Davion “Mister A” Anderson grew up in a world where the whir of blow dryers and the scent of spritz were as familiar as toys and cartoons.
“My mother was a hairstylist for the beginning chapter of my life,” he said. “I was a salon kid, ran around the salon, and clearly picked up the habits of what my mother was doing. I took a liking to something I didn’t even expect to like as much as I did.”
That early exposure became a calling. Not just to do hair — but to heal.
Anderson, owner of Opulence Hair Co., has today earned international attention for his work in restoring confidence to women battling illness, trauma, and deeply personal struggles with hair loss.
“My mission,” he says, “is seeking out women who are dealing with illnesses or troubled times — cancer, alopecia, or even the mother who’s never been able to give herself the pampered treatment. I want to give her that glam.”
Beauty as ministry
Ask Anderson why his work resonates far beyond Houston, and he doesn’t mention technique first. He talks about spirit.
“People can be gifted,” he says. “But it also has to be a spirit that exudes out of you to connect. Some people only connect with their hands. I look deeper into the soul of the individual, the hurt, where they’re coming from, what they feel. Then we create this moment that’s magical.”
And magical is exactly how many of his clients describe their transformations. Anderson has been called “the man with the magic hands” for his ability to take even “two strings of hair,” as some clients jokingly put it, and craft a flawless, natural look.
“I experienced an insane amount of hair loss, and it was so depressing,” said client Shay Young. “I heard about Mister A and was skeptical that he could help, but he truly restored my confidence. I don’t think I’ve ever been as happy as I was the day I walked out of his studio with my new look.”
Anderson laughs when asked where the magic comes from. “Honestly, I can’t even tell you at times,” he says. “You go into your zone, you dig into your gift, and when we’re done, we’ve executed what both I and the client wanted.”
From Houston to the world
Anderson’s gift has taken him around the globe — literally. Clients find him through Instagram DMs, word-of-mouth, and even pastors who want to bless members of their congregations.
That’s how he ended up in Memphis recently for the “Celebration of Survivors” event, where hairstylists, makeup artists, and other volunteers offered makeovers to women overcoming adversity.
“When I came to that event for my makeover, no one knew that I was in a dark place, really depressed, and had contemplated suicide. The new look Mister A gave me made me feel loved, seen, and valued,” said one of the attendees who didn’t want to share her name.
Another standout moment for Anderson came from Houston native Nicole Zimmerman, a stage-four kidney cancer patient whose story made national headlines.
Zimmerman had lost her hair during chemotherapy and never received the wig she’d been promised. After setting up a slow-moving GoFundMe, she felt defeated until a family member sent her story to Anderson.
“When I heard her story, I knew I needed to help,” he says.
Anderson began crafting a custom wig for Zimmerman to wear at her planned October wedding. But when her health declined suddenly, doctors told her she wouldn’t make it to that date. She and her fiancé decided to get married immediately at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Anderson dropped everything and finished the wig in three hours.
“I just wanted to make something that made her feel good and look natural,” he says. “Hair is healing.”
Zimmerman married the love of her life, adorned in the hair she’d dreamed of. She passed away shortly after her wedding, but her story continues to fuel Anderson’s purpose.
A mission that became a movement
In response to the overwhelming demand, Anderson launched Defining Your Own Beauty, a foundation dedicated to providing wigs and cranial prosthetics for women in need. Since Zimmerman’s story aired, more than 300 women — from Texas to China to Dubai — have reached out for help.
He’s not stopping there.
Next year, Anderson will open a new Opulence Hair Studio in the Bellaire area of Houston, backed by his decision to travel to Delhi, India, to build a factory that sources raw, single-donor hair. “I wanted to bring something completely different that we don’t have here,” he says. “These wigs can be colored, styled, and customized for every race and every need.”
“A woman’s crown is her glory. When you restore that, you restore her confidence — and her faith.”
– Davion “Mister A” Anderson
His specialty: prosthetics and toppers for women experiencing hair loss from cancer treatments, high blood pressure medications, years of chemical processing, and other factors that disproportionately impact Black women.
Restoring the crown
For Anderson, hair is far more than beauty.
“It restores first off their confidence,” he says. “It restores their faith. A woman’s crown is her glory. When you’re able to restore that — especially after illness or trauma — it’s powerful.”
Women cry in his chair. They thank him. They don’t know what to say.
Anderson just calls it his purpose.
“Imagine if this was your mother or your sister,” he says. “I grew up surrounded by women. I know that if your hair or makeup isn’t looking good, you’re not feeling good about yourself. Helping women feel beautiful again, that’s what I was meant to do.”
See some of Anderson’s work.
