Natural Hair, Extensions and hairstylists - ladies listen in

[Tiye]

It's simply a matter of preference. Some people prefer to work with hair that is blow dried or lightly pressed before braiding - others don't. I've done it both ways and I've been braiding for most of my life. Blown out hair is softer and you get a sleeker finish. I don't see what cosmetology has to do with it though - there are many licensed cosmetologists who are just as biased in favor of relaxers

 

[brownelovely]

I prefer for mines to be blow-dried before it's braided.

The real problem here was her rudeness. Personally, I would have left.

 

[hopeful]

My braider requests that you come with freshly washed, lightly blown out hair. I also moisturize beforehand as well. She is natural herself and seems to love natural hair and is very gentle. She even braids with her own shea butter concoction. OP, you seem to be the type who is not easily offended but I will tell you that it is helpful to take what others say personally when they are working on your hair. You need to be aware of how they feel about themselves, you, and your hair, and take heed.

 

[missjones]

I'm transitioning and I think I'll be doing my own braids. I don't think I could trust my hair to someone who relaxs a 3 year olds' hair .

 

[Lucky's Mom]

I blow dry my own hair for someone else to cornrow. Since this will be my style for the next year - I am used to it. I would never let someon else blow my hair. Period.

 

[I Am So Blessed]

So my question is do you have to have your hair blow dried before it's braided or did she just not want to deal with my hair?

hell no!!!, that B was crazy and ya should have left! first of all if she cant handle natural hair on a 3 year old, she shouldnt be doing hair professionally!!
i would have got my big but up out that seat and walked down the the next hair stylist that deserves the money!! one lady wanted to comb my hair with a tiny comb the other day at BSS, i was like "hell no" straigt up. no sugar coat, "HELL NO" just like that. good bye

 

[LovinLea]

SMH @ her. "natural hair isn't for black women" If its natural, then it must be for us.

my braider combs through my natural hair with a rat tail comb and slathers it with Pink Lotion to make it easier to deal with. i've learned to at least blow my hair out before going to get it braided.

 

[loonggood]

Why not order directly from factory? so that you can customize hair products what you like .

 

[DirtyJerzeyGirly]

word? this just for the OP mook?

I know right! Cuz I'm from Camden and I sure can use her services!

 

[westNDNbeauty]

I'm natural. Always been natural. I've been braiding since I was 11.

If you are not wise enough to stretch your hair befor sitting in my chair, I WILL pull out the blow dryer on you.

Simply because if your hair is not stretched before braiding, fuzzy, bumpy braids are highly plausible (whether braiding natural hair only or extensions added).

 

[loonggood]

I'm natural. Always been natural. I've been braiding since I was 11.

If you are not wise enough to stretch your hair befor sitting in my chair, I WILL pull out the blow dryer on you.

Simply because if your hair is not stretched before braiding, fuzzy, bumpy braids are highly plausible (whether braiding natural hair only or extensions added).

how perfesional you are , learn from you

 

[PJaye]

I've been braiding hair since I was a little girl and my preference has always been to braid hair that has not been blow dried because it involves less tugging and the style seems to last longer. Still, if the individual chooses to blow dry prior to having it braided, that’s fine - it’s their hair, so they get to call the shots.

I also prefer to shampoo, condition, detangle and moisturize the hair myself after discovering that so many people would just wash and then dry as-is. The key for me is to elongate the hair while it’s drying, particularly the roots, by placing it into 4-6 loosely braided ponytails.

Since I don’t have a schedule full of clients, I can take my time during the entire process; and the outcome is always smooth, well-organized braids.

 

[discodumpling]

Blow drying is not necessary for a smooth braid AS LONG AS the hair has been stretched before.

 

[DrC]

So she goes on to say to me are you trying to wear your hair natural I said I think so, right now I think the plan is to transition but we'll see. She said to me you are like me you have very thick kinky hair, natural hair is not for black women it's not manageable. I was sitting there like WTF??? She said, The hair is too kinky and hard. (I think I'm a 3c/4a mix -- more 4a). She said when she was 13 as soon as she could save enough money she put a relaxer in her hair and she will never again wear it natural. She went on to tell me that she relaxed her daughter's hair at 3 years old cause it was too difficult to manage and her daughter cried the whole time whenever she would do her hair.

Wow natural hair for black women isn't manageable, and you applied a relaxer to your 3 year olds hair??...That sounds like a personal problem.....BYE!!

 

[Nonie]

So my question is do you have to have your hair blow dried before it's braided or did she just not want to deal with my hair?

I haven't read everyone's responses but I never straighten or blowdry my hair before I put braids in. I think people who find a need to, don't really know how to deal with natural hair. Braiding to stretch should be sufficient to make strands easy to separate. The excuse some stylists giving for doing this is that the hair blends better with the additional hair. Erhmm...but what then when you wash it? The previously straightened hair shrinks and has an accordian effect on the braid making it look puffed out. Having hair shrunken has the same effect as "prewashed jeans": They don't shrink when you wash them. The braiding itself will stretch the hair, so there's no need to pre-stretch it.

Before I put this set of braids I'm wearing in, I had been wearing my hair straightened. I had to wash it first in prep for braids. This was my hair before I washed it:

This was my hair after the wash:

I let it airdry in those braids, then started braiding, fingerparting. This is what my hair looks like out of a braid:

Since they work on a small section at a time, I don't really understand the need to have it blowdried/straightened.

Because I braid "prewashed", when I wash my braids, there's no accordion effect: