Chocolate Brides: Hair Question

~Debra~ · April 16, 2009

I wear my hair natural so I'm opposed to any style where I'd have to touch up my hair every couple days. I want something that I can just slightly curl or put into a ponytail and it will look cute. Maybe I'll revisit the invisible braids idea again. I liked the pics posted on the previous page. Those were cute

BillysBride · April 16, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~Debra~

I wear my hair natural so I'm opposed to any style where I'd have to touch up my hair every couple days. I want something that I can just slightly curl or put into a ponytail and it will look cute. Maybe I'll revisit the invisible braids idea again. I liked the pics posted on the previous page. Those were cute

Thing is...even with micro's or invisi's...OUR hair is still going to do what it's going to do. If you're lucky enough to have that hair that just curls up real cute when it gets wet or the humidity is high...you're good as gold. The stuff on MY head frizzes and just turns poofy and looks horrific. Because the humidity and heat is gonna factor in for everyone, just as surely as it would if there were no braids or extensions. Theres nothin that bugs me more than seein' some sista walk around, with cute braids, but HER hair is sticking out of them lookin a totally different texture. That's so irritating to me.

So my quest personally is to make sure I go with a style that will allow me to be put together and elegant on my day, but cute as I wanna be the rest of the time. I do not have naturally straight or soft hair, so it's gonna take at least some minimal work for me even if it's just washing, conditioning and brushing..that's just what I gotta deal with.

~Debra~ · April 16, 2009

I completely agree with you BillysBride.....my personal goal is the same as yours. I want to have a great hairdo on my wedding day and simply look cute the rest of the day. And don't get me wrong, I don't have naturally ANYTHING hair. LOL I just meant I stopped putting perms in my hair about a year and a half ago so if I can avoid having to do too much maintenance to my hair during my wedding week I will.

I guess what I want isn't possible. I don't want to have to do anything at all all week. LOL gosh, who knew that my hair would be one of the biggest obstacles.

Danyelle · April 16, 2009

I'm totally not into the fake hair thing for ME. They look great on other folks, I just would feel super self conscious and phony. By the time my wedding rolls around I'll be 100% natural (i'm about 70% there now-growing out a texlax) so I'll wear my hair in it's natural texture either out and big and curly and fluffy with a big flower in it, or pinned up in a cute curly style.

My aunt who will be in attendance, I'll ask her to give me some cornrows or flat twists the day after so I can not worry about my hair during the honeymoon.

Danyelle · April 16, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillysBride

Yea, you just have to commit to the idea of touching up/redoing your hair every other day or so if you want to keep it straight. As black women...it's just somethin we have to put up with on these kinds of trips if we're wanting to look "put together" all the time. If my hair gets wet, all I'm gonna do is touch up the front, and pull it back into a ponytail...ponytails hide a multitude of problems.

Oh my god you are tough!! I couldn't redo my hair every few days. Isn't it just all in vain? Doesn't it sweat right out or do you have some tricks up your sleeve (if so SHARE)

I'm a water junkie. On vacation i'll just wear my hair in a curly mop, pulled back in a bun or a curly ponytail and be sure to just deep condition it nightly after it's ravaged by the salt water and sun.

BillysBride · April 16, 2009

Feelin phoney wearin' some weave is (to me) the equivalent of feeling phony wearing makeup: my skin is not that flawlessly even color, my eyes don't naturally "pop" like that and my lips are not shiny wine/ruby red. But I wear it anyway, to highlight what God gave me. And I don't feel a bit phony doing it. Weave is no different than any other accessory for me....I think black folks have given themselves, AND each other an unnecessary bad rap about "fake" hair. Its cosmetic....like earrings, eyelashes, pantyhose and everything else. If a person doesn't feel fake wearing those things, I have no idea why weave would be any different.

Natural is beautiful and all...but not for me. God created those lovely scientist who gave me chemicals and Im not tryin to put them outta business. I completely respect those who go natural though...just not for me. I know a lot of people take pride in going natural as part of respecting our ethnicity. I just have other ways of revering my heritage and there are many ways to keep hair healthy but relaxed.

If I have a relatively fresh relaxer, I can blow dry/flat iron and my hair will stay pretty straight regardless of sweat or humidity if all I'm doin with it is wearing a pony. I think most AA hair is like that. The big problem for the brides here seems to be how to keep curls from reverting or their hair from just frizzing when worn down. With humidity, the moisture penetrates black hair because it's so porous...the shaft swells and BOOM. Instant frizz. I'm not that much of a water nut, but I don't want to avoid it. I'll be in and out of it, and maybe try my hand at snorkeling for the first time...so for me, touching up my hair won't be a big deal. Again, people have to figure out how much effort they wanna put into it just like with anything else. It takes all of five minutes to heat up a flat iron and run it over your edges..not much different than combing your hair to get ready to go out in public anyway. No big to me. Like I said, I'm probably going to get a curly piece to do some quick up-do's and ponytails that will allow me to simply rinse the salt out, throw in some leave in conditioner and brush it up. Thats not a lot of effort to ME, not sure about others. I don't like cornrows even though I know thats the vacation standby for a lot of folks...just not something I wanna have my pic taken with all week long. It's an easy answer for sure though.

BillysBride · April 16, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~Debra~

I completely agree with you BillysBride.....my personal goal is the same as yours. I want to have a great hairdo on my wedding day and simply look cute the rest of the day. And don't get me wrong, I don't have naturally ANYTHING hair. LOL I just meant I stopped putting perms in my hair about a year and a half ago so if I can avoid having to do too much maintenance to my hair during my wedding week I will.

I guess what I want isn't possible. I don't want to have to do anything at all all week. LOL gosh, who knew that my hair would be one of the biggest obstacles.

LOL, girl don't say that. I bet you could get away with doing some pull backs with some pieces or something....no fuss at all. You could save the fuss for your wedding day, and then go back to pulling it back the rest of the week...I think it just depends on what your hair does in that climate. What does it normally do during the summer? Lets start there and figure out a style that will let you be sassy but not have to deal with it too much!

Alot of times, hair does fine...it may not even be all that humid at the time of your stay!

Hey, another idea is to take a look at the weather averages for the town you'll be staying in. I know my sister came back from Isla, where I'm having my ceremony, a few months ago and said the humidity wasn't bad at all!

GregsBride · April 17, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillysBride

Feelin phoney wearin' some weave is (to me) the equivalent of feeling phony wearing makeup: my skin is not that flawlessly even color, my eyes don't naturally "pop" like that and my lips are not shiny wine/ruby red. But I wear it anyway, to highlight what God gave me. And I don't feel a bit phony doing it. Weave is no different than any other accessory for me....I think black folks have given themselves, AND each other an unnecessary bad rap about "fake" hair. Its cosmetic....like earrings, eyelashes, pantyhose and everything else. If a person doesn't feel fake wearing those things, I have no idea why weave would be any different.

Natural is beautiful and all...but not for me. God created those lovely scientist who gave me chemicals and Im not tryin to put them outta business. I completely respect those who go natural though...just not for me. I know a lot of people take pride in going natural as part of respecting our ethnicity. I just have other ways of revering my heritage and there are many ways to keep hair healthy but relaxed.

If I have a relatively fresh relaxer, I can blow dry/flat iron and my hair will stay pretty straight regardless of sweat or humidity if all I'm doin with it is wearing a pony. I think most AA hair is like that. The big problem for the brides here seems to be how to keep curls from reverting or their hair from just frizzing when worn down. With humidity, the moisture penetrates black hair because it's so porous...the shaft swells and BOOM. Instant frizz. I'm not that much of a water nut, but I don't want to avoid it. I'll be in and out of it, and maybe try my hand at snorkeling for the first time...so for me, touching up my hair won't be a big deal. Again, people have to figure out how much effort they wanna put into it just like with anything else. It takes all of five minutes to heat up a flat iron and run it over your edges..not much different than combing your hair to get ready to go out in public anyway. No big to me. Like I said, I'm probably going to get a curly piece to do some quick up-do's and ponytails that will allow me to simply rinse the salt out, throw in some leave in conditioner and brush it up. Thats not a lot of effort to ME, not sure about others. I don't like cornrows even though I know thats the vacation standby for a lot of folks...just not something I wanna have my pic taken with all week long. It's an easy answer for sure though.

I totally agree with this!!! I wear weaves because of the versatility it gives me... I can go from long flowing curls to a short and chic bob with no problem. I give much respect for those of you who can do the natural thing, I tried my hand but had to quickly throw in the towel

There was a time when I swore by individual braids, but it got to the point where my hair was too long for them and as a result I ended up with lots of damage for some strange reason. So I had to let it go. I never do cornrows on vacation either because to me there is just something out of place when combining that look with you there all dolled up in your gorgeous dress frolicking on the beach. But that's just my humble opinion

BillysBride · April 17, 2009

GregsBride...I think you summed up what it is for me too. Cornrows say "casual" to me. Everyone keeps tellin me to just braid it up and not worry about it, but I know at least a couple of nights I'm going to be kinda dressed up and the two don't go together. Even just 10-12 rows is a lot of work just to put in and then take down after a day or two...I won't have time. Besides..it just doesn't suit my face. I got a big ole head. hahahaha

BillysBride · April 17, 2009

Wanted to start getting the picture trail going....nothing more inspirational than a good visual. The first style is the one I'm leaning toward is I wear it up, the second is the one I'll go with if I wear it down...

I just LOVE this..tuck a flower into the side and voila! This is my #1 choice for my wedding style so far.

I was thinking if I go with this one, I'll get some velcro seed pearls to have scattered through it..not too many, but enough to make it look kinda..I dunno, magical. lol You so seldom see black brides with their hair down....