Hey Ms. K.
I do my own.
I'm not great, but it beats the hizzle out of paying a 100 and up. I've had it done at the salon once, and paid 100 for it, and that wasn't including the hair. And 100 dollars for a full sewn-in weave is a good deal, unless you go to an African braiding shop. They may charge as low as 80, but generally nothing lower.
There are different ways of weaving. This site covers them pretty well. I've always sewn mine in.
http://www.hisandher.com/faq_howwear.asp
As far as touch-ups, it all depends on how fast your hair grows. When the newgrowth starts coming in, the track is going to get looser, and the looser it is, the nastier it looks. This is really why I hate washing my hair while they are in because the water loosens the track, unless the person who does it cornrows really tight. I can't cornrow tight, which is why I've never left mine in past 3 weeks.
When getting a weave, I will tell you this much. Shampooing your hair can be a nuisance! If you have an irritable scalp, DO NOT get a weave, unless it is under control. That's my biggest problem. I get dandruff if I don't put water on my scalp frequently and this is hard to do when wearing a weave, because you don't want your cornrows always wet underneath or else it can possibly start to smell.
If your scalp gives you no problems, and you're the type of person who doesn't have to put a thing on your scalp, then you should be fine.
Let's see, what else.
Oh, since you've never worn a weave before, a cheaper investment are instant weaves.
Get the look of a weave in 60 seconds!
Not to mention, it's cheaper.
What kind of look are you trying to achieve?
