#2 ~ the appointment / day one!

During the process ...

So ... the morning of the appointment, I was sure to enjoy washing my loose hair for one last time. I got to the salon about 1130, and we dug in. First, she shampooed my hair. Afterward she backcombed it some, and then set me under a dryer. Not only was a I slightly confused by the beginning of her "technique" but, I looked a lot like a hair band reject from the mid-80's. Anyway ... after my hair was completely dry, she started sectioning my hair.

I don't need to get into every detail since that would take up a lot of bandwidth ;) but over the next 5 hours, my hair was sectioned, back combed and twisted into the beginning of dreadlocks. (or so I thought?)

One thing I agreed to that I look back at now with a bit of regret is, I gave her the "ok" to use a protein gel on my hair instead of a wax. I said no to the wax because I didn't have any of my own to bring, and I had the feeling that the only wax she had contained petroleum ans maybe some other ingredients in it that I wasn't interested in having on my hair. Now though, I think I could have dealt with it. But more on that later ... She didn't want to risk my hair becoming too oily from the wax she had. Ok, I can appreciate that.

I didn't appreciate, but could do it if needed, that she told me not to wash my hair for a month. Yes, a month. 30 days. A whole freakin month without getting my hair wet for any reason. Clearly, I had some research to do when I got home!

On the way home, maybe an hour after leaving the salon ...
pulled back since I was in a bit of shock!

I didn't know it right away, but I know it now. If you look closely at the photo of my hair on the way home, it's twisted. For people with "black" hair, twisting is a common way to start their dreads. Black hair is drier and folks who get dreads have very little work to do as far as getting their hair to "loc". The hair just locs up with very little work.

A woman with "white girl hair" like me, who goes to a salon that isn't a place like Knotty Boy or Dread Goddess gets the same treatment ... and the outcome is not the same with Caucasian hair. You live and you learn.

And sometimes all you really paid for was to have someone section it for you since you have to go back and do the backcombing all over again yourself. hrrrm.

stay tuned!