Nekeyta began losing her hair as a young child and was later diagnosed with alopecia, an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss. Growing up, she learned to hide beneath hats and wigs as strangers and peers openly commented on her appearance. Over time, her sense of identity became shaped by other people’s reactions to her body rather than her own.

As she navigated these experiences, Nekeyta also carried the memory of being molested as a child. Processing that trauma led her to adopt a firm boundary: no one would ever use her body or pass judgment on it again. While this mindset was protective and empowering, it also left her guarded and disconnected. It was not until she met her husband that those walls began to soften.

After starting a family, Nekeyta continued to hide until a moment with her daughters shifted everything. A comment they made about another woman without hair forced her to reflect on what she was modeling. Slowly, she began wearing head wraps and scarves, which opened the door to a broader community of women with shared experiences. That transition sparked a realization: the visibility she avoided might be something others needed.

That insight led to the creation of Uncovered Beauty Studio and its nonprofit partner, She’s Uncovered. Through this work, Nekeyta supports individuals experiencing hair loss from alopecia, cancer, and other conditions, helping them define beauty on their own terms rather than through consumer-driven or Westernized standards.

Nekeyta’s story explores what happens when survival turns into purpose, and when choosing to be seen becomes an act of care for others.