I've always
been apprehensive about allowing people to do my hair. I have 1 stylist who is
often hard to get a last minute appointment with. With that said, I was open to
finding a side stylist, lol. One who I could call and get a last minute appt.
When I met her at the raw food restaurant she kept admiring my hair, saying how beautiful it was and how she had been doing hair for 20 years in Atlanta and would love a chance to press and silk out my hair. She said she was going to do hydration (hair steamer) and then silk it out.
When I met her at the raw food restaurant she kept admiring my hair, saying how beautiful it was and how she had been doing hair for 20 years in Atlanta and would love a chance to press and silk out my hair. She said she was going to do hydration (hair steamer) and then silk it out.
I’ve been to many nice home hair salons and this one was all
wrong! It was an apartment and it was lived in BUT unfurnished. Everything was
on the floor. The salon part...well she
didn't have enough tools and the ones she had were unacceptable.
She had this little chair that was as small and short as a
tiny chair from a toddler’s play table.
I should have know she didn’t know what she was doing when
she went right into coloring my with permanent black dye without gloves. I
asked her why she wasn't wearing gloves and she said “Oh...because I don’t have
any.” I thought that was a good, honest answer. Then I thought hmmm... maybe
she’s an absent minded and unprepared stylist but I should have kept thinking
to realize she wasn't going to win with my hair.
She colored my hair first and she talked none stop. She
isn't in her right mind...she was sincere and she meant well but was in NO
POSITION to deliver.
I sat in that little chair as she colored my hair. She
didn't have any base to keep it off of my skin/face so she used coconut
grease...not oil. Giggles. I just prayed through it, lol. I honestly think I
was in a twilight zone of shock. I just sat there smiling. I knew my friend was
with me and she was strapped so I was chilling. Her stories kept me
entertained.
She let it set for about 30 minutes and talked her head off
about men not treating her right and a bare-chested, wheelchair confined lesbian
who tried to holler at her while she was doing her hair at a spa party. I’m a writer and I couldn't just hold on to
that one to put in one of my books
because it was so damn funny I had to share it on Facebook, lol. I thought it was so funny and couldn't stop
laughing.
So when she washed the color out I had to bend over into her
sink...which is normal for most home stylist BUT she didn't have a sprayer. I
was like WOW. Giggles*Giggles*Giggles! I couldn't stop laughing!
So she washed with all of her mite and asked me to sit back
down in that little chair so she could scrub more and massage my scalp...it
felt good but getting up from that little chair wasn't easy, lol.
I saw the dryer and asked “Is that your hydration system?” I
asked pointing to the dryer that sat on top of a large blue storage
container. She said no. It was a dryer
and not to be fooled by how it was rigged up because it WORKS! Snap...I smiled
and said “Ok”. Some sweet little angels
must have been on both shoulders because I was damn calm and patient. So calm
my friend who was with me thought it was odd. I’m naturally suspicious but the
lady’s spirit wasn't tarnished. Otherwise I wouldn't have given her a chance to
do my hair. Yes...it was her pleasure. And
yes I took a friend because even though I felt that her spirit was not harmful I
didn't know her and I would never go into a stranger’s home alone.
She rinsed the shampoo out and massaged the conditioner in
and pulls out the saran wrap. Ok now I've used saran wrap on my hair for deep
conditioning when I had a perm and I’m aware that it can be used for steaming
as well. I have a lot of hair. I mean a WHOLE LOT of hair and it’s in a STRONG
big Afro. It fights back and it wins. My
hair is coarse and very think and long. So she wraps my big Afro with saran
wrap, asked me to move my little chair to the dryer and set me under the
makeshift dryer station. Hmmm. I asked myself in my head. How is this shit
gonna work? The dryer was a foot away from my head so the heat wasn't touching
the saran wrap and the hot air was escaping into the already warm air of the
small apartment. I sat there for about
20 minutes.
She talked the whole time. Complimenting me on ever thing. She rinsed the conditioner out of my hair and
started brushing it out. I could hear my hair popping. She did maybe 5 big two
strand twist and then sat me back under the dryer to dry. Please remember the
dryer is nowhere close to my head and my stylist NEVER sets me under the dryer
because it dries out my hair! Hydration, rinse and blow dry...GEEZE! But since
it wasn't gonna dry my hair anyway I pull my little chair to the dryer and did
that for about 5 minutes. Then I pulled my little chair back to the
kitchen. She took one braid out and
started blowing it dry. Well trying to blow it dry. Her dryer presented no kind
of threat to my curls : ). It was a whispering motor that created neither heat
nor smoke.
She went to another braid after not even straightening or
drying the first one. Did the same thing and then said “Oh you didn't dry much,
I need to put you back under the dryer.” She kept trying to brush through that
kink. I said “Oh My God, sounds like your snapping my hair, let me see that
brush.” and snatched it out of her hand. Yes I snatched because she didn't give
it to me fast enough and Tami was boiling up and about to spill out. I don’t
know what had me sedated earlier or why I was so easy and calm but my monster
had awakened.
As I was looking at the brush...noticing the bristles were
worn, broken and bent. I said “This is not a good brush.” She walked over and picking up her flat iron
(raggedy and old) and said “I better plug these up.” I started shaking my head NO the way I do and
I said “Just braid it up. It’s already been 3 hours and this ain't working.
She asked me twice how I wanted it braided and I really
didn't know. I just knew she wasn't about to burn or break my hair so I
couldn't think straight so I said “Let me just put it up in an afro puff like I
had it because braids might take too long.”
So I paid her $60 for her effort. She really was sincere and
folk really think they can do my hair but my hair is too strong for amateurs.
So I went home and was up for 2 additional hours re-wetting and twisting it.
Yes that was wild and I've learned my lesson. I'll just stick with my one stylist and make my appointments Wayyyyy in advance so I'll be sure to get in.
KEEP READING....
Tami Dash
