Nightmare in Black Images Braiding Salon

Let me tell YALL about my experience here....smh...Ok so I go in and it isn't the nicest looking place but whatever all I wanted was my own hair cornrow'd back, because as I stated I would be wearing my hair in braids underneath, they tell me that would be $40...FORTY DOLLARS??? "Nevermind!!" She then asks, how much did I want to pay...uhhh $20!!!...she accepted that. So there are two braiders, one is twisting dreads, the other is finishing up micros, so about 20 minutes of waiting she finishes with the micros...but she can't do me, bc she doesn't know how to cornrow, "You didn't teach me" is what she said to the owner, so my nerves are shot, as I am sitting here thinking....'she has JUST started on these twists am I really going to wait???", so I sat about 40 minutes and was getting up to leave. "No." she says, "My other girl will be here in 5 minutes...she is walking from home". So I sit back down...30 minutes later a girl who looks no older than 17 walks in with attitude ALLLLLL over her face, she walks in slowly, stops, just stares into space doing absolutely nothing....finally she walks over to her chair and calls me over....I sit down...((this is where the nightmare begins))....

First thing first she grabbed a SMALL tooth comb...and proceeded to the TOP of my hair to comb it out....:-( I stopped her, pulled out my own wide tooth comb, carefully sectioned it...combing it out starting at the ends first...she stops me and says "No. Your ends are fine, you just need to comb the top" {insert confused face...uhhh boo boo I got this} So I finished combing my hair down...she begins to braid...although I could tell she was having trouble and the owner had to come help her a few times. She was being a bit rough with my hair but nothing to bad...UNTIL...she came to a knot...AND SHE JUST BROKE IT!!! The sound of my hair was as clear to me as a bone breaking I swear I was just like WTF...but what could I do, I remained cool....pissed TF off, nevertheless cool....she continues to braid, combing and ish and I just felt like crying, I felt like this would be the cause of my set back...I was just pissed at myself for even coming here....so she comes across another knot...I stopped her...and said "Let me do it."....this is the kicker...she says "No. I gave you your chance to comb it, you didn't do it good oh well."....-_- I had to stop-...did she just say No...and pretty much like she is going to fuck my hair up despite how I feel about it...- yes she did....proceed, I said "Hold up. IDK How yall do things, but you are not about to just be snapping and breaking my hair, if you don't want to take your time, I can get up and go elsewhere, it isn't hurting me to leave...if you want to finish I will be more than happy to show you how to comb through my hair" After that, she just stopped using the comb, except for to part which I was more than pleased with....Afterward, I just put the money down and walked off, I was livid still, though glad she got the picture....It took all I had to remember that she was my "sistah" and refrain from telling her that she can take that nasty ass attitude and go back to Africa, but in the meantime that she is in America and there is such thing as lotion...for those crusty ass ankles!!!....Excuse the "unprofessionalism" of this post, but that heffa brought it out of me smh.


NEEDLESS TO SAY, MY FELLOW ARKANSANS...LITTLE ROCK BOUND...STAY CLEAR OF BLACK IMAGES BRAIDING SALON @ 3408 South University Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72204.Unless you don't mind being talked to any kind of way while having your hair pulled TF out!!!

Regimen For Box Braids.

For real this time I have decide to get box braids. Some of you may have read past posts of me freaking out, scared of breakage, but I am doing it!! This Sunday!!! So I cowashed today with V05 Clarifying Conditioner, and used Aphogee 2 min Recon. to give my hair a bit of a protein boost. I did not do an all out protein treatment because the last time I used Aphogee was Jan. 28, and since then I had been alternating between protein and moisturizing DCs..as well as using a protein moisturizer once a week. So I did not want to go into protein overload. After rinsing the Aphogee out, I cowashed one more time, using Mizani Moisturefuse. I blow dried it, and now I am bunning. Tomorrow, I plan to baggy while I am asleep, jus to get some moisture in before the braids are installed.

So if anyof you are inquiring Box Braids, I found this helpful website.

Look of the Week 1/29-2/4

All this week, I have rocked a braid out!! Here are the steps.

Parted hair in sections.
Moisturized using Kimmaytubes moisturizer.
Applied Paul Mitchell Supper Skinny.

Parted hair in desired style that I would want the braids to fall.
Braided in small braids, about 20 braids, using ecostyler gel with each braid.

Slept in braids overnight, and unraveled in the AM.

I re-braid them every night before going to bed...reapplying the product every other night. So far so good!

I WANT BOX BRAIDS!!!!!!!

I know I want a lot right now....but I think I am going to hold off on the Mizani and Croc iron, and invest in my box braids this Friday...or next! That was my original plan, to decrease the manipulation, and urge to relax!!! So hopefully I can get an appt this, or next friday...and keep them in until October, that is when I plan on getting a relaxer.

Any info or suggestions on how to care for and maintain box braids???

Hair Journal Entry 1

So today I went and got more supplies, all inexpensive drug store products for now, since I hadn't really prepared for this, but excited to care for my hair NOW!!!

So I went and got V05 for a co-wash, altho my ultimate goal is to switch to WEN or Hair One. I've heard good about Hair One, a cheaper alternative to WEN, so I will see if Hair One works for me 1st. Hopefully it will.

I also got more Roots of Nature Shea Butter Oil, I've been using that and I like it. I can use it to seal.

I also have Optimum Oil Therapy 3-in-1 Oil Moisturizer, will try this as a moisturizer because Roots of Nature, moisturizer left my hair feeling really heavy and greasy. IDK maybe I put to much on it.

I'm really trying to pay attention to my hair now.

So I co washed today with the V05, and moisterized, & sealed. I also mixed all of that in a spary bottle with spring water just to mist as needed.

I had to work tonight tho so I couldn't leave it out, so I braided it. I know having 4A hair is fragile, and I hated having to braid it wet because I could literally feel some of my shafts breaking :-(

So I do not plan on co-washing again until Sunday. So I will leave my braids alone until then, unless oiling scalp or misting.

But I will say also that afterwards, my hair/head felt so light and tingly and just happy. I guess from the new found attention. Usually I just lay around the house all day, hair all over my head, throw it in a short pony and toss a wig on it. It would be dry, brittle...I just didn't care :-(. She was a happy head today :-)

I plan on getting long box braids pretty soon, so I can just leave my hair alone and let it grow.

Learning To Braid

I do NOT know how to braid...lol so this is my 1st attempt. Before I tried braiding cornrows straight down the back but I just could not get in a comfortable position to do so. SO I did like my great grandmother does lol, and I parted my in an intersecting part, creating 4 sections of hair. I braided to going back...the back braids, and 2 going down the side of my head, the top braids. Then I routed the top braids to the back, creating 2 small pony tails. I then took the ends of the tow pony tails and pinned them down to the back of my head (nape area)....a placed a wig cap down, and wore Cleopatra on top :-)

Keep in mind this was my 1st attempt at braiding, so I make some errors, but I definitely plan on keeping on trying and documenting my progess :-D