The Braid Fiasco of '97:
I was doing extremely well with the car of my hair. I had just graduated from high school, the year before and was a freshman in college. My hair had reached APL (a feat that had not happened since middle school). I decided that I needed to put it in a PS, after all, it was the summer and I wanted to really shock my friends when I came back to school in the fall. My idea of a GREAT PS was microbraids
done by a braid shop...I was referred there by my bestie at the time. I had never had extensions in my hair up to this point, so I was very naive as to how everything was supposed to go.
The lady took me next door to a local BSS and told me that since my natural hair was so long, that it was going to be an additional $25...I had to buy my own hair (which she picked out) and the hair did look dry, but again, being naive- I went with her as being the expert.
Fast forward...After about 6 hours and $275 later, she and her friend were done...When I looked at my head, I noticed that most of the braids were NOT micro at all...but whatever...I was instructed to wash once a week by braiding my hair into 4 big platts (sp)...
Fast forward again: A week later, I go to wash my hair, I platt it up into 4 braids, wash it, get out of the shower, go to un-braid and the hair had FUSED together
Literally, the hair would not come out of the braids, it was like I had 4 big mats in my head and because I had braided the hair close to the scalp, there was so much pressure on it--it just was not a good day for the kid
I made sure that my mom took pics of the catastrophe and I went back up to the braid shop, the next day, hair still matted and all...Of course, the lady who did my hair wasn't available- she went to Africa to visit family
When I asked to see the owner, she wasn't available either- I knew from their tone (even though I had no idea what they were saying) that something was VERY wrong...I left out of there crying...and went down the street to my hair stylist...As soon as she saw me, she just shook her head...
After about 6 hours of intense hair-surgery and reconstruction, I went from having APL hair to anywhere from nose to chin to lower neck length hair in a matter of 2 weeks...What started out as a protective style, ended up being a hair nightmare
To this day...when I see microbraids, I shudder...