Getting, having and taking off my braids

<this is a little late pero here it is>


Since I was a little girl I have always been curious to see how braids looked on my head. I had the opportunity to get them done while studying abroad in the Dominican Republic so you know this mamacita had to take advantage! The appointment was arranged by the Rock who knew Sandra for a couple months now. Sandra is of Haitian origin and lives and studies in the DR. I met her a couple months after I got here and became good friends. I even interviewed her and her roommates for a study that I was doing for my Dominican-Haitian relations course. She was happy to braid my hair.

I got there early in the morning like 9 am. She was already awake but still in bed. She got up quickly and invited me in. She offered me coffee and I said no because I felt ashamed to make her do it for me. She felt offended and looked at me and said “why? You don’t drink coffee?” I was like no yeah but, okk Ill have some. I accepted. I sat outside while she prepared what she was going to eat.

She came outside with a platter with coffee, cookies, cheese and a banana. She sat outside with me with the same things on her plate. Everything tasted delicious. She asked me if I liked the cheese, I said of course, she told me it was Haitian that her mom brought it to her. We talked and looked over the barrio while we ate. She lives in a second floor overlooking the main street and a store. It was a Saturday morning and there was children screaming, yelling, playing and music playing.

She brought gel, combs and a mirror. I sat calm and excited to see the final result. She asked how I wanted my braids. I responded I wanted them tied to my scalp and loose on the back. She asked if I wanted a design, I told her do what you think looks best. She asked me if I wanted them really tight I said no, not that tight I have a gentle head.

When she started I started making faces because that shit hurted on my scalp. The whole time my scalp felt pulled and tight and hurtful and AAAAHHHH!

The front crown of the head the braids were made in 3’s and tight to my head the other she just twisted the hair. She put some bolitas (the circle colorful thingys) at the end and then rubber band (I brought these to her). After she was done with the front part which I felt took forever…she started on the back part of my head. Here the braids were loose and she just twisted them. By the time she started the back part I just wanted the process to end, I didn’t even care if I was going to look ridiculous. My head hurted a lot and I was tired of sitting down. Because that day I was going to go off on a trip I was on a hurry to leave. The Rock kept stopping by to see if I was ready. Aresca started helping Sandra out put the bolitas in my hair and tie the rubber band while she started another braid. The whole process took like three to four hours.

my face!! that ish hurted!!

I was very excited about my braids and really liked the way they looked. I thanked Sandra and congratulated her for the great job she did.

During the time I had the braids I would use the net that I use for my tubin, bundled the braids and put the net on to sleep so that they won’t be all over the place. I wet my hair once or twice in the 4 days I had the braids. I found it very convenient to have braids because since I have long hair I didn’t have to worry about washing it, untangling it, combing it…nothing! It was amazing!!

I just showered and out the door. By the second day I had not washed my head I felt very dirty and uncomfortable. I am used to washing my hair every day or every other day if I convince myself. So not washing it even though I washed my body felt weird and ewwww jucky.

Also by the end of the weekend little hairs were coming out and the braids didn’t look as neat. Another annoying thing was that the bolitas (the colorful circles) at the end of the braid kept falling. You could find mad bolitas in the bed where I slept, or anywhere I went. It caught the attention of babies because they wanted to play with them.

Taking them off was a bitch! Oh my God! It was hard to take off the rubber band because it would tear at my hair. To unbraid the hair was another time consuming and complicated process because the hair had been tight for so long that it didn’t want to be away from the other strand. My hair had become a family. so cute.

Because Sandra had used gel on my hair it felt hard and greasy at the same time. It was disgusting feeling on my fingers. I was so excited to wash my head!!

When I finally took off all the braids my hair took another form I liked the way it looked, looked like I had gotten a perm done.

love this look!

After I washed my head, even though I shampooed it up multiple times it still felt hard. I washed it like two or three times until it took its normal texture.

I am glad I got the braids done because at least I got over my curiosity. I experienced what it was like and saw how I looked. I am not sure if id be down to do it again, at least not with the length that my hair is now because is so time consuming. I did like not having to worry about my hair for a couple days. I got ready faster and it was much more convenient.

I learned to appreciate being able to wash my head whenever I feel like it!!


Here some pics that I got of Sandra, Emmanuel, and Aresca while I got my braids done