Beweave it or not

I love long hair. Unfortunately my hair grows at the speed of an injured turtle. So when I feel like having long hair I get a weave. In the past, many (ahem) people have asked me how a weave works (after an unsolicited stroke of my hair). So today I'm providing a tutorial.

This is my hair when wet, in it's natural curly state.

This is my hair after being air-dried

This is my hair when straightened. I have been extremely lazy about hair care, hence it's bone dry, split ended, poofy appearance. This picture was taken yesterday on the way to the salon. I forgot that you're not supposed to smile in before pictures.

"Before"

This is a Dominican salon. I love Dominican salons because they're friendly, cheap and the stylists speak little English. No small talk necessary.

First, the hair is washed thoroughly.

Then, the stylist puts the hair into rollers and sits you under a hooded hair dryer for 45 minutes to an hour.  The heat is very relaxing.

Once the hair is dry, the stylist removes the rollers and combs out the hair. Then it's weave time. There are many techniques for applying a weave. I prefer the sew-in technique in which the stylist braids cornrows (known as tracks) into the hair, leaving some hair out between each track.

Not me

I only get the back half of my head braided and have my real hair out in front for a layered look. Once the tracks are all braided in, the stylist sews a hair extension onto each track using a needle and thread designed for hair weaving.

Sewn in extension

Sidenote: Hair quality is very important. Synthetic hair is cheap (and often looks it). Human hair looks better and costs more. In general, the more expensive the hair, the better it looks and longer it lasts. I once spent almost 200 dollars on a bag of hair. The hair was custom blended, washable and could be reused for years. But you can also get a good bag of hair for 40 bucks. You just have to keep buying a new bag every time you get your hair done.

Hair in packaging

Close up of root

When the extensions are all in, the stylist blows dries then straightens the whole head of hair.

And voila: 

"After" : It's unbeweavable how fast my hair grew

I'm loving the long hair. I feel more attractive, more confident and more motivated to lose some weight to complete the package. I even almost bought a mini-trampoline.

The whole weaving process takes about 2-3 hours and is pain-free (unless you consider boredom a form of pain). Proper upkeep involves wrapping the hair in a silk cap each night so that it doesn't get dried out on cotton pillows.

Sexy and stylish

It also requires washing your hair every week or so. Some (ahem) people are horrified when they discover that I don't wash my hair everyday. I've even gone a couple of months without washing (shh!). But the fact is, my hair is very fine and it gets brittle and dried out the minute it touches water. Home hair care products only add to the problem.  Even the ones that promise EXTREME MOISTURIZING SILK INFUSION TECHNOLOGY. So if my hair smells, it's time for a wash. If my scalp itches, it's time for a wash. If my roots look like they've been through a miniature snowstorm, it's time for a wash.

Before that, what's the point? According to the New York Times, I'm not alone. And if it's in the Times, it has to be true. Try it out, you might be surprised.

Well, that wraps up the weave tutorial.  Please consult this blog post before asking me (again) if the hair is sewn into my scalp (??).

And please, never touch my hair.