The Plight of the (my) Black Woman's Hair

This post does not apply to the black women with natural hair, natrually curly hair(or good hair to be more ghetto), or black women who know how to do their own hair, I'm speaking directly to women with short to medium length hair, who has to make her way to the beauty shop every two weeks, or its a trifiling nasty mess

My number one insecurity by far is my hair. Its thin, its short, and it breaks when the wind blows too hard. My entire life has been an uphill battle dealing with my hair. I have also struggled with the reality that I do not have long hair. A fact, to this day, that I still have yet to accept. I have the type of hair that I literally have to do something to every day, whether I have to roll it up or curl it. The wrap and go, or the throwing it back in a ponytail is just not an option for me.

I was traumatized as a little girl by my aunt, who is a licensed beautician, who my mother dragged me and my sister to every two weeks like clockwork to her shop. When you get to be about 11 or 12, and your mom doesn't do your hair and she lets you get that first perm, your life changes. You realize at this moment, that your hair is going to be more important that it has ever been. If it looks bad, people are going to tease you about it, if it looks good everybody's going to tell you. Well, I got my first relaxer and my hair grew like a weed. 7th grade I think it was. It was long for a good 6 to 9 months, until my aunt decided it was time for a trim. Then two weeks later it she said I needed another. My hair hasn't been the same since.

I remember when Lenell Page came up to me and said, "Damn, your hair's short, it used to be long." Just stick a dagger in my throat why don't you.

My parents, or my father, are not one for the ethnic hairstyles, like cornrows and braids, he felt they looked stereotypical, so I wasn't allowed to get any or have them in my hair. Even in college, my father told me "if I catch you with braids, you cannot live here while you have them." So get braids so my hair can grow out, or be homeless. Hmmmm.

I realized a little later in life, that my aunt, cannot do hair to save her life. My mother for years brainwashed me into thinking she could. I kept going to her for so long because my mother made me. My sister also has thin, short hair so I know my theories aren't crazy. When I was really broke and didn't have a job about three years ago, I went to her again so that she can give me perms, my hair was breaking really bad becuase of all the stress I was going through and said I needed a trim, to which I quickly replied no. With my-can't-hold-an-opinion to-myself-to-save my-life mother was standing there. She said "Let Ann give you a trim, honey. It looks really bad, and its not like you can afford anyone else.", and she turned and worked her voodoo magic on my aunt as well. Stupid ass me, said fine. Its scissors, not a razor, it is really breaking badly, so fine, I thought to myself. When she was done trimming, I was literally almost bald from above my ears down, and she did it completely with scissors so it was crooked. I'm starting to flinch, so I'll stop talking about this now.

I am currently on a hair stike, because I'm still in this hellhole, and have to move back home. Stress broke my hair a little so I am currently wearing cornrows, since I don't have the time or the patience for somebody to braid my hair for 7 hours. I acutally found a shop within walking distance to my house, that is really cheap. So I made my first appointment. Girl was late, I was on my way to work, so in turn I was late. No big deal, it happens.

Second, time, I make my appointment at 8:00 on a Monday since they were "booked" on Saturday. I show up no one's there. 30 minutes later, no one. Finally I harass the foremen who are working there to find a call phone number because I am pissed. They don't even have a phone number on their contract to their building. I can't pull a comb through my hair, I'm fucked.

So this is why I went to my aunt for so long, black beauticians across the board have issues. Excuse me, the best black beauticians have issues. You want your hair done, you work on their time not yours, don't get there on time neither, because they will call you and tell you they're going to be late, if at all. You know they're good, so they know you'll come back. Sadly that girl who stood me up yesterday only charges 25 dollars and can do my whole head in less than a hour.

I need to make an appointment with her next week when she gets back.