By India Espy-Jones ·Updated March 11, 2026 < /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… “In The Chair” spotlights the incredible hairstylists and makeup artists in our community who are giving us major inspiration. Each week, they discuss their personal beauty and career journeys, what they’ve learned from their clients, and their top glam tips.
“Hair was never the plan,” celebrity hairstylist Edith Donaldson tells ESSENCE. Although she grew up in the salon, watching and learning to cut from her older sister Jazzie who was a hairstylist, “I was in love with fashion.” But, one day, Donaldson had somewhere to go and got tired of waiting to get in the chair. That’s when her plan changed.
“Doing my own hair led me straight into my future,” Donaldson says. “I was doing everybody’s hair in my parent’s basement.” From then on, her mother gave her a choice to go to college, beauty school, or get a job. So, she chose beauty school. More than just something she did, she says hair was about community, creativity, and connection long before it was a career.
“I understood that hair wasn’t just about looking good, it was about how people felt when they walked away from the chair.” From cutting and structure, to face shape and discipline, every client was an opportunity to learn something new. Then, she got a call. It was 10 o’clock at night and her friend who worked at a radio station wouldn’t tell her who. So, out of curiosity, she went. “I walked into the hotel room… and it was Jazmine Sullivan.”
“I realized in that moment I had been preparing long before the opportunity ever showed up,” she says. “That experience taught me something I still live by today. Your talent may open the door, but professionalism is what keeps you in the room.” Since then, her work has been seen on red carpets, like the SAG, BAFTA, and NAACP awards, in magazines like the cover of Time, and on celebrities including Monica, Gabrielle Union, and for the past 10 years, Teyana Taylor.
Now, Donaldson shares her time between being a mother, wife, educator, celebrity stylist, and even the owner of a salon in Cleveland, Bangs Salon. “I love witnessing target="_blank"> View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Edith Donaldson-Wheeler (@choppedbyedith)
Her Earliest Hair Memory:My earliest memory is doing hair for family and friends. I wasn’t pressing, cutting, styling, experimenting and micro waving ponytails. Before I even understood it could be a profession. I realized early on that I loved target="_blank"> View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Edith Donaldson-Wheeler (@choppedbyedith)
Her Favorite Hairtarget="_blank"> View this post on InstagramA post shared by Celeb MUA 
(@yeikaglow)
That growth comes from products alone. Growth starts with scalp health, proper trims, maintenance, and patience. There’s no shortcut to healthy hair.
A Lesson She’s Learned From Her Clients:I’ve learned resilience. I’ve watched women sit in my chair during some of the hardest seasons of their lives and still choose themselves. That kind of strength stays with you.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Celeb MUA (@yeikaglow)
I remind them that confidence isn’t about perfection, it’s about ownership. When you own who you are, everything else falls into place. Be the best version of you!
The Deeper Meaning Behind Her Work:The chair is a sacred space. Women come in carrying so much, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Sometimes hair is the entry point, but healing often happens along the way. We connect and heal each other.
TOPICS: celebrity hairstylist Edith Donaldson In The Chair With Teyana TaylorThe post Teyana Taylor’s Hairstylist Edith Donaldson-Wheeler Shares Her Top Tips appeared first on Essence.