Thursday 20 December 2012

If I Only Listened

A few months ago a co-worker of mine I'll call her Gee had in micro braids. When she took em out, she washed her hair, cornrowed it wet and pulled it out, it had a nice curly look. Her hair looked strong, to me, and nice. She expressed concern that she wanted to get a relaxer the next day. I asked her if she was crazy! The following day, she had it in a bun, gel'd down and all. Her confidence lowered when someone asked her if she was planning on going natural.
I asked her so what if she planned on going natural ... Natural hair is beautiful... I did not go too much into preaching about natural hair. I did however warn her that her scalp is is a tender state and if she reads the relaxer kit, or the jar, it clearly states that "if you had in braids or extensions, wait 2 weeks before processing hair, as this may cause damage to hair and scalp" 

I must admit that I have been guilty of doing that very same thing, that I was here warning her against, my mom warned me against it too. I never appreciated my natural hair, not even the new growth, and, what is the point of getting a protective style if you're gonna jus go ahead and damage the hair?  I suggested that she she got a DC put in some rods or continue wit the bun. She says she saw a former school mate of hers and the way she looked at her, she knew she had said something about her hair.

The following day, I saw her, her hair was rodded, the front of it was sleek and well processed. SMH, but that was not all, the front of her hair was literally leaking, it was burnt so badly. OMG!!

She relates the story to me, she went in the salon, the hairdresser washed out the gel, blow dried her hair and started the process.  A few seconds later, she felt the burn, BURNING, she says her legs were in the air, she was feeling it so badly her eyes filled with water. She says after that ordeal, the hairdresser put in some treatment, using molasses and some other concoctions, and put her under the dryer to let the hair steam.The middle of her hair was not processed any at all. When I saw it my skin crawled. A few days passed and the scabs came up... Shivers...

My question is why the hairdresser go ahead and processed her hair when she had to wash  the gel out and blow dry it??? Then went ahead and gave her what seems to be a DC? Tryna undo damage? Here in Jamaica, it seems there aren't many hairdressers that take care of their clients hair. Me, as a mere onlooker can see extensive damage to persons hair, and I think to myself if I were a hairdresser and someone with their hair in that condition came to me, to have their hair relaxed, I would not do it. Its not all about the money! That was 1 of the reasons I started doing my own hair or made my mom apply the relaxer. She did only the new growth and she never dug into my scalp, like many hairdressers I've been to. They also would comb the relaxer unto the ends and would want you to bear the burn, by putting you before a fan or sutmn! Man! Those days were torture.

Earlier this week another one of my co-workers I'll call her San ,  had in glue in extensions, and says she wants to take em out and have her hair relaxed the day after.  She asked me what I thought about that idea, of course I told her to get a DC and wear her hair, and wear her hair as is, "give your scalp some time to breath" I told her. She ranted about how she cant wear her hair cuz too much new growth, and she dont have that  bone structure to do the rod set style. SMH. When I mentioned Deep Condition, in JA we say "Steam" She said "I never got one of those" SMH again.
Gee, mentioned earlier, turned to her and said "Listen to Myeia, cuz if I did, I wouldnt be in this position now"  :-) <-- Thats me smiling. Lol

San did listen, she didnt DC tho, but she didnt get the relaxer, yet. She wore her hair, and I must say, it looks  good. I'm getting the message across, slowly but surely...

AfroChicMocha


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