Brown Girl Gumbo

They say necessity is the mother of invention. For Brooklyn resident Keisha Wagner-Gaymon, her need for hair removal services that catered to Black women sparked a business idea. The nurse practitioner with an entrepreneurial spirit and background in advertising and marketing, decided to utilize her expertise in these areas to open PeachFuzz Laser Studio, a laser hair removal service in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

Wagner-Gaymon, who suffers from excessive hair growth, wanted women, specifically Black and other women of color, to have a place where they could go and have their specific hair removal issues and concerns addressed in a warm and welcoming environment. Additionally, thanks to her background in dermatology, gynecology and surgery — PeachFuzz Laser Studio clients also receive professional advice on the possible underlying causes of their hair and skin conditions.

Since opening her studio in 2020, Wagner-Gaymon has experienced tremendous success and has expanded her brand with FuzzClinic, a complementary skincare line — all during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I recently caught up with the mother of two to discuss her business, new skincare line and how she juggles it all while raising her young children.

Below, check out our Q&A.

Crooks Lane Media

BGG: You’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart, what made you know for sure that you wanted to open a laser hair removal studio? 
Keisha Wagner-Gaymon: My husband will tell you I’ve come up with several ideas all over the place for the past 10 years. But every time I started something I would lose interest or get scared and talk myself out of it. But this particular time, right before the pandemic, I was really contemplating starting a business. I just didn’t know what I wanted to do. I focused and homed in on my interests and my background. I have a background in advertising and marketing, and I’m a creative person. However, I’d been working in the medical field for so long. I wanted to get back to doing something creative and was trying to figure out how to combine the two. I started focusing on issues that I had. Like, if I can solve a problem, then I can figure it all out. And one of the big issues I had was hair and dealing with facial hair since I was like 16.  And then I thought, there’s no black-owned laser hair removal services (in my area).

BGG: Opening a business during a global pandemic is no easy feat. Describe your experience and process. 
KWG: After landing on a business idea, I started looking into getting a bank loan, looking at spaces, and then the pandemic hit. That was actually a good and bad thing because I was kind of stuck into an almost signed contract for a space. And it was just not a good situation. I was just like, ‘Oh my God,’ and felt the pressure and was like what should I do? And sometimes you just have to be still, and the pandemic made me still. I was like, this isn’t going to work, and I let that go. I used the empty apartment in my home and that’s where we started the laser hair removal studio. Thankfully, I was able to get a construction crew in to renovate my downstairs area. We opened up and people started coming. However, I knew I didn’t want to stay in that space for long. Eventually, we moved to our location on Nostrand Avenue (in Brooklyn).

BGG: How did you get the word out about PeachFuzz Laser Studio? Did you tap into your marketing and advertising expertise? 
KWG: Thank God we got customers, which was so nuts because we just started. We started advertising on Instagram. My sister and I set up the systems and were like, ‘Okay, let’s see what happens.’ Social media played a tremendous role with getting the word out. I also think what brought so many people out was my authenticity. I was vulnerable and shared my own story and struggle with facial hair. I also shared “before” and “after” shots, which always resonate.

BGG: Speaking of authenticity, facial hair is such a taboo subject for many women. Why do you think transparency is so important in this line of business?
KWG: It makes such a difference because I see so many businesses where people are trying to do what I do. I think many believe that it’s easy once they see somebody else doing it and say, ‘Oh yeah, I could do that too.’ But you really have to find a business that resonates with you and tells your story. People will see if you’re just in it to try to make money or whatever. It has to be something authentic. I think that’s why we’re still around and we’ve done fairly well.

BGG: Tell me about Fuzz Clinic. Why was it important for you to develop a skincare brand too? 
KWG: There are brands that have specifically targeted women of color when it comes to hair because they already know that our hair type is different. It needs moisture. It needs all these things. However, it’s the same type of hair, but we are trying to get rid of it, but there’s no differentiation when it comes to hair removal.

So, I figured that we need products that really cater to us and our skincare issues like hyperpigmentation and ingrown hair. For example, for some people, if they shave — no matter what they do, they’re going to get an ingrown hair. That’s just the nature of how our particular hair grows — in a thick, curly fashion. It just goes right back underneath the skin. And yes, laser hair removal does help with that, but we developed these products to work in conjunction to support clients’ laser hair removal or just their laser hair removal journey. Also, at first, we just made samples and would give them out for free — we did that for two years. Customers would come back and tell us how well it worked. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to create a skincare line because there was a void missing.

Crooks Lane Media

BGG: I know there are several Fuzz Clinic products available for purchase. What product would you recommend for your average customer? 
KWG: I would say our Silky Botanical Shave Oil because that’s something, even if you were in Nebraska and you didn’t have a Black laser hair removal tech, you can go in a retail store and buy that and use that to shave. You put the oil on, and you would shave with it and then rinse it off. Just the oil itself helps to coat the hair. A lot of the time when I’d used shaving gels and stuff, it would just run right off and wouldn’t allow for a smooth shave where I wasn’t getting bumps or ingrown hairs. We find this works very well. This product is something that I’d recommend. Another preferred product is our sunscreen. Sunscreen is something that a lot of women of color don’t use although we know it can help prevent cancer and premature aging. When I tell them that it will prevent their dark marks from getting darker, that’s like the lightbulb going off. That’s when it kicks in.

BGG: What sets PeachFuzz Laser Studio apart from other hair removal salons?
KWG: Everyone is treated like a VIP! I love speaking, seeing and serving all of my clients.

BGG: What’s been the most surprising thing that you’ve learned since launching your businesses? 
KWG: I’ve learned to give myself grace. I put a lot of pressure on myself and it’s like, I know what I know. And I’m now figuring out what I don’t know. And there’s a lot that you don’t know when you’re entering a situation where it’s new. I don’t have a precedent there for me to figure this out. A lot of times when you’re a woman of color and starting a business, there is no role model — you’re just rolling with it and figuring it out. I’m learning to give myself grace. Things are going to go wrong, but what am I going to do about it?

I also want to enjoy the ride while I’m on it. I’ve created this business and I’m able to move from what I was doing before and now I’m working for myself and not only that, but I also have a staff of women as well, where this is circulating the Black dollar. It’s now more than just myself — there are other people involved.  I know I have to work hard and keep at it. I’m still learning as I go, but trying not to drive myself crazy. So, I’m learning to give myself grace.

BGG: What are Peach Fuzz Skin Studio’s most popular services?
KWG: The two most booked services are the full-face laser and resilient laser. We cater to women of color number one and then women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A lot of women end up having excessive facial hair as a result of that condition. So, I feel like there’s no clinic or hair removal spot that is talking to these people about this issue, especially when there’s women of color dealing with it.

Keisha Wagner-Gaymon with her two children at the PeachFuzz/FuzzClinic launch party in Brooklyn. Photo: Crooks Lane Media

BGG: Being a wife and mom of two comes with its own set of challenges. How do you balance being an entrepreneur and mother? What does your support system look like? 
KWG: Thank God I have my sister, Kristin (Wagner), who is also the chief operating officer. She helps out with my kids. I also have my mom who is probably about six minutes away from where I live. She’s always going to be there to help take care of them. So, I’m very blessed in that way. I don’t know how else I would do what I do without them. It’s like when your kids are not in a safe space or you don’t feel comfortable, you can’t function. Of course, my husband is supportive, but it can be challenging.

BGG: What advice would you give to other aspiring Black female entrepreneurs?
KWG: My advice to any person that’s trying to start their own business is this: You’re going to be scared — do it scared, do it nervous, but just do it!

PeachFuzz Laser Studio is located, 449 Nostrand Ave 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11216. For bookings and more information, click here.

Do you get laser hair removal treatments? If so, do you go to a Black-owned studio/salon?