About the expert

Danielle Okafor is a licensed cosmetologist and the Hair Styling and Trends Writer at Trendy Hair Picks. She holds a cosmetology license from the Aveda Institute in Washington, D.C. and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Howard University, where she began documenting natural hair styling techniques through a campus blog that grew to over 15,000 monthly readers before she graduated.

Danielle spent five years working in high-end salons in Washington, D.C. and New York, specialising in textured hair — including cutting, colouring, and protective styling for Type 3 and Type 4 curl patterns. During that time, she completed advanced training in hair colouring through Redken’s certification programme and earned a specialisation in natural hair care and loc maintenance. She transitioned into full-time beauty writing after contributing styling guides to two national beauty publications and building a following for her practical, real-technique approach to styling tutorials.

At Trendy Hair Picks, Danielle focuses on hairstyle guides, trend analysis, face-shape recommendations, and natural hair content. Her editorial philosophy is rooted in salon experience: every technique she writes about is one she has performed on real clients. She is particularly focused on making expert-level styling knowledge accessible to people who do their hair at home and on representing the full range of hair textures in mainstream beauty content. Danielle is a member of the Professional Beauty Association (PBA).

Credentials & Qualifications

Education

B.A. Communications, Howard University (2017)

Certification

Redken Advanced Hair Colour Certification

Membership

Professional Beauty Association (PBA)

Experience

7+ years combined salon and editorial experience

Previous role

Stylist at high-end salons in D.C. and NYC (5 years); contributor to national beauty publications

License

Licensed Cosmetologist, Aveda Institute, Washington, D.C.

Expertise Areas

  • Hairstyle trends and face-shape recommendations
  • Natural hair and textured hair care (Type 3 and Type 4 patterns)
  • Protective styling techniques (braids, twists, locs)
  • Hair colouring trends (balayage, highlights, at-home colour)
  • Step-by-step styling tutorials
  • Hair type classification and personalised routines