Comments on: Hair Horror Story Contest Winners

By: Hisani

Hisani — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:02:03 +0000

I have gone thru so many of the above hair horrors, until I was blessed to find sisterlocks. Oh what a savior, I get so many compliments and only wish I had known 20-25 years ago. Sisters, this is the most natural feminine hair styke for us. If any of you are willing to make the commitment, please do as soon as you can. I promise the stress of what to do with your hair will be “NO” more. You can do so many things with your hair in sisterlocks, but you have to be willing to commit to the process.

God Bless

LADYJ

By: Jenni

Jenni — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:23:01 +0000

I applaud all of you courageous women (and men) for sharing your stories and bearing your hearts and the obvious emotional and sometimes physical pain associated with them. I can relate to many of you. I just recently (very reluctantly) returned to a perm, a cheap store bought one at that, due to a horrifying experience in my hair’s natural state. I was natural for nearly 4 years with an occassional mild texturizer for added body. The first of the four years I sported the fro and loved it except after the wash and condition day. That special day was tiring; it took hours to style it.

Anyway, my job requires me to be in uniform and a hat so I decided to cut my hair off to save time and energy. It just happened to be at a time when I was going through an emotional crisis, so cutting it off was actually liberating. I was very comfortable with the short wave styled, low maintenance “boy’s cut” despite some unwelcomed comments. However, the compliments out weighed the negative. Most people said it made me look much younger and softened my strong and high cheek bones.

Now going into this 4th year of the natural cut, I decided to let it grow out. A couple of weeks ago I had to go out of town for two weeks and was not looking foward to the harsh effect that the Wisconsin humidity would have on my hair so I asked my cousin (who is educated in the hairstyling business, but she dropped out of beauty school before graduating) to hook me up for free of course. Boy did she hook me up.

She promised all she was going to do was “trim it up and make it even.” After about 30 minutes of trimming, the front and top of my head resembled Don King’s and the back had a distinct resemblence to my younger brother’s unkempt patch before the fro was cool. I would have taken Angela Davis any day compared to this.

Needless to say I got what I paid for. I couldn’t do anything to the back. Pressing it was not an option. It was not enough in the back to grab with my fingers in a braid. My hat would not fit. It sat atop my head like humpty dumpty. I was to be on a plane the very next morning. I was fit to be tied. In a panic laced with frustration, I ran to Wal-mart and caved to the $3.25 box staring me in the face. I grabbed it and ran to the nearest checkout counter.

I think I actually cried as I messaged a stinkin boxed permed in my thick healthy head of hair. Until this day I have not reversed the perm. But my knowledgeable cousin mentioned something about washing it in egg and vinegar. I would say, based on some earlier testimonies I read, there must be some truth to that. Well I’m not brave enough to try it yet, but I cannot see remaining with a perm a year down the road. Natural Locks, here I come…

By: A S Moore

A S Moore — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:33:27 +0000

For years I wanted to try locking my hair. But, I worked in corporate America and I was afraid of the buckwheat stage. You know when you have the tiny little locks sticking all over your head. They were OK on anyone else, but I wasn’t comfortable with it. I wanted long locks. Pressing, relaxing and blow drying were killing my hair. Besides, no matter what I did I only stayed straight for a short amount of time. Plus, it took forever to get my hair into shape.

Growing up in Carson (the suburbs of Los Angeles)– even though it was 90% Black where I lived — we were the hardest on ourselves. Going nappy was not very popular where I lived, unless you were a bad ass. Well I didn’t appreciate confrontation, back then. After college, I began to wear braids because that was as natural as I was willing to go. Then one day someone told me, “You know if you don’t take out the individual braid extensions your hair WILL lock up.” Get out of here, I thought. So, I tried it.

After about 3 months it really locked up. By the time I made it to the Institute of Fine Braidery Arts in LA, it was 6 months later. The owner said she had never seen a head so awful. I wouldn’t let her cut out the extensions though, instead she made even sections so that it looked like I had a pattern from the beginning. It took about two days to get it all together. She had her son take before and after pictures as evidence. Eventually my locks got too long and I cut out the fake hair braids and was left with my own beautiful, strong hair.

Since 1998 I have been locked and loaded (figuratively). My hair is healthier and as long as it was (if not longer) than when I was child. Since having braids and then locks I exercise (sweat) without worrying about my hair. My husband is happier because it doesn’t take me as long to get ready (1 hour now instead of two hours) nor does my hair interfere with, well you know my. I ride with all of the windows down in the car without worrying about my hair. I was promoted to VP while I had my locks. I also go swimming, wear hats, walking in the rain and I still enjoy the luxury of having a beautician working in my hair. I have become utterly comfortable with my natural hair.

My hat goes off to all Black women and I celebrate whatever style you feel comfortable sporting. I embrace whatever makes us happy. I don’t think we all need to look alike or have the same hairdo. Or even treat all of our heads the same way. Me, I am happy being nappy and I don’t think I will ever go back!!!!