Cassandra Jukes, owner of Natural Revolution, shampoos her client to prep him for maintenance. (Photo by: Ebony Stone/ Towson University Student)

BALTIMORE-As Cassandra Jukes twisted the hair coils of her client, with much needed attention for maintence to his locks (dreadlocks); she began to think how overwhelming this trend of everyone having locks has grown.

“I never thought that doing locks would become a trend for people of all colors,” said Jukes, 32, owner of Natural Revolution.

Natural Revolution is the salon where Jukes provides  service to not only people with natural hair but dreadlocks. The common American name for them is locks. No one likes to refer to constantly maintained locks as “dreads.” People feel like there is nothing dreadful about their hair.

Jukes has been doing natural hair for over 14 years. Natural hair is considered to be hair that is not chemicalized by products such as perms or texturizers. Those styles consist of locks, braids and twist, which are done with non-chemical products.

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Through out the years it has been tough for women of color with coarser hair to maintain it unless it was chemicalized. ” The Nappy look was never accepted”.  ”Now over the last five years so many women want that look of what used to be unacceptable,” said Jukes

“I never thought I would cut my hair off and think of going natural and then growing locks,” said Marketa Wilson, who has been a client of Jukes for five years. 

Wilson has long shoulder length locks, she even colored them a light alburn to bring out her medium skin tone. She ususlly wears her locks in a “up-doo” or a roller set. Before Wilson Locked her hair it was permed and she wore it short.

Jukes has a clientele of  more than300 people. She has Indian, Hispanic and Caucasian clients. Locks have become a popular style for people of all colors and cultures. Jukes has gained such a large clientele of many different people from state to state because she is so neat and careful about the way she cares for hair. Many people are stopped in the streets, on the bus and even the bathroom to ask who did that? she said.

“I was in the restroom on day when this man asked me who braided my locks so uniquely,” said R.J Thompson, 22, accounting major at Prince Georges Community College.

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Jukes is well known, her work identifies her name. People in Baltimore and surrounding areas with locks know when they see her work. She even makes her own concoction for the hair. It’s her special recipe that no one knows except that the base is Shea butter. She said she been doing it as long as she has been doing hair.

There are many, many “lock shops” and lock stylist the business now who try to mimic her style; they try to find out what she uses to make the maintence last for so long. People of other salons want to know how she is able to book so many clients in one day. A typical day is no less than seven people and those services range from $70- $100 for each customer.

“I have had different salons call me. I have had people just come in to see if they can see what is it I do so well so they can steal ideas or thoughts,” said Jukes.

Jukes makes a living off of just doing ‘locks’, she was able to start her own business as well as have a house built. She makes more than most and is one of the highest paid lock stylist in Baltimore, she said.

“I like the fact that I can just make an appointment, get in and out and have something that will last three to five weeks,” said Wilson.

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Jukes, on average only takes about a half hour to forty-five minutes to twist one’s hair after shampoo and conditioning. She twists with her comb, concoction and uses hair clips to hold the lock in place. Once that is done she sits her client under the dryer for an hour and a half. After they dry, depending on the length of one’s locks, they may want to get a style as well.

“I hate the dryer but it is so worth it, its last and looks so good, and women I attract are wonderful,” said Thompson.

Jukes has always been very creative and multi-tasking. She never went to school to learn this technique of how-to-braid or do locks. You don’t need a cosmetology license to care for natural hair. But you do want to have a touch of being neat and creative,she said

Jukes has gone the extra mile to extend her business. She found a way to bottle and jar her oils and concoctions. She has advertised and been featured on

the back of receipts as well as in the Afro newspaper of Baltimore. She even has a Facebook, Twitter and MySpace account to reach out to new and existing customers.

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Jukes loves her job, she loves the fact that she makes her own money and schedule. Jukes plans to retire in six more years. In 2014 she plans to open a lock school that will teach others how- to care for natural hair.

” Ijust love my job, and making peoples natural hair look awesome,” said Jukes.

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