By Camila Crews

Finding a good hairdresser is like trying to find a good man. It’s hard and damn near impossible. I know this firsthand and that is why I have chosen micro braids as my staple hairstyle. Most people tend to think that just because you have braids means that you are trying to compensate for a lack of hair.

Such is not the case in my situation. The reason I opt for braids is because it is easier to do. I get that crucial extra hour of sleep in the morning and I don’t have to take cover at parties once the lights have come on. I hate when men say oh “I like the natural look, I don’t like it when girls wear weaves.” Well none of these “men” have appeared at my door before an 8 o’clock class with curling iron and hair grease in hand ready to go to work on my head. I wore braids for two years, but just like anything else I became tired of looking the same, having to spend my entire Saturday in the salon and having to shell out $160 (price includes hair) every time I wanted to get my hair done. Once co-op started I told myself I would start my job with a new look. I took out my braids and went to the salon and got my hair cut into a cute bob. With a sophisticated look I was ready for my third year and the work force.

Four months and multiple trips to the salon later I’m finally ready for my braids. If a bad hair day arises there is nothing I can do because of the length of my hair. I’m not into the project/chickenhead look, so there is no way that I am about to venture out of my dorm with a project ponytail. A head wrap you might say? Yeah, I tried that once, but I don’t want to push it. Because I am one of few minorities at my job, I didn’t want to come off as the militant black woman by wearing something that may appear to be “too ethnic” to my colleagues. Another hassle of not having braids is going to the salon. It is an extra hard for me because I go back to Providence when I need to get my hair done. Not only is it a lot cheaper ($25 for a wrap and $40 for a perm), but stylists here look at me crazy when I tell them I want a wrap.

One time I told the hairdresser I wanted to get my hair wrapped and she pulled out the white tissue paper. I told her that was ok and left the salon with my hair blown out. I refuse to walk around looking like a mummy or an accident victim. I know the longer you wrap your hair the better it will lay down, but is it necessary to walk around looking like that all day? On my way to work I see people walking around like that. One day, my friend from back home and I went out to eat and we saw a girl with tissue paper wrapped around her head. My friend said, “That’s messed up why did they bring that girl out to eat straight from the hospital.” After countless minutes of laughter I had to explain to her that was the Boston version of a wrap. Where I come from the hair is wrapped wet the customer then has to sit under a hooded dryer then the hair is styled. Like they say “different strokes for different folks.” For me it will be back to the basics. Back to braids.