I got my hair braided and...

[ms_kenesha]

I like the style, but the whole experience made me want to NEVER get my hair braided again!

First, I had a 9 am appointment and when I got there my braider wasn't there yet. So, I went up the block and got myself some breakfast, she arrived at about 9:30 (maybe that was a sign to cancel my appointment). So, she comes in asks me how I want my hair and asks me what color hair do I want, well my hair is like a brownish-goldish-red color so I said brown well the hair is much darker than my hair, but it doesn't look bad, it just is.

This woman/girl took 10 hours to do my braids. Another braider told me to ask for her the next time I come because she could've done my hair in 4-6 hrs!

The person who was doing my hair, kept talking, and laughing and just generally slacking off.

But here is the very worst part, when she braided my hair there was some of my hair strands coming out of the braids (does this mean she's not a good braider? would a good braider be able to incorporate more of my hair w/o making it stick out?) well the hair that was sticking out she cut....Lord, I hope that my hair doesn't look a hot choppy mess when I take these braids out. It's a good thing I had planned on gradually cutting off my dyed ends anyway, I guess this will speed up the process!

All in all, I like the braided style, but my head still hurts like a ****** this morning and last night it was hard to sleep. Oh and I paid $170 for my braids although I was quoted $120 over the phone!

 

[sweetcocoa]

sorry you had such a bad experience.
do you have some pics?
I'd like to see how it turned out...

 

[simplycee]

You sound just like me!!!! I got my hair braided on 4/22/04. I had a 10 appt but the girls didn't show up to open the shop till about 10:20 and they didn't start my hair until well after 10:30 telling me the entire time that people with hair as long as mine don't need braids or extensions. I smiled and said I had my reasons.

I wear braids every summer and I seem to see a few strands peeking through the braids every now and then. I don't mind them snipping a few stray hairs but I refuse to let them burn the ends or run a flame along the legnth of the braid to get rid of them.

I paid $150 for my individuals and it took them 6 hours, although there have been times when it has taken longer. To me its worth it because careful planning and hair care allows me to keep them in 6 - 8 weeks to let my hair rest.

My scalp was tight too but after my first wash it seemed to loosen the braids a bit. Try using Protectiv Root Health, it helped a little.

 

[ms_kenesha]

[ QUOTE ]
sweetcocoa said:
sorry you had such a bad experience.
do you have some pics?
I'd like to see how it turned out...

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll take pics today, but who knows when I'll get it developed. I need someone to give me a digicam!

 

[chocolate01]

sorry about your experience.
About your taking 10 hours to get your hair done, I dont know how much hair you have or long it is but I know a lot of people that take that long to get their hair braided. Also the style of braids and how small or big they are is also a factor. As for the woman that said she could do it in 4-6 hours she may just be trying to get your business. About your hair sticking out of the braids that happened to my friend when she got her hair braided right after she did the BC, I just always assumed it was because the hair was shorter and harder to incorporate into the braid..I could be wrong im sure someone else will offer another perspective. On the brighter side I know you braids still look hot and as long as you take care of them your hair will not look a mess when you take them out.

 

[CharUK]

That's terrible! I'm glad you like the style though.

x

 

[ms_kenesha]

[ QUOTE ]
chocolate01 said:
sorry about your experience.
About your taking 10 hours to get your hair done, I dont know how much hair you have or long it is but I know a lot of people that take that long to get their hair braided. Also the style of braids and how small or big they are is also a factor. As for the woman that said she could do it in 4-6 hours she may just be trying to get your business. About your hair sticking out of the braids that happened to my friend when she got her hair braided right after she did the BC, I just always assumed it was because the hair was shorter and harder to incorporate into the braid..I could be wrong im sure someone else will offer another perspective. On the brighter side I know you braids still look hot and as long as you take care of them your hair will not look a mess when you take them out.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the encouragement

I believe the other stylist because the girl she had in her chair had an 8 am appointment, got individuals and still left the braid salon hours before me!

 

[Laginappe]

I finally realized the difference between a braider and a great braider. I got my hair braided about 2 weeks ago and loved the entire experience. She showed up on time, worked fast, and had an extremely light touch. I got cornrows in the front, hairline to crown, and individuals in the back. No soreness whatsoever. I was able to gather them up into a ponytail as soon as I got out of her chair. And putting them up that night for sleeping wasn't a problem at all.

I had an experience similar to yours last year. But now I know better. Keep looking for a better braider and you'll have a better experience.

 

[Vanessa22]

This is why I'm absolutely terrified when it comes to getting my hair braided. It seems as if the braider always pulls at the hair too tight and my scalp remains sore for days following. For me, it just isn't worth it. However, I'm glad you are pleased with the style.

 

[Guest]

Oh no Kanesha.. I hate to hear this..I know you are in the DC area..please post the name of the salon so I won't go.

There's this place off of New Hampshire called Ms. Claudette's hair braiding.. they are pretty good.

Most braiding places that I have been too try the okie doke with the prices. I hate that.

 

[ms_kenesha]

[ QUOTE ]
Reginia said:
Oh no Kanesha.. I hate to hear this..I know you are in the DC area..please post the name of the salon so I won't go.

There's this place off of New Hampshire called Ms. Claudette's hair braiding.. they are pretty good.

Most braiding places that I have been too try the okie doke with the prices. I hate that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Lovely Hair Braiding (it's in Greenbelt, next to Beltway Plaza). But if you do go ask for Ursula she was the best braider there, she did individuals, cornrows, and helped the girl who did my braids finish me up all in the time that I was there!

 

[kasey]

Ms_K,

Hey, I am sure your style looks great. But choose carefully among braiders if you continue the style. If you want the name and phone number of a good person who braids from home P.M me. She would braid my hair in five hours and she didn't pull the hair too tight..

 

[Nonie]

Ms K, I'm sorry about your ordeal. Ten hours to do many braids isn't unusual, but I totally disagree with trimming or burning off the hairs that stick out.

She should've been paying attention to what she was doing instead of running her mouth and maybe she'd have done a better job so that your hair would not be sticking out for her to even think of "tidying it up with clipping"

Seriously, it isn't that hard to tuck in the ends while braiding. Just takes a little effort and concentration...and taking care to hold the hair close to the cross over section so that your fingers keep all the hair smoothed down.

On a brighter note, if the trimming messed your hair up, don't worry it WILL grow in length in due time, so that you won't mind trimming it later to even it up. If it's any consolation, if your hair is uneven, then we're in the same boat.

After going months without trimming my hair regularly as I used to do before blindly following the "no trimming crowd", my ends started looking sad and thin and so I decided to get rid of those sorry ends. I'd cut them off every time I retouched a braid...till I was rid of them all through my head. (You see I retouch my braids one at a time.) As if doing one at a time isn't bad enough, I wasn't doing this with a mirror but was using my fingers to feel for thickness...while watching a movie, no less

. So I would cut one inch here, two inches there...

Which means I have an assortment of lengths right now.

But since I have seen my hair grow to lengths I never thought were possible after having spent years with only 3 inches worth of hair (plus I understand hair better, thanks to this forum and Cathy Howse), I am not freaking out about it. So don't panic either. This setback is not sth a li'l patience and correct haircare can't fix.

And the cool thing is braids do a good job of covering up the mishap. So I won't tell, if you won't.

 

[ms_kenesha]

[ QUOTE ]
kasey said:
Ms_K,

Hey, I am sure your style looks great. But choose carefully among braiders if you continue the style. If you want the name and phone number of a good person who braids from home P.M me. She would braid my hair in five hours and she didn't pull the hair too tight..

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks Kasey, will do.

 

[miss_brown]

hey, ms_k. Sorry you didn't have the best experience, but I'm glad they turned out nicely.

Now you just know not to let that lady do your hair again.

About the stray hairs, I think that it's normal for a few hairs to stick out of the braid. I used to let them cut up the braid to get rid of them, but I NEVER let them do that anymore because I was scared of them making my hair uneven. One of them even tried to tell me that the wasn't my hair sticking out, it was the braided hair. Yeah right.

Anyway, when I did let them do it, it didn't really make my hair noticeably uneven, so I wouldn't worry about it. Just to be on the safe side, though, just leave those little pieces next time. I usually just slick them down with alcohol free gel and tie my hair at night, which takes care of the problem.

I cant wait to see the pics

BTW, what did the folks at work say?

 

[ms_kenesha]

Thanks so much everyone for the support. Right now I'm not sure if I want to get it braided again after this "experience". I dunno.

 

[nekee]

oh my gosh 10 hours ??? and she cut off your hair ? Even though you didn't mind , did she ask your permission first ?

 

[deeplyrooted]

I'm so sorry this happened to you, ms_kenesha.

This braider sounds like she isn't very good at all.

On the bright side, you don't have to worry about doing your hair for awhile! If you keep on having extreme tenderness/pain, you might wanna take the braids down anyway though.

Can't have your edges/sides getting messed up cause of this sorry braider.

 

[ricochet]

I am sorry this happened...A similar thing happened to me while I was transitioning that made up my mind that I would NEVER get micros again. I don't know if you got micros or bigger...I might get some cornrows or pinky size or larger individuals one day, but micros,

.

First off, I went for a 'consultation' at her apartment the day before. I was about 3 months post relaxer and my roots were THICK. My relaxed hair was very thick also so I have no idea how this woman misinterpreted my hair's thickness...plus my hair was 11"-14" from root to tip so the 'length' was there too. Now, I had explained thoroughly to this lady that "I was transitioning from relaxed to natural hair"...don't you know this "professional" proceeds to ask me, "So do you want me to put a "perm" on the roots to make it lay down better?" I was like

..."Uhhh no, I told you I am giving up the "relaxer". She then is like, "Um, okay." I should have left right then...But anyway, I wanted the braids, her price was $120 so I went ahead and proceeded.

The day of my appointment she got started immediately so I am thinking "Hmmm, this might not be too bad"...I spoke too soon.

Her 2 or 3 year old son started running around like a chicken with it's head cut off and her husband came in the living room and just sat there STARING. Now, maybe he was into her "work" but I doubt it. I was like, what the heck? So anyway, she is on my head for about 1o hours, THAT DAY. You guessed it, she was not finished and it was 10pm! I am soooo glad I didn't go on a day where I would have had to go to work the next day. Thank you Jesus!

I would have looked a HOT mess, because she started the braids in the back. The reason it took her so long was because she started them TOO small and like a I said, she misinterpreted my hair's thickness.

The next day, I went back and it took her another 8 hours. So that was 20 hours all together. I have NEVER sat so long in my life! I used to go to these African ladies that did a great job and they were done in 6 hours or less. But they were so heavy handed they pulled your hair right out of the follicle.

After that day in January 2002, I have not even thought about micros.

 

[sengschick]

I'm sorry you had this experience Ms. K!

It's so key to find a truly professional braider. I had a bad experience before I found a professional as well. She put two tons of mousse or something in my hair to "hold" them. As soon as I washed braids were slipping out of my hair right and left. Not to mention the fact that the braids were so hard and stiff that I could barely sleep, it felt like they were pulling my hair out at the root! It took her way, way too long to do my hair, so she started rushing and making the braids fatter to hurry and finish. I was so angry w/the whole experience and needless to say that it didn't last for very long. I gave it one more try and found a wonderful braider, the absolute best. She was always punctual, professional and my braids were wonderful. If you ever go to Indiana PM me and I'll find her info.

It was worth the drive to me!

I think the braid trimming thing is normal. It's also normal for some of your hair to poke out here & there, b/c your hair isn't even. My braider only ever did that to the braids on top, she never went through my whole head. There shouldn't be that many strands and if they're left out anyway, they're going to be damaged, so it's either let them go now or later. Most often it was the fake hair and not mine. I payed $300 for the braids, not including the hair and to tell you the truth I wouldn't be comfortable paying much less, b/c I think it's an indicator of quality.

 

[alliyah4eva203]

sorry to hear about your experience but glad you like the style

 

[Irresistible]

this is why i taught myself how to braid, I had one braid nightmare experience and i was too through, i was determined to learn myself and i got it down after about the second time...thank God

 

[babyblue]

[ QUOTE ]
ms_kenesha said:
Here is the very worst part, when she braided my hair there was some of my hair strands coming out of the braids (does this mean she's not a good braider? would a good braider be able to incorporate more of my hair w/o making it stick out?) well the hair that was sticking out she cut....Lord, I hope that my hair doesn't look a hot choppy mess when I take these braids out. It's a good thing I had planned on gradually cutting off my dyed ends anyway, I guess this will speed up the process!


[/ QUOTE ]

Uh...i made the mistake cutting the stray hairs which stuck out of my extensions(which ended up being my own hair which frizzed out after constantly wetting it) in order to keep a neat appearance to the braids. Needless to say my hair was a choppy mess when i took them out. Well i was in 8th grade so i didnt know no better...

 

[moneychaser]

Adrienne recommended using scurl gel for the strands that stick out

 

[ms_kenesha]

[ QUOTE ]
miss_brown said:
hey, ms_k. Sorry you didn't have the best experience, but I'm glad they turned out nicely.

Now you just know not to let that lady do your hair again.

About the stray hairs, I think that it's normal for a few hairs to stick out of the braid. I used to let them cut up the braid to get rid of them, but I NEVER let them do that anymore because I was scared of them making my hair uneven. One of them even tried to tell me that the wasn't my hair sticking out, it was the braided hair. Yeah right.

Anyway, when I did let them do it, it didn't really make my hair noticeably uneven, so I wouldn't worry about it. Just to be on the safe side, though, just leave those little pieces next time. I usually just slick them down with alcohol free gel and tie my hair at night, which takes care of the problem.

I cant wait to see the pics

BTW, what did the folks at work say?

[/ QUOTE ]

Everyone said my hair looked nice. This one girl said it was pretty and then said "how fun"

WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN!!!

 

[BronzeBrown]

Sorry about your experience Kenesha. In terms of the ends that were sticking out, I think they come as a result of natural hair. I get them quite often - although with a very good braider, the hair doesn't stick out initially, only after I wash the braids for the first time.

 

[Adrian3bc]

when i got microbraids it took like 11 hrs but i do have a lot of hair. but the thing that kills me is the snipping of the hairs that dont braid. she snipped one braid i was like "what are u doing, umm no leave those!" she was like it will make it look better. thanks but no thanks

 

[melodee]

Kenesha, how is your scalp feeling now?

When I got my cornrows, people would say things like, did you just go to the islands? Or, you look like the Carribbean Queen.

 

[ms_kenesha]

[ QUOTE ]
melodee said:
Kenesha, how is your scalp feeling now?

When I got my cornrows, people would say things like, did you just go to the islands? Or, you look like the Carribbean Queen.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's feeling much better now, but still a little awkward to sleep on.

 

[EXSQUISIT]

I bet you look great ms_kenesha!