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Alumna helps students through passion for hair

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A UNT alumna’s experience as a barber gained her millions of views on TikTok, where she documents giving out haircuts to clients almost daily.

Denton resident Nova Crawford, 22, began her career as a barber when she could not find someone local to do her hair during her time at UNT.

With the money she received from a tuition refund, she bought herself clippers to became self-taught by watching YouTube tutorials and has now been a barber for four years.

“I started cutting my own hair, and then my brother’s and then after that, I just started telling people ‘I [am a] barber,’” Crawford said.

Crawford has been on TikTok for a month, and during that time, she has garnered more than 500,000 followers and more than 7 million views. This online fame has translated into her life as a barber because she sees customers who were drawn to her from her social media presence.

“It’s been really cool and successful,” Crawford said. “I constantly get people from TikTok on the daily. It keeps me busy, for sure.”

Going by the name NovaTheBarber online, she creates content showing transformations of people’s looks before and after receiving a haircut from her, while giving comedic voiceovers and quick tutorials on how to give proper fades.

During the first week of classes, Crawford provided free haircuts to UNT students, and she plans on continuing this every two weeks to continuously support the community.

“I know what it feels like to be a student and be busy, and it was a really good turnout,” Crawford said.

She also has plans to partner with the university for Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week in November by providing free haircuts.

One of Crawford’s favorite parts of her profession is the ability to give people confidence, she said.

“I love making an impact on people’s lives,” Crawford said. “Every day I’m meeting someone new. It’s so cool being able to make such a big impact doing such a small service.”

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Crawford’s co-worker Rawb Conner, 25, said Crawford has lovable energy that translates in her videos.

“She brings great energy into the shop and she’s not selfish when it comes to spreading the love of helping people and building clientele,” Conner said.

Crawford said she sees herself as more than a barber, and whether it is a newcomer or a long-time customer, she makes it a priority to provide superior service and advice to clients from the moment they sit in her chair.

“I’m honestly some people’s therapists,” Crawford said. “Hearing people’s stories, I’ll never get tired of that.”

Crawford’s client Destin Lewis, 27, said Crawford is different from other stylists due to her relatability and openness.

“She’s easy to talk to about anything and provides you comfort in a way that makes you want to be friends with her outside of getting your haircut,” Lewis said. “My favorite thing about her is her heart. She’s a lover and has a heart of gold.”

Those interested in viewing Crawford’s work can do so on TikTok @NovaTheBarber or on Instagram @CutzbyNova.

Featured Image: Nova Crawford does the finishing touches of a haircut on her client Duce Banks on Sept. 2, 2021. Photo by Bailey Jordan

Article Originally Published by Adrianna Barrera on North Texas Daily

Source: North Texas Daily

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