that glass are going to be shattered. And as I said, as a father of two girls, I have a son too, who should not be forgotten, by the way, he's awesome. But you know, with with as a father of two girls who I think are both capable of some really amazing accomplishments, just like their mom, and just like their grandmothers, I have seen generationally how things kind of advanced and I know those two are going to be in a much better place than their grandmothers, for sure. And, and even better place than their mom who's extremely successful. But you know, it is a better time. And it's really nice to see that.
Pekela Riley 12:05
Yeah, one of the things, you know, we would hear this phrase, you know, I am my ancestors, wildest dreams. And we truly are, we truly are, I mean, there are things that I'm experiencing, that my mother couldn't dare to dream of. And likewise, her mother, and certainly your daughters will realize things that, you know, we can't even put our minds to right now. And I feel confident in saying that it's although we don't clearly know what they are, we know that we're moving we as women moving with such low velocity that we're breaking through. But coming through both of those things, and it is a it is magical and mystical, but it is very practical. There is a lot of grit and tenacity and hard work and the extra mile that has gotten us to this point. And women are showing up in ways that they have been, you know, we've been underestimated in showing up for so very long. So this is not the moment to fall flat.
Dr. Torkian 13:18
I'm with you. I think it's the grit and tenacity and hard work that's been going on for a long time that's now finally going recognized going unrecognized. Now finally being recognized, and embraced. And that's, that's the real beauty of it all. I think it's a, it's really an amazing time. It's a really, really great time to be here. But we've been through some really interesting things in the past year, right with the pandemic now being exactly your old and then just as of today within our geographic area, some more businesses opening up and more comfort with regard to just being out and about and being around people. A lot of people have been vaccinated not all but a lot of people have been vaccinated schools want to reopen and so on. We've been through a thing you know, and and still, despite all that, there's some real big advancements and just our society as a whole it didn't set us back I think it just advanced society, which is really neat to see one of the things that you mentioned before we actually started recording is the zoom fatigue. I gotta say it's, it's something that you know, these are all little like social logic experiments that are popping up within our experience globally, the zoom fatigue and then in our industry, we have what we call the zoom boom. And I wonder in haircare or in beauty overall, what changes or trends are you seeing through the pandemic
Pekela Riley 14:45
Oh, wow, zoom boom, which has a small side effects of zoom fatigue. Beauty is forever digitized in a way and will never go back and so a number. Even for many of the brands that I'm consulting for, I mean, I've created full on curriculums through the pandemic digitally and you know, able to share those assets and that content just work in ways in which, you know, we were not able to go they didn't think we could do before everybody had to fly in and things, you know, everybody had to gather together and do these things. And so we realized that there are lots of moments that we can be home more and do those things. But the zoom boom has brought about a level of fatigue in the sense that there has always been the use of phone calls and such as glitches we're using today that allowed a great degree of communication to happen without the other added factors of you know, being on Do I have to get off my bed at this moment or things of that nature. And so always having to beyond always being under the lens that factor can bring has brought about from some of my colleagues, some zoom fatigue, but we are able to reach really reach any organization, entity educate our consumers, our customers, we, consultations are done by zoom co consultations are done by zoom. So it has expanded the reach for beauty and even servicing.
Dr. Torkian 16:23
It's been pretty much similar throughout our industry as well. You know, we have a lot of telemedicine consulates, and people, even even people who are next door, you know, they're not even that far away from here. They're just Santa Monica to Beverly Hills, not not that great of a distance. I drive it every day, but they'll prefer to do a consultation on on telehealth or telemedicine, we used to use zoom. But we now use some other platforms that have been made made available since easier for us that that have a little bit better security features in terms of HIPAA compliance. So we don't have to get as many waivers from our patients. But in general, people just don't necessarily feel like they have to get up and go somewhere, right? And that's part of that is like yes, there's the zoom fatigue, where you have to be on all the time because you're going to sit in front of this computer, but now you don't even have to leave your house. So if people are actually on my end, I'm seeing people more comfortable just being without makeup just kind of lounging in their PJs and taking a break from work to do a consultation for a facelift, for example. It's pretty neat. Yeah. And I don't have to wipe off makeup.
Pekela Riley 17:29
Yeah, I've had the experience of doing a tele health visit, you know, zone feature during COVID during quarantine. So that was pretty interesting. And it literally was the same questions I wish they would have asked in the office was like, Wow
Dr. Torkian 17:46
it is the same thing, except that the examinations are a little different. But you know, the art of physical examination has kind of been lost anyway, for plastic surgery, it's a little different than it is for like an internal medicine or general health consultation majority of what they what a physician will gain out of a physical examination is now supplemented by other means. Anyways, it's kind of an interesting, weird, weird thing that's happening in medicine. But it's neat. I think we were always capable of all these things, right. But we just now had a reason to have to use them. And so everyone's gotten just so good at all forms of digital stuff, digital communication, digital advertising, everything now can be just easily done. We're just kind of used to it. It's easy for us, we make a phone call for the purpose of the phone call not to make a phone call to have a meeting. Right? Because we don't feel like we need to have that face to face meeting. We can get it done, we will get it done without it.
Pekela Riley 18:44
Absolutely. So yeah, you're right. This was the life had been priming us to this moment, it was the breaking case of emergency. And this was an emergency and we've broken into all of this use of the technology that existed and it has made servicing beauty, sharing beauty concepts and innovations so much easier and it will certainly never return to free COVID
Dr. Torkian 19:12
No, it's not gonna be that same No, I definitely not. But that that might be one of the great advances one of the big benefits that we've gained from this experience. I'm looking at your Instagram site, I have to tell you, there's a young lady with freckles who you've made a number of different styles on who's just beautiful and I have a question the the aesthetics on your on your Instagram grid are just amazing. And the hairstyles obviously amazing. And I was going to ask you how do you follow up with how do you follow the trends but it seems like you're setting the trends Do you know when you're creating something like this that it's going to have the kind of impact that it does on people?
Pekela Riley 19:55
I do in the sense that nine o'clock QA but I know that because You feel that heart pounding to help with palpitation, you feel the risk, you feel that it's not in the sense of I know that this is gonna be everybody's gonna like, this is the I know this is different until you feel that flutter when you put it out and so that as much as it can be a little frightening moment, that is the moment that's how you know if it's a different thing, if it is a trend. And so it's so you know, that's the space in which you're staying in as an artist, you know, you release to the world, you know, you're waiting for that interpretation, what is the internet, you're putting this your thing out there, and you are awaiting a interpretation. So when I start to see other styles, speaking the same language start to take the same shapes and things of that nature, then that's in that moment when you realize, okay, you know, I think if it starts to identify as a trend when you know, people receive it positively, and you start to see variations of it being replicated. But the knowingness of is this a trend? Or is this not you don't necessarily know, it's a trend at the moment of when you create it, or when you release it, but you do feel that elevation of energy within that I am releasing something different. And I am now about to face the vulnerability of that. And that is the foundation or the seed moment of a trend.
Dr. Torkian 21:32
It's interesting. I mean, I I envy that we get called artists all the time, I'll tell you why we have a limitation as plastic surgeons, we, you know, people call us artists, they say, Oh, you know, they see their daughter's nose and they say, oh, Dr. Greer session artists, thank you so much. And I'm like, Yeah, thanks, you know, but really, all in all this time, I wasn't expressing an art, I wasn't trying to do something unique. I was trying to be safe as heck out there. I just want to be safe, I want to create, enhance someone's feature in a way that fits for them, that they can psychologically wrap their head around, right and adjust to that they actually like to they and it's their taste to you know, someone's hair gets messed up, because they you did it for a shoot and you know, wash it out, start again, no problem, right. But it's different with a face or a nose or an eyelid surgery or something, you know, we don't get that level of creativity.
Pekela Riley 22:29
Yeah, you can't go making up a new nose. I wonder if the nose goes over here?
Dr. Torkian 22:35
No, we don't get that level of creativity. You know, a lot of my colleagues. So for that reason, a lot of my colleagues actually do practice some form of art, whether it be drawing or painting or sculpting. And it didn't dawn on me until I heard you explain your experience of your creativity that we just need this outlet. Everybody needs a creative outlet, I think but plastic surgeons, we have it within us. And so we we A lot of us end up being amateur chefs and amateur artists as well. It's pretty interesting.
Pekela Riley 23:07
Yeah. And it doesn't come without, you know, I will say that your first indication that this is a trend of this could turn into you and you intuitively feel it you have this visceral feeling of it's different. And that has that vulnerable, you know, question to how will this be received when you release it? So it's kind of easy if you're like you're releasing a bob it's like everybody likes Bob's I'll put another Bob out, you know, that faith, if it feels safe is most likely not a trend. So that I think that's what
Dr. Torkian 23:44
it's not going to give you that that palpitation that risk palpitation? Yeah, that's right.
Pekela Riley 23:49
Yeah, you're not gonna get that. Okay, there goes, let's see, you're right. Or you're doing it on set. Because oftentimes, you know, that micro moment really begins on set, you're, you're still on the set with, you know, at least in the old days, you had 20 people standing around waiting on you, we need you in five minutes. The first point is everybody's looking at you. You're reading their faces, not only are they looking, they're waiting on you. So I remember doing that and there was just like this silence and you didn't really understand what it was until one of the other artists that mic drop
Dr. Torkian 24:29
this picture up right now that I'm looking at that really captured my eye. It's a lady with white hair, and a lot of volume. I'm just wondering when you look at someone, she looks Middle Eastern, although she may not be she has the arched eyebrows that would resemble someone from my background. Or maybe Pakistan he may be possibly. And I wonder when you look at someone like her, you know, people come to me and they tell me what they want. A lot of times they'll tell you what they want, as well, but you as we just discussed you have some artists You know, freedom? How do you envision putting things together? That amount of volume changes things about the big face, right? And that's why a bob is different from a voluminous hairstyle like this one with shorter sides and so on. How do you envision this? What's your algorithm? And and what you steps you follow it envision what what would work for their face?
Pekela Riley 25:23
Honestly, it's like looking at a person's highest for alternate potential. So I wouldn't say necessarily highest, because that would negate that, that would say that they're not being the highest self. So she in this moment, she had a bob, and so not to argue whether she was being her highest self, but in an alternative space, what my what else might she be? What else might she say? What other attitude might she be suppressing? That's kind of where I begin to create onset. Like, if someone is like ultra cotton candy type of nice, I imagine there is a part that's repressed, and maybe I can speak to that in the hair. For me, that creative process doesn't start physical. It's normally a tonal of persona, and somebody's emotional. But of course, the art you know, I then practice make it practical to Okay, you know, it has to make sense. But the origin is, what else is not being said, the woman with the red ginger hair and the freckles. She was so nervous that she was so giggly and she was just just it was just giggly and it was just so adorable. And I was like you feel so uncomfortable, like showing that you could have wrath and rage. And I wanted that I wanted a lion's mane. I wanted her to you to be at somewhat confused in her look. Is she? Is she sexy? Or is she pissed? I want it to confuse you.
Dr. Torkian 27:04
When I look at her face. I see a lot of innocence actually. And then when I see her hair, you're right. There is a power in it. There's definitely Alliance man. Oh, cool.
Pekela Riley 27:16
I wanted to confuse you. And because that is what I feel is femininity. It's all of those things. We can be glorious and grit greedy and innocent and vengeful if need be.
Dr. Torkian 27:33
Don't we know it is beautiful. The one the one with the gray hair? I can tell you like yes. If she had a bob when she came in, that's a totally different projection of attitude than the attitude she's projecting with that style. That's beautiful. It's really, really cool. It caught my eye. And it's I just keep going back to that picture.
Pekela Riley 27:52
Thank you. Yes, she has a bob. And so that was just a redirection of that land as much as it can serve, you know, at the lower angle. What if we elevate it? So it's just a lot of risk taking a lot of looking for maybe unspoken things to their persona or emotion that they might be playing down a bit?
Dr. Torkian 28:13
And do you find that if you've worked on someone on set, for example, maybe they didn't even choose you? Maybe you ended up being on set? And it wasn't really, you know, they had no no option, right. And they didn't know that they could have an option. But you create something for them. You have anybody who's who's told you that you change the way that they present themselves forever, even offset.
Pekela Riley 28:35
Ironically, the young woman with the ginger hair. If you look at the last post, her name is mahogany Amore. She comments and says you this was us showing a side of me that I had never seen like never gotten to this space. So she wrote a comment to that effect. And so it really sort of solidified what I'm trying to share was that I typically look at a person and imagine what they might not be sharing what they might be curtailing. We do that we do that we want to show up as our best self. And so sometimes it's not a wholesale, and it's not the end photo, there will never be a photo that really captures a woman or a person's whole cell. Maybe we can speak to the part that's a little repressed.
Dr. Torkian 29:24
There's so much we could talk about I mean it can just keep going but I'm curious you you have influenced you have taught you continue to teach you have consulted with some of the biggest style magazines, some of the biggest beauty corporations, massive ones, and you have your own product to be able to touch the lives of many people all together what's next. And it doesn't have to be in the beauty space.
Pekela Riley 29:52
I am where I'm supposed to be. And not out of obligation at this point. Not out of practicality and beauty isn't always Practical right now it's a it's a wonderful roller coaster The great thing about it, I feel like it's going in the right direction. But I am, I will always be in beauty. And I will continue to use my voice to my mind to you know, push the needle forward. So I can't I don't want to box myself in this space. And fortunately for beauty, you don't have to box yourself in any particular space as it relates to beauty. But I see myself continuing to really really expand upon Shawn pure texture in educating and marrying you know, that that that integration point where no natural hair extensions and the protective value that that does add to haircare because one thing that has always a perception that definitely needs to change. And that starts with me is we always felt it was a choice, you had healthy hair or you were extensions. But what are the real reality is that extensions truly can form can be and it is for high texture, hair or texture hair a part of the healthy hair regimen. So I know that that I have great work to do in that area to bridge it not from a self serving face that if I nail this, that this, of course drives extensions. But that has been the truth that has been the truth for myself and 1000s of women that I've serviced and know is that when this is done in a particular fashion, and when you have hair extensions with the nuances, this ultimately is protective. And it does end with this positive goal, this positive outcome, this more of you aspect. And so right now that's a big work. And so that's going to keep me busy for a minute.
Dr. Torkian 31:45
Yeah, that's, that's really interesting. That's something that people don't necessarily know or believe to be true, because there's probably a lot of misconception out there that the extensions are damaging to your hair and the age pool on your follicles and so on. But it's good to hear that you are on the on the way to making that perception change I but can you explain like, Is there a science behind what you're experiencing?
Pekela Riley 32:09
Absolutely, for example, so we call we use the phrase protective styling quite often. And protective care is when we typically integrate extensions or awaken some type to allow our hair to rest or be in a state where it's not being manipulated comb tug term guide or whatever it may be. And so all of this is happening to the wig piece or the extension piece, not your hair, you decided you wanted to have blonde highlights for the summer, you did that to an extension piece and not your hair. So that was the general perception of protective but as it relates specifically for true and pure texture, alright, Susan microtex has become the true value here. Because when I have hair extensions that match your hair, and don't force your hair to be something that it isn't, you're not picking up that flat earth to beat it into submission to match the silky, strong, shiny, straight, synthetic looking hair. That takes a lot use to match. And so by default of having extension options that match your hair, your hair is allowed to be that in itself when you are allowed to be that is protected being I love that as someone who helps people try to regrow their hair after it's been damaged. Leave it wrong, like like stay out of it like no, you can't turn it No, I don't want you to lose things. So having that door to period are so very important to us particularly texture hair, because that's when you have elevated dryness elasticity challenges, we want to experiment with styles that are not so very practical or forgiving. With your real hair. You can't just say hey, I was red this month and then the next month I wore blonde with your real hair you're gonna see the evidence for that damage. And that's going to be a long roll out but all for you to find that you hate it red and you really don't like blonde. I would much rather have you discovered that with clippings then your own hair. Yeah, that's the safe way I totally get it. That's amazing. And you see how this is becomes a protective partner. This becomes a healthy hair partner because no No, no, let's not do this to your hair. Do this to this.
Dr. Torkian 34:27
This is your hair. Yes, your hairs, knee protector to helmet for your hair. I love that. That is very, very cool. Pekela. That is awesome. And unfortunately I told you we could talk for I could talk forever. I could ask forever. But unfortunately, our time is coming to a close. Is there any last thought that you wanted to share?
Pekela Riley 34:47
No, I just want to thank you all for having me on. I've enjoyed the conversation. And I just want to encourage everybody to you know, take a chance makes them feel most beautiful and really to allow those unique areas. admits of oneself to show up, whether that be your freckles, whether that be the phrase and fray of your natural texture, just know that we are on this beautiful journey together.
Dr. Torkian 35:10
Absolutely love it. This was an awesome conversation. It's nice to speak to someone who can actually answer the questions from a philosophical perspective, the way that I asked them. And I think you nailed it. That's really awesome. Thank you. I really appreciate that.
Pekela Riley 35:26
This is literally like, I mean, I have to, I have to, you know, fit myself down to get really technical, which I can but this is my natural way of thinking. This is my first language. So thank you for allowing me to show up as my wholesale.
Dr. Torkian 35:40
Yeah, I love that. Thank you. And thanks for saying that because that makes me feel like I did a good job with the interviewing. It's not always the case for doctors who don't know how to interview people that well.
Pekela Riley 35:49
No, you did a great job. Thank you.
Dr. Torkian 35:50
Thank you. I appreciate it. So again, thank you Pekela Riley for joining me this is Dr. Torkian and from Beauty In Progress. Don't forget to subscribe to beauty In Progress on iTunes and Spotify or wherever else you get your podcasts and don't forget to check out Pekela Riley, I'm gonna spell this it's pekelariley.com and if you want to see some of those pictures that I was talking about, that is the same spelling of her Instagram handle PEKELA RILEY and you'll be stunned by some of the beauty of these and you have to see the before and after on the beauty reels of the ginger haired girl that we were talking about with the freckles because it will blow your mind to see that before and after and how like you said you allowed some piece of her personality to come out that was just waiting to come out. It was really cool. Thanks again.