My hair is newly relaxed (since August). I don’t regret it. I don’t do anything to it myself. Every week, I go to the beauty school and they wash and style it for $10. It’s extremely convenient. I was blissfully oblivious to hair politics until I tried to go natural sans braids. It was a pain and I’m back to being oblivious to this by choice. The attitude from regular black hair salons that I experienced when trying to get my hair flat-ironed for a job interview is enough for me to know that I just don’t even want to think about it. I still won’t go to those same hair salons and I still don’t know how to take care of my hair…

I love wearing my hair relaxed. It’s how my hair has been styled since I was young. Anyone who says that I’m conforming to this and that is full of it.
As long as I know and love that I am black, it shouldn’t matter how I wear my hair.

I’m rocking pigtails today, btw…

I can’t seem to find a stylist in all of the friggin bay area who can flat-iron my hair the way I like it and certainly not one that can color it right. Most of the stylists here wouldn’t be fit to work a shampoo bowl in LA. It’s very frustrating. So I’ve just been doing my own blow outs. I am considering weaving it in the Rihanna asymmetrical look just until I can find someone here who can do exactly what I want done -and also give my hair a break from the color. I think it’ll be cool to have short hair for a while since everyone is used to me having long hair it’ll be a dramatic change. I’m thinking of dying the weave canary yellow with black streaks (or vice versa)or something totally crazy.

I hear LA is the best place to have natural hair. So many stylists and no humidity.

True. I was spoiled, but didn’t realize it until I moved here and it’s like a hair twilight zone. I’ve tried so many different salons. Ghetto, upscale, SF, Oakland, black, multi-ethnic….and still no one can do it right. Or if they can, I have to deal with hella shitty attitudes or a stylist that books out 4-6 weeks in advance. I’ve come to the conclusion that the “hair philosophy” here is different. They just do hair different here than LA. Which sucks b/c it’s different for the worse. That’s why the short weave is looking really, really good right now. I’m tired of dealing with my hair issues here. Ugh. Sorry…just had to vent.

Try Boston. The phrase “we don’t work with THAT texture” is still ringing in my head. That stank attitude is precisely why I went to South Americans to get a relaxer. Fortunately, I found a beauty school a month ago.

Shit. I’m not using the phrase “good hair” but that’s what stylists always say about my hair so I don’t have a grade of hair that would turn ppl off. Prior to moving here I went to the same stylist for 7 years so I am very, very particular about my hair. I am used to a certain level of competence and professionalism from stylists that I just haven’t seen here. I don’t mind paying a lot of money, but it needs to be done right and right the first time. I just can’t find that here. I literally left one shop crying b/c the girl used so much heat on my hair I though for sure I’d wake up the next day with all my hair burned off. The silver lining to that night? I got a foot massage from my boy. LOL.

so i live in the bay area, any reccos for a salon?

If you’re in the city Hairplay is good. If you’re in the East Bay, Serendipity in Emeryville is good. The main stylist at Hairplay books up 4-6 weeks in advance.

thanks blackmistressdiva! i’m in the city, so i’d opt for hairplay. what’s her name? and i have to ask, is she black? i’m a little apprehensive about a non-black hairstylist applying my relaxer!

Her name is Denise and she’s black. She does ok hair, but she and I butted heads. Her attitude is a little stank and mine is a little uppity. Not a good mix. maybe you’ll have better luck with her than I did. You may also want to ask for the owner - Fritz. He’s black. I see him doing a lot of white ppl, but I’ve seen him throw down on some black hair, too. He’s hard to get an appt. with though.

See…now I’m talking hair and wanting to get it done. LOL. Maybe I should try yet another salon?? Maybe not. Why must we have these hair issues????

There should be local meetings for such discussions. I actually stopped a girl on the subway to ask her where she got her hair done. D.C.! Imagine that. Lived minutes from there for years and couldn’t find a half decent person. Now I’m here where every hairstylist is extra-expensive and boogie. Reminded me of some (insert prissy black sorority )’s I met from (insert name of HBCU for women).

“There should be local meetings for such discussions.”

Or ppl can just use Yelp. It’s a good starting place.

Nope. I got all my bad references from yelp.

Really? I try to yelp hair places b/c I know that it’s hard for black chicks up here to find decent spots. Unfortunately most of my reviews are bad ones.

You can probably get a good place on yelp I presume, if there are good places available.

Daria, you’re in Boston, right? All of my Boston friends go to either a guy named Will (I will have to do some research to find his salon’s information) or else to Salon Monet on Newbury Street (the owner is Shelly and she does a good job most of the time).

The Will guy might be promising. The person I spoke to at Salon Monet had a stank attitude. If you could find out please, that would be most helpful. The beauty students are aight, but it’s just a stiff, not youthful look.

I’m afraid of beauty schools ever since in the late 80’s my Granny had all her hair burned off by some student.

Only wash and set at beauty schools.