Darreon Sykes started his braiding business two and a half years ago when he was unable to find a braider for his sister.

Sykes, being biracial himself, watched his sister struggle to find someone who could properly maintain her hair in a safe and protective style. Sykes took it upon himself to learn not only for the sake of his family but his community as well.

Sykes is a self-taught braider who spent the early days of his business practicing his profession on close family and friends. By watching videos on YouTube and following them step by step, Sykes pushed himself and began to expand his clientele.

With the braiding industry being filled predominately women, Sykes’ business is unique. Being one of few black males in Black Hawk County with their own business in a line of work surrounded by women, Sykes has distinguished himself from others.

Senior, Kiana Mitchell has been friends with Sykes since the 6th grade, where they attended middle school together. As a regular customer, Mitchell says “Darreon makes me feel empowered, he makes me feel unstoppable, beautiful and unique.”  Sykes has created a comfortable environment for his clients, with an entire setup that is accessible in his home. Mitchell adds that her experience with Sykes is “10/10, we’re always talking, laughing and if we’re not doing those we are either watching a movie or vibing to music.”

Deep-rooted in African American culture, protective braiding styles can be traced back to 3500 BC. Brading bonded early African families together, and once the slave trade was created it took away millions of people from their homeland stripping them of their heritage, but the braiding tradition was kept alive where styles were adapted and evolved over the years. During the end of slavery, people of color were often critiqued for the appearance of their hair. In this case, braiding was used as a form of resistance.

Sykes offers an abundance of services and styles including braiding with faux or natural hair, twist styles, retwist, quick weaves, and sleek ponytails. Besides the deep-rooted tradition from his ancestors, Sykes’s biggest inspirations are Arrogant_tae and Iamjohnathan, two male hair influencers.

Sykes has never failed to let his supporters know that he is grateful for the opportunities they have given him. With enough credits to graduate early, Sykes has decided to stay in school and plans to continue his education at an undecided community college to study real estate.

To get “Done By Darreon” reach out to him on his Instagram.