Friday, September 13, 2013

Hair Comments/Questions From Work People

Whether my hair is relaxed, natural, braided, or just a different style than the day before, I get so many comments from my co-workers (all non-black).  Whenever I go in the day of a new style, I'm like, "okay, here we go..."  Here are some of my favorite comments- some inappropriate and flat out rude:

What did you do to your hair?!

Is it yours?

What is it made of?

How long did it take? (braids/twists)

Can you wash it?

Did you do it yourself?

Who did it?

How do you sleep?

How long will it last?

Is this style easier than the last one?

It really fits your face!

It looks so silky!

How much did it cost?

Did you cut your hair?

Can you comb it?

I wish I could do that with my hair!

You look like Beyonce/Lauryn Hill/Halle Berry/Melissa Harris Perry/some other black celebrity I look nothing like!

I love your weave! (when it's not a weave)

You remind me of my Barbie head I had as a child with all of your hairstyles!

Do you unbraid them at night and re-braid every morning? (braids)

I like this style so much better than the last one.

You can do so much with our hair.

Can I touch it?

I've dealt with these questions and comments for years, so at this point, nothing these mofos say surprise me.  I sometimes make up answers, like "yes, I re-braid them every day," or "it only took an hour for me to put all these braids in."

Am I missing any crazy/funny/rude/stupid comments??

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Braids Out

I took my micro braids out last Friday night after having them in for 10 weeks. My goal was 6 weeks, so I'm proud of myself for making it to 10.  It took me about 4 1/2 hours to take my braids out. I tried to take them out using the method here, but it didn't quite work for me.  The video shows how you can soak your hair with water and conditioner and the braids will slide out.  Well, the women who braided my hair were extremely good at their jobs, because my braids did NOT slide out!  They were almost cornrowed at the root, so no amount of conditioner was going to make it easy for the braids to just slide out. I did still wet and load my hair with conditioner. I feel like it made it easier to take the braids out, and I got a good pre-poo conditioning treatment from it.  The water and conditioner also made it so much easier to de-tangle.

The next morning, I went to the salon to get my hair done. I hadn't been to a salon since I did my big chop last June!  I like doing my own hair, but I also like having someone else do it, especially if I trust them and they get me out in a reasonable time. I went to my cousin at a salon near my house.  She did my hair once right before I went natural, and I loved how it came out.  She washed and deep conditioned my hair, then she blow dried it a little and put me under the dryer for it to dry completely.  She then pressed my hair (with the hot comb) and curled it using KeraCare Curling Wax.  She trimmed about an inch off.  My ends were really bad- I trimmed my ends myself a couple of times over the past year, but I'm sure I didn't do the best job!


These pictures were taken 2-3 days later.  It looked so much better the day I left the salon, but I still like it now.  I am really happy with the thickness and length...and moisture!  For the past year, I have been frustrated with how dry my hair felt, and now it's actually holding moisture.  I don't know how much I'm going to wear my hair straight, but it's a nice change, especially now that the weather is not so humid.  

Even thought it's only been about 15 months since I've dealt with straight hair, I feel like I'm learning how to manage it!  I've been wearing twists and braids for the past 4 months, and I could be lazy about not wearing a shower cap in the shower, or not putting a silk scarf on at night.  Not with this style!  The first night, I just wrapped my hair, but it came out too flat.  So now I'm putting a few satin rollers and pin curls in it to give it a little body and curl, which I like.  I've also been applying a few drops of avocado oil in my hair at night to seal in the moisture.  I'm hoping this style will last a couple of weeks, and then I think I want to play with my natural texture again...