Bring on the Professional

Well, I finally bit the bullet and called in a pro to get Little Miss set up in a long-term hairstyle.  We had the appointment on Saturday with a woman from Cameroon who does home braiding with her 2 grown daughters 4 days a week.  I'm really, really happy with the result which will stay in for...drumroll, please...3 months!  Amazing!

With the hairdresser's help, we easily decided on twists for Little Miss.  This seems to be the general stylist-recommended procedure for little girls up through their teenage years.  First, Little Miss' hair is hot combed straight.  A hot comb is like a curling iron, with a metal comb attached to the end instead of a roller.  The hair is parted in small sections a few at a time, then artificial (plastic) hair is twisted into the real hair.  The fake hair extends past the length of the real hair, giving Little Miss a long, even style.  The ends of the artificial hair are twisted around a string, then dipped in hot water to fuse them into a permanent curl.  Older teens and women often use real human hair that is braided into place.  This costs more and human hair is a lot heavier on the scalp, so the plastic hair is the way to go for little ones.

Making this appointment was really terrifying for me.  I had to face a lot of my inadequacies.  Was I incompetent?  Was I giving up?  Was the hairdresser going to look at Little Miss and declare, "Well, you've really messed up her hair"?  Am I a bad parent for taking her to get her hair done when she is not quite 3?  Will they even be able to do anything for her, given that her recovering bald spot area is only about an inch long?  Will she even be willing to sit still?  What if we have to leave in ignominy after only getting half way done?

Of course, most of these are 3am-type fears that make no sense.  I know from watching kids on the playground that some 3-year-olds get their hair done professionally and some don't.  From what I've seen and learned, most 3-year-olds are at a minimum in the hands of "someone who braids", a family member or friend who is the go-to non-professional braiding specialist.  So a pro must know what to do for a 3-year-old, even if I don't.

The worries about Little Miss screaming the whole time were, unfortunately, grounded in reality.  Putting twists in takes 2 long hours--about double what I was expecting--and she used up all her bravery and patience within the first half hour.  You do the math.  That was 90 minutes of screaming girl sitting on my lap.  At times, I had to hold her down to keep her from bolting.  Nothing would calm her.  It was basically 3 months worth of hair care misery forced into one two-hour period.

So, will I do it again?  Absolutely!  I don't have to do much more than spray it with a sheen spray and gather it into a hairband for 3 months.  3 months!  And, it looks great!  She looks so put together all the time, and I don't even have to think about whether her hair is going to excite comment from someone.  It's incredibly freeing.  Plus, it's good for her hair.  The twist keeps her hair really smooth.  It can't lock in on itself and break; it can't dry out.  Those problem areas on the back of her head are going to get a real chance to grow. She can swim in it.  She can sleep in it.  I can wash sand and dirt right out of it with no trouble.  It really seems ideal for a little one.

The appointment cost $65.00 plus tip.  I thought that was really reasonable, and I think it would probably be a bit more in a salon.  I have to give her hair a "rest" after three months, taking the twists out myself and letting the hair be natural for a few weeks.  After that, I can definetly see us going back for more twists.  I just can't get over the fact that I don't even have to think about her hair until the end of September!  We'll have to see what happens when I get her out into the wide world.  Will someone somewhere give me grief over this choice?  Possibly.  So far, though, I've had nothing by positive reinforcement from A-A friends (and a few envious glances from other transracial moms).  As always, I'll keep you posted!

Comments

[Sarah]

Can't wait to see her! I am sure she looks adorable. I continue to be impressed with your care and attention to being a transracial mom. Great job!

[Brownie]

I think her hair looks great! I would have done the same thing.

I found your site when I googled "artificial twinning." I also read the articles you referred to.

We might be artificially twinning ... gasp AACCKK!

We adopted a little boy -now age 3. We found out that his cousins might be coming to us - and the little boy is our son's age. I will be interesting!