For those who take care of their own hair

[carrie]

I mean chemical application, cutting, braiding, pressing etc...

What made you take on the responsibility?

For me it was when my stylist's (Miss Jackie) sister passed and she wasn't working at that time. I was in desperate need of a relaxer. I didn't want anyone else in my head. Little did I know at the time Miss Jackie was frying my hair!

 

[pebbles]

I finally took responsibility for my own hair when I realized that I was spending a lot of money at the salon and getting nowhere. It was frustrating. The desire to know why my hair couldn't grow and why I had so much breakage finally took over. I'm glad I finally took control. My hair has been the better for it. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[sassygirl125]

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What made you take on the responsibility?

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The main reason was that I got tired of sitting in the salon for a minimum of 4 hours every time I went. And 4 hours was considered a fast day! /images/graemlins/mad.gif
My hair wasn't in good shape and my stylist wasn't helping me. She wouldn't recommed products for me to use at home. She appeared out of nowhere with plastic bowls and cups of product so I couldn't read the labels. She made me feel like not coming in every week for a $10 'treatment' was why my hair was dry and brittle and never grew past my neck. But the people that came in every week had worse looking hair than I did! (The 'treatment' smelled a lot like Paul Mitchell's The Conditioner...)
I started doing my own hair when I needed a touch-up in a hurry and she was on vacation. Then I found the hair boards. Happy happy joy joy!!
My hair looked better and was healthier than it had ever been in my life.
Then I went to another 'professional'...
Never again!

 

[Country gal]

I still use my stylist for touch ups and trims however I have been taking care of my hair at home. For so long I was salon dependent and thought the only thing I could do with my hair was wash it and pull it into a pony tail. I feel empowered now because I know how to take care of my hair. Beverly directed me to this website and I am so happy she did that. I get a lot of good advice off the board. I just wish I had taken a more proactive approach to my hair years ago.

 

[Jenai]

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I finally took responsibility for my own hair when I realized that I was spending a lot of money at the salon and getting nowhere.

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Ditto on that. I figured that I could do just as good (or better) a job at home and save some money.

 

[kasey]

Hey Carrie

My mom rarely went to a stylist and she never sent us girls to a stylist, even on those special occasions. We hot pressed. When I started making my own cash near the end of high school I got a perm and started going to a stylist every two weeks, but she wasn't the greatest and there always was a long wait at the salon. So, I didn't go back for the retouch. I kept up the home hot pressing and then started to get my hair braided (at someone's house) and hot pressing in between braid sets. During college I choreographed some modeling events and at that time discovered that I didn't need a pressing comb to straighten my hair. During one of the shows, another student curled it for me with a hot professional curling iron and it came out looking like a relaxer. It amazes me that I had to be 20 years old before I figured that out.

When I moved here I had a lot of growth from three years of braiding, but I messed it up with the water here and had to find some to cut it. I started going to a stylist every six weeks.

It's funny to me that the stylist that I occasionally visit here didn't really stress about me coming back frequently. On my first visit, after she trimmed it she told me that since she cleaned up the ends, that I should have an easy time taking care of it.

This time last year I decided that I wanted to try to manage my hair on my own without direct heat styling. I would really like to learn how to trim my hair and how to do roller sets. But, I think that I still prefer to go to someone else for extension braids.

 

[Nina_S]

When I got tired of the hours of waiting, late nights in the salon, spending money on nothing really, the herds of people coming in selling bootleg handbags and what-not (and the stylist stopping to make a purchase) and the stylist wanting to take a break to eat. STOP THE MADNESS!!

Nina

 

[carmella25]

I started taking care of my own hair because they always always would cut my hair off. It would take for ever. and I also hate when they have to stop to eat and then you got to sit there forever and still pay for it. The never listend to what I wanted done with my hair they always did what they wanted.

 

[kasey]

yes ladies,

hair salons are really strange places. especially thursday through saturday. they are packed with women. there are never enought seats. everyone is looking bored and everyone is late for their next appointment, and the stylists look like slaves. And because they know you want to get out of there and they have four other heads to do, they really don't do their best. I really think that there is no reason, unless your are as busy as oprah winfrey or condi rice, for you to have to depend on a stylist for basic hair care needs like shampooing and conditioning.

 

[adrienne0914]

LOL @ bootleg handbags! girl, that used to happen at one of the salons where my stylist worked. amazingly enough, even if she bought something, she didn't take any longer to do my hair. i am convinced that some stylists are just SLOW even without interruptions. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

adrienne

 

[daviine]

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I really think that there is no reason, unless your are as busy as oprah winfrey or condi rice, for you to have to depend on a stylist for basic hair care needs like shampooing and conditioning.


[/ QUOTE ]

One of my cousins REFUSES to do her own hair. To me, it makes no sense to have people do your hair like that except for special occasions and relaxers. She has never done her own hair and she just graduated high school.

Her sister, on the other hand, used to be the same way but I guess when she graduated she decided to save up for a car. She learned to do her own hair (basic stuff) and it's actually longer now.

I can't be bothered with salons. Some people see it as being pampered, but I see it as being tortured. The only good thing about gettingm y hair done is that I am forced to grade papers that I might not have wanted to grade otherwise. The closest it comes to being pampered is reading a book that I haven't had the time to read...but who wants to read a book sitting in a salon?

As a matter of fact, I find it very difficiult to pay for things that I know I am capable of donng (psychological thing that I have to work on because I don't realistically have the time to do everything myself).

Also, washing my hair is very therapeutic for me. I feel like I am taking care of myself and I can't wait for the next wash day to do it again.

 

[jrw]

I do my own hair because it is cheaper than paying someone else to do it. You would not believe how much extra people charge depending on how long your hair is and there is no guarantee they will do it right. Plus I like to be in control of things.

 

[Valerie]

Dear Carrie
My mum used to do my hair until I went to salon to get my hair permed, the curly perm was fine until it broke, then I had my hair relaxed, after the hairdresser used a very strong relaxer, then I stopped and my mum would do my hair, which grew back, but I found I had to go for conditioning treatments. My job situation changed and I could not afford to have salon treatments and my hair would start to break. After awhile I started looking after my hair myself. I started to take supplements, and I tried texturising after awhile my hair would still break, I decided to stop and I cut my hair short and I would stop, I started to buy books on how to look after my hair and I started the routine after, I started to take supplements again, and I started to spray my hair with curl activator, but I found it too greasy, then eventually I learned about rinsing with conditioner and water, I found that my hair has grown more that it has done when I used to go to the hair dresser, so I have decided that it is better for me to sick to my own routine, it seems to work. At one time, I felt my hair grew better if other people were looking after my hair, but I realise that stylists move and people change. I didn't have the time in spending hours in the hair salon. It is sometimes hard for me to be thrilled in looking after my hair, but when I remember what I have achieved in looking after my hair, I am glad, I do it myself and my styles take about 20 mins to do and last for three days, which is not bad really.

 

[Lucia]

1. Sylists doing what they wanted to my hair and not listening to me, esp. cutting too much hair off. /images/graemlins/mad.gif
2. Money, /images/graemlins/ooo.gif I realized I could do most of the work, and I was gentle with my hair and conditioned it w/ more care.
3. Just got tired of waiting to get the hair done, I sat 3 hours in a salon just to get a blowdry. /images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[LondonDiva]

I did it all myself.

Relax, loc, colour, trim, texturise, braid because I just couldn't part with the money I could do myself and I could never understand why they charge so much to do things like condition and trim.

My sister is relaxed and goes to the salon. I am relaxed and do my hair myself. Now she is 21 I am 23 since her hair has been permed "professionally" I have worn a weave, grown it natural, loced it, cut my locs off down to 1-2 inches, braided and now grown and relaxed my hair and my hair is longer than hers. In all of these years of different styles I've had her hair has remained the SAME stagnant boring length. I think they trim her hair every salon visit and she goes like every 6 weeks or so.

That's my main reason for staying away. I'm trying to maintain what I have not cut it all away.

 

[Peachtree]

My aunt (God rest her soul) was my beautician. About 16 yrs ago, she stopped working on hair but continued to manage her salon. She would allow her employees to work on my hair, but she was not happy with the results they gave me...maybe because she was used to caring for my hair. I was 14yrs old at the time, and she took care of my hair every since I was a baby. I see this is turning into a long story, and I'm beginning to ramble....so to make a long story short, after yrs (I'm talking 5 yrs) of bouncing from 1 beautician to another, I got fed up &amp; decided I could do a better job than they could. Now, 10 yrs later, I'm still in control of my hair care. Thanks to this board, I'm much better informed &amp; prepared to care for it properly.
THANKS LADIES /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Integrity]

i just got mad at having to rely on hairstylists (and incompetent, expensive, rude ones at that) and thought 'there's gotta be a better way'! i went online for info and the first websites i came across were Cathy Howse and Caroline Gray, followed by the hair care boards (and you people!). i have never looked back since.

 

[Madison]

i stoped going to the beauty palor to get weaves in my hair 7yrs ago when my cousin came up from my country and started doing them for me for free. the same hair styles that the beauticians would charge $100 and up i got done for free.

i just recently stoped sending my children to the hair dresser for washing and conditionings . they woman charged $25 per head and took less than 2 minutes washing them /images/graemlins/mad.gif. and i didn t know any better. i thought that she was doing something wonderful by blow drying on extreeme high settings because their hair would be more manageable and take less time when i would have to braid it.

thank heavens that i gained some knowledge from you ladies now i do my children hair myself. and thier hair look s better than ever. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[keke]

Im doin my hair at home moreso causxe i just dont be having/wanting to spend the money every 2 weeks to pay for it to be done. I wanna relax my hair again but some reason im hesitant but i think i will do it again, i have done it twice, came out a bit rougher only cause i a)didnt put in enough or smooth it in enough or b)didnt leave it in long enough. Either way i like to do mine at home cause no money. hehe. Only thing i need to work on now is cuttin my hair, but i did just buy a book called Cutting hair for Dummies so this should b good. :^D I think i may relax my hair this weekend, but i am really loving this bantu knot-out style im sporting. :^D I dont want it to go all limp after a perm.

btw, didn't Cathy Howse say that she didnt have her ends trimmed for a long while? Hmm im thinkin of doin that w/mine. :^D

 

[keke]

To me its really kinda sad why so many of us as BW cant come out of the salons after a long time and have REAL long hair. Its like most of them need to read this board or something, or maybe some of yal should replace them. lol Shoot if yall get ya hair long enough yall can do like some asians do and sell ya hair(so i heard thats where the 'human' hair in ponytails and etc come from)

 

[Momstar]

I always did my friends and family's hair and my senior year I cut all my hair off to go natural and there are not many shops in Seattle that know what to do with natural hair. Then when college started, I noticed I didn't have any money to get my hair done so I figured," I can do everyone else's hair, why not my own?" I still do it now. I go to the shop for trims, but I am going to stop doing that. So it was partly because I had to learn how to do my hair if it was going to be natural and mostly because I didn't have any money or time for salons.

 

[Tonya]

For me I realized that I pay my stylist too much for something I can do for myslef. I also staretd to notice that I liked my hair better when I did it at home (roller sets) I get the most compliments on my hair when i do it myslef. I sed to liek the way she did my hair with heat but I purchased my own stove and marcel irons and found that I can do just as good if not better at home. So I spend the money I would give her on a bill and half on products.

 

[ThursdayGirl]

you're a good one Tonya. I tried using the stove and marcels and burned out two places in my hair....

I mean... burned...as in ... it looked like I took some scissors and cut chunks out.

Any tips on how to keep this from happening? How did you learn when the iron was too hot...versus not hot enough?

 

[jrw]

Keke,

In my opinion many salons don't know how to handle long hair. That is the problem I have. Most people don't know how to be gentle. Also they charge too freaking much to work with long hair. And I would not sell my hair unless I was extremely desperate for money. That is what usually forces women to sell their hair. Hopefully I will never get to that point.

 

[gvsugirl]

I'm mad I went in there for a touch up the nite before my stylist was getting married and i didnt kno till i got there and she was rushing to perm my hair. And I could hear my hair snap as she ripped thru it. I was seriously about to cry....

 

[zanna]

Yes I do it all (chimical treatments, trims, and all other treatment)by myself. Why? because my Mom always took care of my sister's hair and mine. I was natural until the age of 20. Then my aunt relaxed my sister's hair and mine. Then My sister and me used to do the relaxer touch-ups to each other until I moved. Then I was forced to do it myself. I didn't want any other options anyway, because I didn't have the money, and also because I was seeing my friends comming back from the hair dressers with shorter and shorter hair. At that time I had mid-back hair lenght like I always had, and didn't want anything less. I know my hair needs and I know how to handle it, now even better, and it is very simple but effective way.
Sincerely
Zanna

 

[mirrormirror]

The only reason why I stated doing my hair myself is because I realized I can save money by doing my own wash and set. Although I have never had a bad expereince with hairdressers.

 

[steph]

Sorry this is a little long. I started doing my own hair because I did not like the way my hair turned out 90% i went to get it done. I did not go to a bad stylist, but she would cut too much hair off. i honestly thought my hair only grew to certain length, lol. Plus my hair in fine and thun when it is just washed and washers would not be gentle enough with it. They would pull my hair, and would not not what to do. Most importantly, i started working out, and i sweat really bad. So going to stylist was like throwing money in the garbage. Lastly i noticed, this was back in high school now i am in college, the more i wetted and washed my hair with out heat, and the less i went to the stylist my hair grew. I just did not make the connection back then. At that i stopped getting my hair done every two weeks and starting going every six to eight weeks. Just from that change, and plus i did not have a bad stylist, the texture of my hair changed. It became significantly waiver and bigger. Now that i do not go anymore, if i blow dry hair it double the thickness it was a year ago. So i know because of your help and my discovery that i am doing something right. Sorry again for the long post. This subject is near and dear to me.

 

[hairfanatic]

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What made you take on the responsibility?


[/ QUOTE ]

I personally got tired of people doing what I asked them NOT to do. I was also fed up with spending time waiting for hours and people using the "one size" fits all methods on my hair. If anyone was going mess it up my hair, then I preferred that it be me.

 

[Peachtree]

Hi Carrie,
My aunt was my beautician until she stopped (due to her pregnancy). Meahwhile, another beautician in my aunts shop cared for my hair, however, she wasn't as "lovingly gentle" as my aunt was, so I stopped going to her. My aunt was later stricken with illness, so she retired, &amp; I didn't have a beautician... so after trial &amp; error with scissor happy, over charging, inpatient beauticians, I just decided to handle the task myself. It's 13 yrs later &amp; I still have hair... see, I didn't need a beautician afterall!