DIY: Do It Yourself - Are you a DIY'er? Do you want to be? Prefer not to be?

[MonaLisa]

I'm thinking about this topic based on a recent conversation with a relative - she was bummed out because she was already having a bad time at work, then got the news that her hairdresser was jumping ship to work elsewhere (that she doesn't feel it's convenient for her to get to).

She felt a bit abandoned and wary of having yet to find yet another stylist. She lamented about how she wish she could take care of her hair needs herself. She has vowed to purchase a dryer at home and learn to do rollersets.

I feel the same way, once I get a hooded dryer and semi-master the rollerset - I will be further out of the reaches of the Dominican Salon than I already am (which is another story - I truly feel that going on a regular basis to the one that I was seeing, probably set me back at least a year in progress - it took me a minute to realize it.) I might have gone to the Dominican salon maybe 5-6 times this year, the bulk of the year, I stayed away...and it's like my hair has done a complete turnaround.

Also the fact that going to the salon has begun to turn from a treat/relaxing experience to a more worrisome one (over manipulation with the shampooing, the harsh use of the comb, RaLaLa's baby running around with Cheez Doodle residue on his hand while I'm under the dryer) has been even more an incentive to learn to do everything for myself. I think if I do go to salon (until I get my dryer), I'll go in wet and just asked to have my hair rolled and place me under the hooded dryer and wrap me.

• But I digress, are you currently a DIY'er? Do you feel a sense of satisfaction of doing everything for yourself? Do you feel tired of having to do it all?

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• Are you close to being a DIY'er -where you do mostly everything, but there are still one or two things you can't yet do for yourself?

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• Are you an aspiring DIY'er but you haven't gotten it all down yet? What have you mastered so far?

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• Are you strictly a salon goer? Where either it's simply too time consuming for you to be a DIY'er or you just prefer to have someone else tend to your haircare needs?

Please share....

*sets down some iced tea and Godiva buscuits...*

 

[wheezy807]

I am close to being a diy'er. The biggest two things in my book i haven't tried are touchups and trims. I visit my stylist 4 times a year for my touchups and just recently asked her to stop trimming. One of my childhood friends did my trim last month, because i found out my stylist was always cutting off my progress. I don't use heat, besides deep conditioning on a dryer. I think i could probably flat iron if needed. I can rollerset with perm rods but seriously need practice with magnetic rollers. Besides a few styles i would like to conquer, i feel that i am ok. LOL, RaLaLa's baby.... By the way this is a great thread!!

 

[fluffylocks]

Hey! Great thread

I am a DIYer because

-- I think that you can master anything your ownself that they do at the salon ( besides the pretty styles)
--I think its very important that you can do your hair yourself, because you will always treat it better and its great not to have to depend on anyone
--saves money & time for the broke college student that i am

I do get tired of doing everything sometimes, but i look at going to the salon like a treat, not something i have to do---if/when i go, it will be like a gift to myself

 

[seymone]

I am a DYI all day.. I do everything myself.. Rollerset, relaxers, and the list goes on.. I know how to braid but I chose not to because it takes to long..

 

[HoneyDew]

yep I so everything myself. I am happy about that.

I know people that will look a mess if they have not had time or money to go to the salon.

I am glad that I can do my own hair.

I am still trying to master rollersetting, though.

 

[prospurr4]

Yes, I'm a total do-it-yourselfer, and I'm thrilled about it. I haven't been to a salon in over 20 years. I enjoy doing my own hair, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[Dayjoy]

I am a DIMyselfer except for touch-ups. I am not, however, working on that. I am comfortable having my trusted stylist do this. Having her do my hair is something I can look forward to every 12 weeks. Meanwhile, I look forward to my at home treatments daily/weekly.

 

[victorious]

I'm a DIY'er and I don't mind at all.

- Practice makes perfect
- I do my hair when I feel like it and don't have to wait on anyone
- I like learning and experimenting
- Cheaper than a salon
- Stylists were too rough with my fine hair in the past
- Love doing hennas (can't do that at a regular salon)
- I get frustrated a lot, but I guess that's part of the learning process

- Only have myself to blame for setbacks (no urges to :buttkick: a stylist).

Might visit a salon if there's a special event in the future.

 

[~mocha~]

i'm not a diy'er anymore. since november of 06 i've been going to the salon every 2 weeks. i got tired of doing everything myself.

 

[Tiffchelle22]

I am a total DIYer. However, I do like to go to the salon every once in a while (but only with a trusted stylist).

 

[chenai]

The only thing I don't do myself are braids/twists,
I able to but the lady who does it for me can do it in 3/4 hours and it takes me all day

 

[Dearlove]

I do everything myself. I am too cheap with my time and money to go to the salon. Also, I haven't found anyone I would trust with my tender head.

 

[Monilove122]

I'm a DIYer and I love it. It gives me an opportunity to try new products and techniques I've learned here on LHCF. Wouldn't have it any other way

 

[sunshinebeautiful]

I'm a DIY'er and I don't mind at all.

- Practice makes perfect
- I do my hair when I feel like it and don't have to wait on anyone
- I like learning and experimenting
- Cheaper than a salon
- Stylists were too rough with my fine hair in the past
- Love doing hennas (can't do that at a regular salon)
- I get frustrated a lot, but I guess that's part of the learning process

- Only have myself to blame for setbacks (no urges to :buttkick: a stylist).

Might visit a salon if there's a special event in the future.

These are my reasons too. I've done my last few touchups myself and I did a good job. Now that no one's here to cut my progress off, I think I'll just continue to do my own hair.

 

[MuslimahTresses]

iI'm not a full DIY'er yet because I don't know how to trim yet. But I can do everything else though.

 

[LovelyLionessa]

I'm a DIY, I just got tired of a stylist coming at my 3 months of newgrowth with a ratail, manhandling my hair at touch up time.

I do self-relaxing, dustings, rollersets etc. When I want a more significant trim, my husband does it for me. At this point I just don't trust stylists and no one will take care of my hair like I will. Plus I don't feel like paying someone to do what I can to do myself.

 

[kbody4]

I'm definitely a DIY'er . I learned basic hair care techniques from my mom. She is not a believer in stylists and believes you can take care of your own hair. Great thread by the way

 

[EMJazzy]

Yes, I'm a total do-it-yourselfer, and I'm thrilled about it. I haven't been to a salon in over 20 years. I enjoy doing my own hair, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Same here!!!!

 

[chellero]

I was going to just take a godiva biscuit and leave, but I guess I can share. I want to be a DIYer. So far I can do a decent spiral set, but everything else is beyond me. But I am going to learn so that I won't be dependent on stylists.

 

[MonaLisa]

I was going to just take a godiva biscuit and leave, but I guess I can share. I want to be a DIYer. So far I can do a decent spiral set, but everything else is beyond me. But I am going to learn so that I won't be dependent on stylists.

Thumbs up on your bourgeoning hair styling independence

And good feedback everybody...keep it coming...

 

[Ronda123]

I have been a full DIY'er since 2005. I have learned so much since joining this forum. My hair is a lot thicker and healthier IMO.

I BC in 2005 and this year (last month) I reached brastrap.

 

[intergalacticartist]

I've been a DIYer for about 6 months now. I can rollerset in 30 min!!!
I use to CRINGE at how much hair came out when stylist tried to detangle my hair with rat tails and comb through my relaxer. Once a "stylist" told me I did not have to use neutralizing shampoo, if I didn't have one, a regular one is fineerplexed. I also hate being scolded when I stretch...
I am so MOTIVATED to relax myself, it's not even funny. If I came to my stylist (friend's mom) with 6 months post hair she'd have a fit.

 

[pattycake0701]

I'm a diy'er and haven't been to a stylist since 1998. I wear my hair the same damn way everyday thougherplexed. This fall, however, I'll probably pay a relative to press/flat iron my hair. If I were relaxed, I'd probally pay someone to cut and style. I would rather relax my own hair (and I did back in the day). Since I've had hair on my head, it was always healthier when I or mom took care of it.



Thanks for the godiva biscuits

 

[Chanel's Tresses]

I am pretty much a DIY'er since LHCF. I have learned so much. The only thing I can't do is my on texlaxers but once I get my maxi-glide I may not even need to texlax. I love having the freedom of being able to things myself and not having to spend time and money in a salon only to be dissapointed. My rollersets still take me a little time but they always turn out so nice. In October I may go have a trim at the Hair Cuttery but that's only like 11 bucks or so. I don't think I will ever go back to a salon (of course unless someone from LHCF opens one close to me.)

 

[meaganita]

I've recently started washing and deep conditioning my own hair. I avoided doing my own hair at first because I'm natural and I thought my texture was difficult. But it's actually not that bad. I'm pretty comfortable with it now. The only thing I need to master is flat-ironing really. I also like cornrows, but my braiding skills are kinda messy. So when I need my braids to last a while, I'll go to the salon w/my hair already washed, deep conditioned, and blow-dried.

 

[Energee]

I'm pretty much a DIY'er now. I do everything except retouches, dustings or trims (ONLY IF TRULY NEEDED). I'm not going to self-relax anytime soon. I'm afraid I'll ruin my hair.

 

[shynessqueen]

I'm a DIY. I grew up with a mother who only know how to do ponytails and Big box braids. I had to learn how to do my own hair.

 

[rwanda]

I am most certainly a do it yourselfer since I realized that nobody can take care of my hair any better than me. Alot of hair dressers only focus on making you look good instead of the health of your hair. I know what I like to use and not use in my hair and how I want my hair to be treated. On my job alot of women noticed how my hair just fluorished and they sometimes come to me for hair care advice. I'm no hair care expert but all I can tell them is what I've learned from my experience.

 

[Lovelylocs]

Wanna be DIY'er checking in...
I can rollerset really well, but I am working on the blowout part. I think I am just afraid of putting too much heat on my hair. I also want to do my own relaxers.

 

[Miss*Tress]

I'm almost there - just need to start trimming.