The Truth About My Hair 10.11.12

Yesterday while I was at work I saw a lady with long burgundy curly hair and was like "oh my goodness, she is working her hair!"  and the person I was working with said "that's a wig."  I replied "how do you know it's not a weave?"

The truth about my hair is that I have a love affair with it.  When I was a kid, I used to play in my grandmother's hair and cut my lovely doll's hair.  I was sad once I cut the doll's hair because it didn't grow back.

I never learned how to braid, but I did learn how to apply relaxers, color and cut my hair.

Flashback-my stepmother put a relaxer (chemical hair straightener) in my hair when I was ten and it was a painful ordeal because she didn't know what she was doing and I ended up having lots of burns on my scalp.  My naturally kinky and curly hair did become easier to manage once it was relaxed but at a heavy price. 

My hair was overprocessed with relaxer kits purchased from the local drugstore causing my hair to become brittle, dry and extremely damaged.  Visits to a professional hair stylist were nonexistent.

When I was seventeen I asked a friend to put a weave in my hair and I was hooked!  I had instant hair and I could have it long, short, straight or curly.

Thru the years I experiemented with different type of extensions: twists, locks, braids, micro braids, cornrows and ponytails.  And I continued to relax my hair.

Fast forward to 35- my natural hair started thinning.  It was once thick, long and healthy.  I was scared of becoming bald because my hairline was also receding. I was secretely hoping, praying and wishing that my hair loss was due to me getting a tad bit older, hormones or stress.

My natural hair before a weave or braids

But I ended up panicking and stopped relaxing and coloring my hair cold turkey when it dawned on me that I could end up going bald permanently.  There's no absolute cure for baldness except for wigs and I wasn't willing to go that route. 

I did keep getting weaves and micro braids.  And my hair became healthier because I stopped relaxing it.

I visited a number of braiders before I found the "one".   NeNe.  Typically a braider will work out of her home if she is not liscensed and charge less than a professional hair stylist.    NeNe is super awesome and skilled at what she does and specializes in numerous styles of braiding and weaving.   I have been going to her religiously for five years.

It's been 10 years since I've relaxed or colored my hair and it's thick and healthy.  I still have the one area that is thin and a receding hair line.

I alternate between weaves and microbraids every six weeks.  I love it because I can create any hairstyle/look I desire.

Micros can take up to 8 hours and cost around 240.00.  Maintaining this style is really easy.......shampoo and condition every two weeks........add oil sheen to scalp and hair daily.

Weaves typically take 2-3 hours and cost about 110.00  to sew in, I have to purchase human hair from a hair store.  There are several ways to put a weave in- glue/bond, sew etc.   I prefer to have my hair sewn in because it's a gentlier method.  My hair is braided into cornrows and then the purchased hair is literally sewn to the cornrows using a needle and thread. The level of maintenance with a weave can vary depending on the style.  Shampoo and condion every two weeks.....add oil sheen to scalp and hair daily.

I don't mind if someone that I know really well asks me if I am wearing a weave, I tend to tell it all.  But for those folks who are curious about someone's hair and you don't know them well- it's best not to ask cause that is tacky.  Go ahead and just assume that it is a weave okay?

There are women who choose not to exercise because they don't want to sweat out their relaxer or mess up their perfect hairstyle and don't want to look F*@cked up at the end of a workout or for the rest of the week until their next hair appointment.  Dump the hair excuses and exercise.  You can choose health, wellness, sanity and vanity by finding a style that will accomodate your beauty and workout needs. 

But for me an added bonus of wearing weaves and micros is that I never have a bad hair day and regardless of how much I run, lift weights, cycle and sweat- my mane is always fashionable and in tact.

SuperTroops, I gotta go and take out my weave now cause I have an appointment for microbraids tomorrow.

Peace. love and hairgrease........your friend in health and fitness,


Rosie Rose......The Sporty Diva