Stylist Visit for Flat-Ironed Hair

A few days after my matted, tangle-ridden wash day, I decided to pay my stylist a visit to straighten my hair. I felt like I didn't want to risk dealing with any issues that may arise from my new growth too soon after that three hour detangling session. My hair patience had been exhausted. My straight hair is easy to manage and I knew could avoid washing again for a solid two weeks.

I decided after my last salon visit that I would only go to her once my hair was already detangled so that she could just blow-dry and style it however I wanted that day. I figured it would make for a quick and easy appointment. I deep conditioned over night, rinsed, applied my usual leave-ins (Elasta QP Silk H2 and Aphogee Green Tea & Keratin Restructurizer) and detangled. I kept my hair in sections (see pic below) and headed to my appointment. I made sure I went while it was still a little damp, too, knowing she would be blow drying it.

I know some stylists don't like it when they're not in charge of doing everything to your hair, but mine was great about it. She actually sounded excited when I reminded her I just wanted her to blow dry and flat-iron it. She joked about how my hair felt extremely clean, asked what leave-ins I used and got started. About 40 minutes later she was done!

Once again, she used the Babyliss Pro Titanium Flat Iron and I was in love. This will definitely be my next flat iron purchase. It only took one heat pass to get my hair straight. A few times I felt her go for a second, but anything that can take my hair from huge to looking like a fresh relaxer with one pass is a winner in my book. It wasn't frying my hair either (read: not too hot and burning it). My hair felt great, didn't smell burned, wasn't getting snagged... it's hands down the best flat iron that has ever touched my strands. Can you guys tell how much I want it?! LOL!

air-drying in sections

Anyway, I was very happy with how this visit turned out. No somebody-else-is-detangling-my-hair stress and I was in and out in less than an hour. She commented about the great progress I am making with the health of my hair while growing it out, especially that nape, and gave me some welcomed advice. I think I will do my visits this way for awhile. I do not mind washing my own hair, but the blow drying and flat ironing/curling part wears me out! This is a great happy medium for me.

I wanted my hair completely straight so I could assess its state and progress after having box braids. Plus I hadn't straightened it in a couple months so I just wanted to enjoy it. When I say my hair was straight, I mean it was bone straight. People kept asking me if I had just got a relaxer. I thought it looked great, at the same time, it made me realize I'm kinda over my bone straight days now. That's so funny to me because I used to live with my hair super straight like that and I LOVED it. Now I'm like this stuff is too flat... where's the volume?! Oh, and let me just say now I somehow almost completely failed at getting good length check pics during close to 2.5 weeks of straight hair. I have to see if I have at least one good one. Shameful I know. Def got a couple selfies to share tho :) But I think I had some good time to think about my next move as far as my hair is concerned. Now, to relax or not to relax or when to relax, those are the questions!

8 comments 20 weeks post, flat ironing, salon visit, stylist

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Salon Review: Kadi's African Braiding Salon

When I was deciding where to get my hair done, I relied mostly on word of mouth. I looked online, but didn't find anything very reliable. After the experience I had, I decided a thorough review would be good. I hope people can learn from my experience and be better prepared when it comes to how to approach getting a protective braided/twisted style done by a professional. It should go without saying, but all African braiding shops are not the same. You shouldn't assume every shop will be like the experience I had at this one. I went to Kadi's twice: once for my initial box braid installation and then six days later after I had taken the majority of the top of my hair out. This is a pretty detailed review so I broke it up into categories to make it easy to skim through. 

1st Impressions: I was greeted when I came in and directed to the owner, Kadi. The shop just looked regular to me - nothing fancy or impressive. It was clean and being cleaned regularly. It doubles as a beauty supply so there's weave aplenty and other hair supplies along all the walls and shelves. It also has two big screen TVs that keep the romantic comedies rolling. I guess that's kinda fancy, huh?

The Stylists: There were at least 10 different women working both times I went to this shop. There could be 2-4 ladies working on a client's hair at once. They have a system: 1 or 2 will start the braids and then 1 or 2 other ladies will come to start finishing them. If it's one thing to be said of these ladies, its the fact that they all work very well together; whether ensuring the uniformity of a style on a client or making sure everyone is paid to their satifaction, they're a great team. There is definitely a language barrier though. Yes, they do spend the majority of the time you are there speaking in their native tongue. However, I don't think you should take that to mean they are talking about you. I have a background in French so I could pick up on a lot of what they were saying and they were mostly talking about their home lives and plans after work. Pretty normal stuff, but I can understand why some people find it frustrating. 

What I will say is IF some of these particular ladies are talking about you, they will make it known. When I went back for the second time with my hair half undone, honey, I received alllll the shade thrown my way. They were too mad I wanted my money back. I mean eye rolls, dirty looks, fingers pointed! Like really?! That's unprofessional yo. While it wasn't all of the ladies working, it was enough to be completely unacceptable. 

Pricing: When calling around to different shops, I found prices for box braids to be from $160-200+. Kadi's was on the low end of that. Plus there's a coupon on their website. When I sat down, I confirmed the price that she gave me as we discussed my style. However, after half of my hair was done, they tried to up the price and say the coupon was "built in" to that price. What?! My solution: I only brought enough cash for the price I was told anyway plus a tip. No tricking me into paying more.  

Quality of Work: To me, this depends on whether you're concerned with simply the appearance of your style or that AND the health of your hair. If it's simply the appearance, you're good. They're great at giving people beautiful, braided/twisted styles. Their styles are also known to last at least two months without looking old. If you are concerned with the latter though, you might have some issues getting them to give you a style that is both pretty and protects your hair. Yet, it is possible; they redid my hair exactly the way I wanted it when I went back the second time. 

much too long for me

Customer Service: After the problems I had from my initial visit, I felt they had mediocre customer service. They were all really nice to me the whole time I was there. But I wasn't sure if they didn't actually understand that I wanted bigger spacing along with the bigger braids or if they just didn't want to do it the way I wanted. Also, I asked them to cut the braids several times once I realized how long they were. I wanted them to the middle of my back. They pretty much refused; they kept saying they would, but never did. I ended up cutting them myself.

On the other hand, when I went back the second time, dealing with Kadi and one of the ladies who did my hair was great. Although they were convinced their way was right, they understood the issues I had and my concern for my hair. Apparently, their technique of small parts with lots of hair ensures a styles longevity. (AKA they understood what I wanted the first time and didn't do it because they were more concerned with how long it would last. Rude!) Once they realized that I wanted my hair the way I asked for it and was more concerned with its health than how long the style would last, they redid my hair the way I wanted it. For free, of course. It shouldn't have taken all that tho. 

My Recommendation: Surprisingly, I wouldn't say no one should ever go here. The fact that they redid my hair gave me some hope. If you want this kind of style done by a professional, please be willing to stand up for yourself - no matter where you go. Discuss exactly what you want, including an agreed upon price. Bring pictures. Check and triple check throughout the process that it's being done the way you want. Let them know if it's being done too tightly. I recognize that all ladies are not as vocal as I am, however, you should ask yourself: would I rather speak up now or end up unhappy and perhaps crying about my hair loss later? Being quiet is not worth the risk in my eyes. And besides, its YOUR money! 

Now, would I go back to them again? Nope. Pretty positive I'll never go back here. The whole experience was just too much trouble for me to ever put myself through again. If they had the ability to redo my hair the way I wanted, not too tight yet still secure, they could've done it right the first time. So, if you live in Columbus, OH, you be the judge of whether you'll pay Kadi a visit or not. And if you're considering going anywhere for a similar service, please take my advice: SPEAK UP!!

That was a lot! Thanks for reading! :)

7 comments african braiding salon, box braids, heavy box braids, protective styles, salon visit, stylist, too tight box braids

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Random Hair Chatter @ 12-14 Weeks Post

• I'm actually staring 14 weeks post relaxer in the face (in just a matter of days) and can't believe I've made it this far into a stretch. What's more unbelievable, to me, is that I have no plans of relaxing soon nor of transitioning to natural at the moment. I plain and simple just have not been and am still not in the mood to relax my hair. I just do not feel like it! It's so weird because I'm usually quite eager to relax by the time I make it to 12 weeks post.

• My last wash day, which I will detail in another post, made me seriously consider relaxing soon. Tangles and shedding galore! That is one of the usual motivations for my eagerness to relax. A certain amount of new growth throws my wash days all the way off. 

• I have had this dilemma in my mind for a month or so about what long term protective style I would like to try out. I tried out a quickweave wig (pictured above) to decide if I wanted to go for wigs for awhile. I think I would enjoy the ease of wearing wigs, but I would also have to invest in some good hair or a good unit if I was going to be wearing it long-term. I can't walk around looking all matted within two weeks. So, I think I'm going to save up a little for that investment. Perhaps at the beginning of the new year I'll go for that. In the meantime, I decided to get box braids. After much deliberation! A number of people I have talked to about getting them doubt my ability to keep them in long term. Ha! Because they know how bored I get with hairstyles and how much I enjoy washing my hair weekly, both of which may work against me during this time. For me, if I can keep them in for 4-6 weeks, I will be proud. Plus the price is extra motivation for them not to come out after a few short weeks. That might not seem like very long-term to some people, but it definitely will be to me. This is a reason (besides not feeling like it) that I didn't want to relax as scheduled. Putting braids in after a fresh relaxer would set me up for failure I'm sure.  

•  I am itching to buy some new hair products! I probably don't actually need any of the things I want to buy, but that's nothing new. I'm just trying to hold out until Black Friday so I can get some goodies from online companies. I got some great products during the sales last year, and haven't repurchased any since. Some of them I will be repurchasing, some of them I won't, and some of them I haven't even used up yet. Shame on me and I'm talking about buying some more already.

• Heaven gained a very close family member of mine about two weeks ago. While it is devastating to us, I know the angels are rejoicing. Understandably, my blog was the last thing on my mind. I am going to attempt to update it with the posts planned for that time. I knew during this time I was not going to feel like dealing with all this hair and a new level of new growth, so back to the salon I went. Same stylist as my last salon visit. Straight hair is just easier to manage sometimes. While she did a great job, I did decide I will probably never let her or anyone else detangle my hair again. There's just something about combing from root to tip, no matter how patient you may try to be, I cannot deal with. So, I will be returning to her the next time I want my hair straight without doing it myself, but it will be after my hair has been washed, deep conditioned and thoroughly detangled. It's cheaper and means less time sitting in a salon anyway. Here's a pic of my hair after she blew it out. My ends still look nice to me! :)

My hair is inching toward full bra strap length pretty quickly, in my opinion. That was my original hair goal. I changed it to mid-back length because I want to cut some nice layers in it for my dream hair and think that will ensure I'm still around the same area after the cut. I was so very tempted to have my stylist go ahead and cut into my hair right now though! My one-length hair kinda bores me when its straight, but not when its textured. After watching another stylist cut and feather a woman's hair so beautifully, I thought about just going for it. My stylist kindly reminded me that that woman's hair was weave and mine is not, and I should just keep growing until I get to my goal. Thank God for her! I would have regretted that cut for sure.

Hope everyone has been well. I am going to start blog stalking soon!

11 comments 12 weeks post, 13 weeks post, 14 weeks post, random hair talk, salon visit, stylist

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Visit to a New Stylist!

I finally mustered up the courage to try out a new stylist! I know a lot of ladies on hair journeys are very anti-stylist and all DIY, but I'm not one of those. I LOVE having my hair done by someone else, as long as I can trust them with it. I am a reformed every-two-weeks-in-my stylists-chair kinda girl. I definitely don't see myself going back to that life, but sometimes I just do not feel like doing all this hair myself. So it would be nice to have someone to go to during those times. I love the feeling of my hair being washed - scalp massaged, and straightening time cut down so much. The last time I flat ironed my hair, my arms got tired and I felt like I didn't even get the back as straight as I usually like it. Although, to me, that says I've made great progress (yay!), it also is what ultimately pushed me to try out a new stylist.


So, one of my sister cousins have been going to this stylist for awhile. Her hair always looks so nice and she raves about her. The lady was even giving her good healthy hair advice. She told me she's seen a number of naturals get their hair done by her as well and she always does a great job. Sounds great, right? I thought so, too, so I went for it and I'm very glad I did. I pre-pooed overnight to prep for my salon visit. Since I had recently relaxed, I knew my hair just had a good protein treatment so I went for a moisturizing pre-poo with Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner and grapeseed oil.

As soon as I sat down in her chair and started talking to her she was getting points in my book!

Her: "Are you natural?"

Me: "No, I'm relaxed, I just like to leave a lot of texture in my hair."

Her: "Oh that's great! I do the exact same thing to my own hair."

Score! I felt a little relief at that point. She washed and deep conditioned my hair with KeraCare products. After rinsing out the conditioner, she separated my hair into about 5-6 sections (score!), braided each loosely and sat me under the dryer (on a medium setting). When she started putting my hair in sections, I have to admit ya'll... I was impressed. I've never seen a stylist work in sections. I thought to myself wow she really does know how to handle my hair and let my hair guard down some more. When my hair was at about 75%, she started detangling and blow drying my hair section by section on a medium heat setting. She also applied a CHI leave-in/heat protectant. She went on to tell me whenever she has a client with my length of hair or longer, she knows it's best to work in sections or everything will end up a mess.

She then began to flat iron/spiral curl my hair. She pretty much did both with only one heat pass on the majority of my head. There were a few times I felt her go for a second pass on some sections. But two heat passes max is not bad to me. There are times I have do that myself in certain sections. She really took her time with my hair throughout the whole appointment. I appreciated that; especially because she didn't let the fact that more of her clients were coming in cause her to rush to finish up my hair. Most of all, I loved my hair when she was done! It was soft, bouncy, and I knew that even once the curls started to fall it would still be pretty.

final results [click to enlarge]

Overall, it was a great experience and I will definitely be going back. I watched her take the same care with each one of her clients so I know it wasn't just a one time deal. Not only did she support my whole healthy hair/I want about four more inches of growth mission, but she also believed in it! She was giving me advice on what she thought would help maximize my length retention and even complimented the health of my hair. So I officially have a new stylist! Not to mention the fact that my hair lasted for longer than two weeks. I used flexi rods at night to maintain it, and even once I got to the point of combing it and wrapping it up at night, it was still curly. Awesomeness!

hair after a few days and after a week

How do you all feel about stylists? Anyone seen one recently? 

5 comments flat ironing, salon visit, stylist

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My [Scary] Salon Visit & Trim

I went to my old stylist recently and it was quite an experience. I love her dearly, and I would probably go to her more often if I hadn't moved 300 miles away from her. So now, I only go when I'm in town. The last time I saw her was back in October, which is also the last time I had my ends trimmed. My hair has changed a whole lot since then and, unfortunately, I didn't think to prepare her for the beast that is my texlaxed hair. First Mistake!

I washed my hair, applied my deep conditioners and detangled some before arriving. This had become typical for me to do when going to her on days I needed to save some time so she's used to it. In my mind, she would only have to rinse and style my hair, however, this is not how the appointment went. Things were going fine until she decided she was going to rake a not-even-medium-tooth sized comb through my hair from root-to-tip. My hair abrubtly let her know that that was never a good idea. Commence my major freak out moment in my mind. She tried to detangle it a few different ways before she started asking me what products I had used and decided to start all over. Yes, she washed my hair all over again.

My heart sank. Even though her terrible detangling session didn't last very long, I was positive it wreaked havoc on my hair. Like, I thought I had no more hair (can you tell I'm a little bit dramatic at times?). From that point on, I was on edge. She was really going in on how whatever product I used must have stripped my hair and that's why it was so hard to detangle. She used a KeraCare deep conditioner and had me sit under the dryer for awhile with it. I don't remember which one it was though. Why you ask? Because I couldn't get over her tryna pull that comb from root-to-tip thru my hair! After she rinsed, I sat under the dryer trying to assess the damage and figure out how much hair I had left lol! I was texting my sister FREAKING all the way OUT! While I'm sure she was laughing out loud at me, she did her best to calm my fears. She also uses and loves this stylist.

Although she didn't say it initially, I know she assumed I was going natural after that and I did not bother to correct her. It seemed to change the way she detangled my hair so I was down for it. I wish I remembered what deep conditioner she used because it did an awesome job on my hair. She got through it so much easier. Once she started straightening it and was going out passed my shoulder, I realized I still had my hair! Now it was just a matter of how much was going to need to be trimmed. She said other than the fact that the back was thin (which I already knew), she wasn't going to have to trim much. Hallelujah! I have realized that having several inches of thick texlaxed hair makes all my bone straight hair look so thin. I hate it. Especially in the back (my nape and a couple inches above) which has always been a problem area for me. 

slowly realizing I still had hair :) [click to enlarge]

 

Once all my hair was straight and she let me see the before and after trim, I was in much better spirits. While she added curls, we talked about the Shea Moisture product I used before coming in. (It was the Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque I've mentioned before.)

Me: I used Shea Mositure's deep conditioner. I can't remember the name. The one with the yellow label.

Her: The one with the pump or in the jar?

Me: Umm...the jar...

Her: Melanie...are you serious? That's the mask one! You shouldn't leave it on more than 15 minutes! That's why your hair was acting like that!

Y'all, I cannot explain the mix of emotions I felt in that moment! LOL! I had to laugh at myself, yet I was embarrassed at the same time, but happy it was all over. Thank God she washed and deep conditioned my hair again. Between me not following directions and her attacking my hair with that comb, I could have set myself up for a major setback. But alas, thank God that was not case and my hair was healthy enough to endure the harsh treatment! I loved my results, as usual. And she told me next time I was in town to let her know so she could pick up some "natural products" she thought would do well in my hair. She typically did that for me and I will certainly be taking her up on that the next time I plan on spending a weekend there. 

the final results [click to enlarge]

11 comments hair trim, salon visit, stylist

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