I guess when many of us first started out, we started braiding friends and family members hair in the comfort of our kitchen table or on our living room couch.
That is where we gained our years of experience:). For so many of us it came so naturally as it is just a talent that we have perfected over time adding the latest styles and techniques to our gifted talents. We also learned quite a bit at the shops we began to work at and from people close to us, that would let us experiment (remember those days? lol). Not many schools teach how to start and maintain locs, do treebraids, cornrows with extension, twist styles, micros with human hair and so on. You know, the essentials to maintaining afro texture hair. Everything we learned at the school was bascially to pass state board and for non afro hair and changing the structure of afro hair. Braiders really don't get the respect they deserve. Braiding hair goes way back to the roots of African Americans, it's African tradition, it's an art. A braider can take a tight kinky afro and perform what would seem like a miracle to those who receive the service. Because many of African American aren't educated enough about how to take care of their hair, many rely so much on others to take care of it and what others tell them to put in the hair. Presently, there is so much information over the internet that wasn't available in the past, so that seems to help some. But I started learning my hair along before the internet because, well that's just me. I was never satisfied with my hair after getting it done else where and didn't trust scissor happy family members.
What a lot of hair care professionals are doing in the black hair care industry, is taking their knowledge to a whole other level, and creating multiple streams of income producing tremendous prosperity. What I would like to know is how we let our selve miss the opportunity of beauty supply store? And how did we allow the Koreans to flood the market on black hair care products. I think it was the crack era that messed us up. While many black folks was taking the opportunity to get high or chasing after that fast money. The Koreans moved in right under our nose capitalizing on the growing need of good black hair care products or should I say black folk ignorance. Anyway, we all know how sensitive black folks are about their hair. Ooh my gosh! Don't let me see a kink coming up from the back of my hair line. That would be the time to hunt down my favorite perm to do a retouch lol. So you see what I'm talking about? We missed THAT gravy train. Gave all the money to the Koreans, and still doing it.... All because of pure laziness..... I am just keeping it real. Yeah it hurts to hear the truth. The white man did'nt literally mean that he was going to GIVE the slaves 48 acres and a mule. Basically he said now your free, you can go get your 48 acres and a mule. Ha!
That is where we gained our years of experience:). For so many of us it came so naturally as it is just a talent that we have perfected over time adding the latest styles and techniques to our gifted talents. We also learned quite a bit at the shops we began to work at and from people close to us, that would let us experiment (remember those days? lol). Not many schools teach how to start and maintain locs, do treebraids, cornrows with extension, twist styles, micros with human hair and so on. You know, the essentials to maintaining afro texture hair. Everything we learned at the school was bascially to pass state board and for non afro hair and changing the structure of afro hair. Braiders really don't get the respect they deserve. Braiding hair goes way back to the roots of African Americans, it's African tradition, it's an art. A braider can take a tight kinky afro and perform what would seem like a miracle to those who receive the service. Because many of African American aren't educated enough about how to take care of their hair, many rely so much on others to take care of it and what others tell them to put in the hair. Presently, there is so much information over the internet that wasn't available in the past, so that seems to help some. But I started learning my hair along before the internet because, well that's just me. I was never satisfied with my hair after getting it done else where and didn't trust scissor happy family members.
What a lot of hair care professionals are doing in the black hair care industry, is taking their knowledge to a whole other level, and creating multiple streams of income producing tremendous prosperity. What I would like to know is how we let our selve miss the opportunity of beauty supply store? And how did we allow the Koreans to flood the market on black hair care products. I think it was the crack era that messed us up. While many black folks was taking the opportunity to get high or chasing after that fast money. The Koreans moved in right under our nose capitalizing on the growing need of good black hair care products or should I say black folk ignorance. Anyway, we all know how sensitive black folks are about their hair. Ooh my gosh! Don't let me see a kink coming up from the back of my hair line. That would be the time to hunt down my favorite perm to do a retouch lol. So you see what I'm talking about? We missed THAT gravy train. Gave all the money to the Koreans, and still doing it.... All because of pure laziness..... I am just keeping it real. Yeah it hurts to hear the truth. The white man did'nt literally mean that he was going to GIVE the slaves 48 acres and a mule. Basically he said now your free, you can go get your 48 acres and a mule. Ha!
Hair has always been my passion. I like money and I also like to look good. So punching the clock just wasn't an option to me. I like to work hard and get paid by how much I feel the work is worth. So if I have ideas, they are MY ideas and I can incorporate MY ideas in ways that would benefit me and what I am doing, which could mean any amount of money. Skies the limit and I can't see it any other way. I'm from California and see our style is different than where I am at. Not too many women are into the locs in Cali. I think it is more of an east coast and southern thing in my opinion, I could be wrong. However, California is full of, a type I can't even describe- A whole other breed I would say. In California they are more into the barbie look. They like Hair weaved down to their butt and fake eyelashes, fake teeth, fake boobs, fake eyes and fake nose lol, and a great hustle, what ever that may be. And they know how to put on a good front. I'm just playing not everyone is like that, but there are some fake bougie people:-). Anyway, I just hope we can all get it together. And to those, and you know who you are, stop self hating and be you. If you know who that is lol. If you don't then you should go find that person, because you need to know who you are first. Before you can expect anyone else to get to know you. Nuff said.
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