Braids, Finally!

I cannot believe that I have been in West Africa for almost 9 months now and I am just now getting my hair braided! I mean, after all, isn't that one of the things that I should have just been dying to do - getting braided up in the MOtherland? I mean, I seriously asked myself yesterday as I was sitting in the hair salon (at the outdoor flea-like market), "what took you so long?" But as the girl proceeded to tear out my hair with the small toothed comb in order to make her job of braiding my thick hair easier, I remembered why I had been reluctant about letting someone in CI do my hair.

As mentioned in a previous post, relaxers are more common amongst adult women than natural hair so in general stylists, like in the US, are most accustomed to working with relaxed hair. I really made a sacrifice in getting my hair braided yesterday. It was like I decided to lose at least 2 inches of hair (with all of the pulling). Was it worth it? Hmmm....well I like the change of style with my hair but I really wish that I had detangled my own hair. I sat there as the girl tugged, pulled, and snatched. I tried coaching her but I saw that she really didn't have a sense (or didn't care to have one) of treating hair delicately in order to prevent unnecessary breakage. However, I have noticed that here in CI, there seems to be a hair culture of sacrificing healthy hair for beautiful hair. I have seen the most women in my life plagued by alopecia due to excessive weave wearing.

Anyway, at the end of it all, I am happy to have gotten my hair braided and will most likely do it once more before leaving, but this time, I will come ready with my own wide tooth comb!