Beware of the Deadly Cocktail

It’s rare that I talk about hair on this blog. However I chose the name to embody important characteristics of me. So on Handbags, Hair, and Heels this will be my first time writing about hair per se.

I was totally thinking about going to get my hair straightened last weekend (for my birthday). However, after coming across this article I had to rethink that thought. Because I am a reviewer by nature I went on to read ALL of the comments on the article.

Let’s just be clear, I would be totally livid if this were to happen to me. The article had me replaying my visits at the Dominican Salon (DS) over and over in my mind. I know in ATL I opt for leave in conditioner, it’s usually in the glass bottle and they have to break it. I know I recently stopped getting deep conditioners at the DS because:

*I Condition my own hair well
*I can’t justify paying an extra $5 for the service
*I’m very impatient and don’t want to add time to my service

After analyzing this topic I wondered if any of the women actually smelled the chemicals. I know for those of us hat have had perms you can recognize that smell a mile away. I wonder if the women were sooo much in shock that they just paid and left or did they GTFO. I can only imagine what my original response would have been but I can’t say so for certain because of all of the initial emotions.

I have stated to others that whenever I get the inclination that a hair stylist doesn’t want to do my hair (refer to my hair as too ‘thick’ or suggest that I get a texturizer of some sort) that is the last time that I’m in their chair. Reading this article is definitely making me consider taking my own products with me or going in with conditioner in my head.

I think the biggest barrier exist because there is usually a language barrier. I actually took my Kinky Curly with me the last time and the chic washed it out my hair. That was after I continued to say as well as motion that is should be left in.

Honestly, I’ve NEVER had any major issues (despite the fact that I was turned away before). In retrospect, I take everyone’s comments for what it is. There was one thing that bothered me with the comment section of the article. Some of the women were effected as well as affected but I felt like nobody wanted to put the salon on blast. I mean maybe people haven’t read the comments t update or didn’t want to post names out of respect for the Nikki. However, I highly believe in customer service as well as word-of-mouth business. I guess it touched me because a lot of the women stated that the ‘cocktail’ was done at salons across Md. And as you would have it I frequent a shop in Md. Let me just put this out there, if I came across a shop that practiced that fuckery you all would be the first to know.

I'm actually on a live natural hair chat with Essence at the moment and a guy stated something that stuck with me:

HairManKeith: If stylist don't want to deal with natural hair they have to stop lying to their clients in advance.

Enough said... I hope you too will be open and honest about your upcoming visits to DS and feel free to share in the comments.

A Father After Father's Day

DISCLAIMER- this post was written almost 2 yrs ago but I never published it. Thought now would be a great time since it Father's Day and my Birthday!!!

So I grew up in a non-traditional yet traditional way. I lived with my grandparents from kindergarten until the second grade, then I made a choice to live with my moma third through sixth, and then back to my grandparents. This was not a social service act, just me learning the importance of choices at an early age. I say 'traditional, yet non-traditional' because I had two adults in the home who weren't my biological parents yet, instilled old school values in me.

From day one, my grandfather played the role of my father, spoiling me, picking me up from school, cooking for me and whatever else I may have needed or wanted (okay I admit I might have been spoiled a bit). At an early age it was apparent who would look out for me/take care of me. However as a kid I couldn't understand why my father didn't taking care of me. I was born on Father's Day and I think/thought that I could and am the greatest gift ever.

As an adult the saying 'everything comes full circle' is certainly visible in our relationship. Something that I had to accept, is that there is no 'tried and true' manual on fatherhood, motherhood, or better yet parenthood. Through the years the trials and errors that my father and I have experienced has totally strengthened our bond.

It is totally ironic that my grandfather actually pushed me towards this relationship and it has grown ever since. I know that everything happens for a reason and I believe that God had this relationship in the works so that when my mom passed my dad could resume responsibility as a parent.

I am beyond elated and ecstatic at the dynamic of our relationship of my father and I. I totally feel like we can talk about anything. Although I didn't have the feeling of 'daddy's little girl' I totally feel like my dad makes it up to me in my adulthood. I don't ask for much from him but I totally believe that if I needed him for anything he'd be my biggest advocate.

Although I was born on father's day and still believe that a birth of a child on that day is the greatest gift... my dad became a father, after Father's Day. To John L. Sconiers lll, Happy Father's Day and many more to come from me to you.