# Is this normal? Calling all ladies who wear sew-ins!



## HautePinkHeels (Feb 18, 2012)

I got a sew-in as my protective style on Wednesday night. By the time I got home my scalp had actually started to hurt even though as she was doing it, it didn't hurt. It was just snug, like I could feel the tension. 

So I asked her about it. She tells me it takes a week to loosen up and when she does her own sew-ins it hurts her too. *confused face* The next day I ask a different stylist and she non-chalantly tells me it was probably because I hadn't had my hair braided in a while & to pop a couple Advil for the pain. *confused again*

So is this normal protocol? To be in pain with a fresh sew-in until it "loosens up?" Because I'm seriously ready to take it out after 2 days. I feel like my scalp shouldn't hurt. I haven't slept well since that night because sometimes it hurts to lay on my head (-_-)...hell, it's the reason I'm up at 4:30 AM now!

I've had one sew-in before about two years ago but I don't remember it hurting; I remember it itching ridiculously for like 2 weeks (and my constant scratching caused my scalp to be sore). So before I take this mess out I guess I just wanna make sure from y'all...is this normal? Is this what you have to go through for a sew-in? I'm only 2 seconds from grabbing the scissors. I washed it today and went through it with a pointy-tip bottle and every time I accidentally touched my scalp I had to grimace. Ridiculous. 

I think I already know the answer to this question but I wanna hear what y'all say anyway.

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## Theresamonet (Feb 18, 2012)

It is technically "normal".  But it is not at all healthy for your hair. It is braided/sewn way too tight. And will cause you serious hair and scalp problems. Most people who get weaves aren't on a HHJ, so what is considered normal in weaving circles is not usually conducive to healthy hair.


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## Anakinsmomma (Feb 18, 2012)

My sew ins have never hurt. She probably braided too tight and then The tension from the thread exacerbated it. I would either get someone to reattach the tracks, or take it out all together and start fresh.... Not only does it hurt, but it can cause traction alopecia.


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## HautePinkHeels (Feb 18, 2012)

* I figured as much. 

What sucks is I went to this stylist because she is also supposedly on an HHJ and has natural hair and we share tips regularly. Not to mention she's a master cosmetologist and a personal friend of mine. I didn't even have to pay for the sew-in. Smh! 

Well, I guess the only thing for me to do is just take it out. Such pretty hair.  At least I'm not losing any money. I'll save the weave and let someone else sew it in at a later time. Like I said, the first time I had a sew-in it didn't hurt. Just itched lol. *

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## jenaccess (Feb 18, 2012)

If you are in pain I would advise you to remove the weave. In 2009 I had a weave put in my hair by a well known stylist in Detroit and it was beautiful. By the time it was time for me to go to bed my head was throbbing so bad that I had to take something for pain.
This continued for 2 weeks then i finally got some relief.
I wore the weave for 2.5 months and when I took the weave out my hair was ruined but even worse I had bald spots in my head.
So now when I want a weave I do them myself.


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## HautePinkHeels (Feb 18, 2012)

*Yep, I'm definitely gonna take it out. The only reason I haven't done it yet is because I don't want to accidentally cut my hair. I'm gonna let my mother do it! I know this thing will be out by the end of the day though.  I'll just have to find a different protective style. *

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## ms.blue (Feb 18, 2012)

Try spraying your braids underneath your weave first to see if that will help loosen the braids.  If that does not work, then uninstall the hair.


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## HautePinkHeels (Feb 18, 2012)

ms.blue said:
			
		

> Try spraying your braids underneath your weave first to see if that will help loosen the braids.  If that does not work, then uninstall the hair.



*I did that when I washed. It actually seems to hurt a little worse now. So I'm just gonna take it out *

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## topnotch1010 (Feb 18, 2012)

HautePinkHeels said:
			
		

> I figured as much.
> 
> What sucks is I went to this stylist because she is also supposedly on an HHJ and has natural hair and we share tips regularly. Not to mention she's a master cosmetologist and a personal friend of mine. I didn't even have to pay for the sew-in. Smh!
> 
> ...



She installed it too tight. Also, the itching may be caused by the preservative coating that the put on the hair. That's supposed to be shampoo'd off before you leave the salon. 

I think you're doing the best thing, take it out.

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF


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## naturalmanenyc (Feb 18, 2012)

Take it out!  Better yet, have her take it out.  I never had a sew in that led me to take a pain reliever.  Your braids are too tight.  

I really don't get why so many "stylist" think tight means secure.  One can get braids done that are secure but not tight.


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## isawstars (Feb 18, 2012)

I've had a sew in that felt really "uncomfortable" for 1 or 2 days.  But it never was painful.  I agree with naturalmanenyc , you should have her take it out.  Typically stylists offer to redo it if it's painful... or at least the stylists I know.


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## HautePinkHeels (Feb 18, 2012)

*So...I just washed it again (I deep conditioned my leave-out over night and rinsed this morning) and now it doesn't hurt so much. The pain level has come down from a 5 to a 1. Now what?! *

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## Saga (Feb 18, 2012)

Have you not had someone do your hair in a long time? Meaning like braids or cornrows or anything like that? Your scalp can become tender headed if you go too long without having it braided. 

The best way to tell if it's too tight is to feel your scalp and rub your fingers over it. If it feels stiff, the weave is too tight. If you feel raised skin (like the scalp between the braids is not flat, but kind of lumpy) then the braids were probably too tight, and I suggest u either take it down yourself or politely ask her to re-install it a lot less tightly because you are afraid of the braids ripping your hair from your scalp.

One time I asked my mom's friend to braid my hair. Now I am in NO WAY tender headed, but it kinda hurt when she did it. Then, when I looked in the mirror i saw that the scalp between my braids was literally SWELLING UP because of the tension put on the hair. I took those bad boys out that same day. I'm not bout to lose my hair over some stinkin cornrows!


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## TheNDofUO (Feb 18, 2012)

I'm tenderheaded and it ALWAYS hurts. Even when I do it. But when others do its painkillers before during after


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## HautePinkHeels (Feb 18, 2012)

DanceOnTheSkylines said:
			
		

> Have you not had someone do your hair in a long time? Meaning like braids or cornrows or anything like that? Your scalp can become tender headed if you go too long without having it braided.
> 
> The best way to tell if it's too tight is to feel your scalp and rub your fingers over it. If it feels stiff, the weave is too tight. If you feel raised skin (like the scalp between the braids is not flat, but kind of lumpy) then the braids were probably too tight, and I suggest u either take it down yourself or politely ask her to re-install it a lot less tightly because you are afraid of the braids ripping your hair from your scalp.
> 
> One time I asked my mom's friend to braid my hair. Now I am in NO WAY tender headed, but it kinda hurt when she did it. Then, when I looked in the mirror i saw that the scalp between my braids was literally SWELLING UP because of the tension put on the hair. I took those bad boys out that same day. I'm not bout to lose my hair over some stinkin cornrows!



*In that case, I'm taking it out. They do feel lumped*

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## EbonyCPrincess (Feb 18, 2012)

Ok I am going to give the unpopular opinion and say that yes, tightness and soreness is normal.  I'm sorry but I don't know anyone, myself included that can do a good sew in without the braids being secure.  BUT, I will say that I do NOT allow the braids to be so tight that my scalp is raised or folded over.  It doesn't feel painful to the touch or to lie down on.  I don't ever get those little white bumps around my hairline or within my hair that indicate my hair is being pulled too tight. I didn't read all the responses but I think someone did make the distinction between uncomfortable and painful.  Sometimes discomfort can SEEM like pain to someone who has a sensitive scalp (aka tenderheaded) or is unused to getting sew ins/braids.  But I am with you in that if it seems like its going to damage my hair, I'm out.  When it is uncomfortable, stand in the shower for a long time and allow the water to run over my scalp and then I oil my scalp between the braids to loosen it up.  Good luck girlie!


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## PureSilver (Feb 18, 2012)

EbonyCPrincess said:


> Ok I am going to give the unpopular opinion and say that yes, tightness and soreness is normal. I'm sorry but I don't know anyone, myself included that can do a good sew in without the braids being secure. BUT, I will say that I do NOT allow the braids to be so tight that my scalp is raised or folded over. It doesn't feel painful to the touch or to lie down on. I don't ever get those little white bumps around my hairline or within my hair that indicate my hair is being pulled too tight. I didn't read all the responses but I think someone did make the distinction between uncomfortable and painful. Sometimes discomfort can SEEM like pain to someone who has a sensitive scalp (aka tenderheaded) or is unused to getting sew ins/braids. But I am with you in that if it seems like its going to damage my hair, I'm out. When it is uncomfortable, stand in the shower for a long time and allow the water to run over my scalp and then I oil my scalp between the braids to loosen it up. Good luck girlie!


 

Concuring with this post.....you can call me the queen of weaves until i reacently decided to take a break to wear wigs because my edges were thinning. Yes its not the best thing for your hair, your braids being tight that is but i have never had an issue where it breaks my hair or makes it fall out. I do experience itching to 100 degrees and what i did to relieve that was wash my sewin...thats right, even if it was done a day or two ago. It really helps. What you can do if you would like too is to mositurise your scalp between the tracks twice per day and that should help with loosening the thightness of the braids faster. It may also give you faster growth too.

The tightness of weaves can be an awful thing but if you find that it is unbearable for you.....do what is best for you and for the health of your hair. OP i have had the same symptoms that you are experiencing and even once i had to remove the dreaded thing because it was so unbearale but like i said....do what is beast for you and the health of your hair.

Hope this helps.


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## WhippedButterCreme (Feb 18, 2012)

Interesting...
Hautepink, we were both talking about getting sew ins at the same time. And I got mine two weeks ago this sat, and it was 'tight' for like an hour, and now I don't even feel it. :/

My stylist who put it in said it should feel 'tight' but nowhere should it HURT. I realize I have a high pain tolerance, but I'm a weave newbie, and it the WORST it was 'tight' for a few hours.

But on the bright side, you go it done for free lol


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## HautePinkHeels (Feb 18, 2012)

* Thanks for all your responses. 

I'm gonna just take it out, let my scalp rest for a week, and then put in my boring old minitwists. It has been a while since I've done them though so maybe now they're long enough for me to play with. *

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## fiyahwerks (Feb 18, 2012)

Sounds like she either braided it to tight, or sew it really tightly with the thread. The thread can pull on your braid if pulled to tightly and then the track just adds added weight to it.  When I did my first sew in, I found out I was pulling the thread to tight. Like I was sewing a button on a coat, super tight. Now I don't pull the thread so tightly and do smaller loops.

Plus you are adding extra weight on your scalp that wasn't present before, that will cause soreness too.


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## HautePinkHeels (Feb 19, 2012)

* So I took it down last night. As I was taking down the braids I was feeling like my hair was a lot shorter than it was before I got it done...like, 2 or 3 inches shorter, and I JUST made APL right before the sew-in. I'm trying to convince myself that I'm just imagining things and it's because my hair isn't stretched. 

I'm gonna comb my hair out thoroughly and length check. But I'm about to cry at this point. It took me an hour and a half last night to take out the braids ALONE. It seems like she sewed my braids together too. I had to stop so many times just to cut string from around 4 or 5 strands of hair. 

Ugh. This will be my last and final sew-in. It's not worth the headache. 

No pun intended. *

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## HautePinkHeels (Feb 19, 2012)

*Just as I suspected; my hair is shorter. 

Curiously, it's only in the back half. I'm now a full inch away from APL again at my longest layer. So now the back half of my hair is a struggling 9 inches (it was just past 10) and the front is a thriving 10.5 inches.

(-_-) 

Needless to say, friend or not, she'll never be doing my hair again. This Nioxin better do its thing. *

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## Anakinsmomma (Feb 19, 2012)

I'm sorry to hear about that


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## dontspeakdefeat (Feb 20, 2012)

Wow. Sorry to hear about your weave issues and your minor set back.

Weaves should NEVER be tight or painful. As a weavologist, I see no reason why most stylist think the tighter the better. You can get a good, solid and secure weave that last a long time without your hair being braided too tight and your scalp feeling sore. 

There is a lot more to doing weaves than just braiding hair down and sewing wefts on. It is an art. Everything should be done to make the weave comfortable. When coming out of a weave you should see progress not a setback!!

I am glad that you took your weave out before it caused any further damage.


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## virtuenow (Feb 20, 2012)

I don't understand, why is it shorter?  Thinner maybe, but shorter?  Did she have scissors?  Anyway, way to go for taking initiative and taking the hair out.


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## HautePinkHeels (Feb 20, 2012)

virtuenow said:
			
		

> I don't understand, why is it shorter?  Thinner maybe, but shorter?  Did she have scissors?  Anyway, way to go for taking initiative and taking the hair out.



*I don't know. I just know how long it was and which line it hit on my length check tee after I trimmed a couple of days before. My hair was not 1-1.5 inches shorter in the back like it is now. I measure my hair with both a length tee and a ruler, so I know I'm accurate on this. 

I know the hair back there can be very tangly after I've had my hair pinned up all day so the only thing I can think of is her ripping through it and snatching it apart trying to part it. I'm thinking I would have felt that though...I dunno. *

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## godsflowerrr (Feb 20, 2012)

I'm so sorry to hear about your hair set back. I'm also wondering why you lost length in the back. I'm glad that you took it out. I had braids once (took 6 hours) and I ended up taking them out the next day because my scalp was really sore the next day. The braids were not actually tight. I was allergic to the hair


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## HautePinkHeels (Feb 20, 2012)

*i wanna know why I lost length too. I didn't see any scissors...*

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## HautePinkHeels (Feb 20, 2012)

*DP*

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## blueberryd (Feb 20, 2012)

Whn i tried a sew in, it was sooooo tight my scalp (near my temples) bled for a couple of days.  I evn took some leftover lortab ( from wisdom tooth removal) and it still hurt...needless to say the i had to take that ish out!! Lol


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## HautePinkHeels (Feb 21, 2012)

blueberryd said:
			
		

> Whn i tried a sew in, it was sooooo tight my scalp (near my temples) bled for a couple of days.  I evn took some leftover lortab ( from wisdom tooth removal) and it still hurt...needless to say the i had to take that ish out!! Lol



* It's utterly ridiculous that someone would braid your hair that tightly and not see the issue.

These are probably people who subscribe to the idea that if you pull your hair tightly it grows faster. Apparently, we have spools of hair under our scalps and pulling your hair is like pulling the string on a ball of yarn (-_-) *

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## HautePinkHeels (Feb 22, 2012)

*One more question:

Ever since I took down the weave on Saturday night my scalp has been itching like CRAZY. What's the deal? I've washed, oiled my scalp, moisturized, etc, etc but yet I have to walk around with a rattail comb for relief!

ETA: I examined my scalp a few days ago and it looked fine although it was itching like hell *

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## Nayna (Feb 22, 2012)

Maybe you were allergic to the hair?  Did she use a net or anything?  Or did she braid with synthetic hair?


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## HanaKuroi (Feb 22, 2012)

HautePinkHeels said:
			
		

> One more question:
> 
> Ever since I took down the weave on Saturday night my scalp has been itching like CRAZY. What's the deal? I've washed, oiled my scalp, moisturized, etc, etc but yet I have to walk around with a rattail comb for relief!
> 
> ...



HautePinkHeels try putting sour cream on your scalp. When I have had an itchy allergic  reaction on my face I slathered sour cream on it for an hour. 

Once I chopped a bunch of jalapeños without gloves and my hands were on FIRE. I was in tears. I couldn't sleep or anything. Then I remembered sour cream. I had to sleep with my hands in sour cream with ziplocs. I also put my ziplocked, sour creamed hands in ice water to speed the process.


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## HautePinkHeels (Feb 22, 2012)

Nayna said:
			
		

> Maybe you were allergic to the hair?  Did she use a net or anything?  Or did she braid with synthetic hair?



*It was human hair, no net, and she didn't add hair when braiding (my hair is super thick). *

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## HanaKuroi (Feb 22, 2012)

I am allergic to ppd? (an ingredient in black hair dye) I am allergic to black hair dye. The dye in weaves is really bad. I would itch on my neck and back. If it got wet? It was terrible.  Did you start itching after it got wet? Maybe it us an allergy like a pp said.

I still have a dark square on my back from the patch test where they applied the black hair dye chemical.


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## virtuenow (Feb 22, 2012)

HanaKuroi said:


> @HautePinkHeels try putting sour cream on your scalp. When I have had an itchy allergic  reaction on my face I slathered sour cream on it for an hour.
> 
> Once I chopped a bunch of jalapeños without gloves and my hands were on FIRE. I was in tears. I couldn't sleep or anything. Then I remembered sour cream. I had to sleep with my hands in sour cream with ziplocs. I also put my ziplocked, sour creamed hands in ice water to speed the process.



Did you have nachos laater?  .  I've never heard of this remedy, interesting  





HautePinkHeels said:


> *One more question:
> 
> Ever since I took down the weave on Saturday night my scalp has been itching like CRAZY. What's the deal? I've washed, oiled my scalp, moisturized, etc, etc but yet I have to walk around with a rattail comb for relief!
> 
> ...



 I think having your hair pulled that tight can also leave you pretty itchy.


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## Nayna (Feb 22, 2012)

Yea maybe your scalp is just experiencing some type of trauma after being pulled too tight.  Do you have aloe?  It's time to baby your scalp.


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## HanaKuroi (Feb 23, 2012)

virtuenow google it. This was worse than when I got jalapeño juice in my eye.


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## virtuenow (Feb 23, 2012)

HanaKuroi said:


> @virtuenow google it. This was worse than when I got jalapeño juice in my eye.



HanaKuroi I will- sounds soothing.  But seriously, I'm having nachos now xtra jalapeno (u made me hungry ).


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## HanaKuroi (Feb 23, 2012)

virtuenow said:
			
		

> HanaKuroi I will- sounds soothing.  But seriously, I'm having nachos now xtra jalapeno (u made me hungry ).



This happens when seeding fresh jalapenos. I have never been in so much pain virtuenow and I have had 2 kids and one was a natural birth. Yes, it was that bad. I haven't made salsa since.


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## virtuenow (Feb 23, 2012)

HanaKuroi said:


> This happens when seeding fresh jalapenos. I have never been in so much pain @virtuenow and I have had 2 kids and one was a natural birth. Yes, it was that bad. I haven't made salsa since.



Wow, that's quite a comparison.  So you were seeding fresh jalapenos to make your salsa?  Yum.  I tend to use the jalapenos in jar, that is what I used in the salsa I just made.  Perhaps that will be eaiser on your skin (or gloves).


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## HanaKuroi (Feb 23, 2012)

virtuenow said:
			
		

> Wow, that's quite a comparison.  So you were seeding fresh jalapenos to make your salsa?  Yum.  I tend to use the jalapenos in jar, that is what I used in the salsa I just made.  Perhaps that will be eaiser on your skin (or gloves).



It tastes different with fresh. Just make a mental note. In the future if you have an encounter with fresh peppers you know what to do. lol


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## HautePinkHeels (Feb 23, 2012)

*I know y'all ain't up in my thread talmbout nachos! Lmao!

I've for some aloe vera juice which I prepooed with and kimmaytube-left-in the other day so I'm surprised that didn't help. I'm gonna see about the sour cream.

Ugh. I've completely learned my lesson about having other people in my hair. I mean, damn, I can't even trust the people irl who claim to be on a HHJ?! *

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## LoveBeautyKisses (Feb 23, 2012)

Here's what I don't like. 

I hate when people say "Oh its gonna be ok, you just need to take a tylenol . "

Its not supposed to hurt at all. I used to get sew ins  all the time. Its very damaging to the scalp. All of that tension can lead to baldness other weakness in the area of pain. I suggest take it out. 

If she says it hurts her then she doesn't care about health of her hair well as yours. She only is a Style Fanatic. As I say.


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## addaboutmyhair (Feb 23, 2012)

DanceOnTheSkylines said:


> Have you not had someone do your hair in a long time? Meaning like braids or cornrows or anything like that? Your scalp can become tender headed if you go too long without having it braided.
> 
> The best way to tell if it's too tight is to feel your scalp and rub your fingers over it. If it feels stiff, the weave is too tight. If you feel raised skin (like the scalp between the braids is not flat, but kind of lumpy) then the braids were probably too tight, and I suggest u either take it down yourself or politely ask her to re-install it a lot less tightly because you are afraid of the braids ripping your hair from your scalp.
> 
> One time I asked my mom's friend to braid my hair. Now I am in NO WAY tender headed, but it kinda hurt when she did it. Then, when I looked in the mirror i saw that the scalp between my braids was literally SWELLING UP because of the tension put on the hair. I took those bad boys out that same day. I'm not bout to lose my hair over some stinkin cornrows!



This is 100% right.  I periodically get weaves.  If I have been wigging it for awhile, my scalp might be a little sensitive.  Usually the first night I sleep on double pillows.  But your scalp should not swell, bump, pimple or be really painful. That's too tight. On the other hand, cornrows in general involve tugging on the hair and more stimulation to the scalp than say making a bun everyday.  You need to assess if this is 'My scalp is uncomfortable because it's just been manipulated for 4 hours putting in this weave' or 'My scalp is red/swollen/getting pimples because my hair is pulled so tightly'.


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## HautePinkHeels (Feb 23, 2012)

*^^ I already took it out. And my scalp was wrinkled. *

*Sent from my iPhone 4S using LHCF*


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## ThatJerseyGirl (Feb 23, 2012)

HautePinkHeels - I am SOOOOOOOO sorry you had to experience that trauma.  I usually do not respond in the hair threads, but as an avid weave wearer, I literally clutched my pearls in horror after reading your story.  My stylist already know what time it is, so i don't have those problems.  I'm very adamant on how my hair should be done and tight ain't one of'em.  


Then you lost an inch on top of that? I'd be pissed da hell off.  She prolly cut it on the sneak tip. I've actually seen a stylist cut this girl's hair before she proceeded to braid it up for a weave, but the girl was on the phone talking.  I was sittin there like umph..  She whipped those scissors out and slid them right back in her apron like it wasn't nothing.  

I think she was secretly hating because the girl did have some nice thick hair.  Don't know why she had to cut it tho...I remember the girl telling the stylist that she does her own hair, clip ends, etc and I KNOW I did not hear that girl say clip my ends.  Like I said, i just sat in da chair like umph....

I wish you the best of luck.


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