Mahaila was originally a Psychology major at Oregon State Uni. She ended up leaving when she realized she needed to be working with her hands. Her time in the industry has been explorative. She has made it a point to explore as many different avenues as she could. Working behind the chair, on editorial shoots, collaborating with artists, working with brands, trade shows and educating. Hair is her gift. Discovering how to best communicate that and serve her community is her passion. 

“Education is so exciting when you’re able to be present and communicate effectively. There is opportunity for everyone to grow, including the teacher. Remove ego and gain from each other. Get comfortable with the unknown and explore as a team. Precision haircutting is a universal language in our industry. From that foundation, all of the styles and tools we utilize today have been born. When it comes to Curls it’s important to connect what we already know to a diverse array of textures. Precision cutting and most color techniques were not created with highly textured hair in mind but we as the experts can “crack the code” to bring high-level shapes to the highly textured hair community. Alas, all hair has texture, some more than others. The roadmap doesn’t change, but just like when we switch terrain, we adjust our approach.” — Mahaila Penson