Do it yourself...

Lumley Beach, Freetown, Sierra Leone

This post is a dedication to all the hair DIYers out there and especially my two friends Banke and Blanka. No, they are neither twins nor sisters, they don’t even know each other. The only thing they have in common is the fact that they have the letters B, A, N, K in their names wait! Did I just spell Bank? Cool stuff! Like I was saying the only other things they have in common is that they just happened to be my housemates at different stages in my life in two different countries on two different continents. 

The other thing they have in common which still amazes me is the fact that they can both self weave or self install a sew in weave if you may yep these girls sit in front of a mirror with a comb, scissors, needle, thread and weave and proceed to sew the weave into their hairs with perfect precision. They even cornrow the hair themselves in readiness for sewing. The first time I asked Blanka who did her hair and she said she did it herself, I was like no way and she was like seriously I did it myself. So the next time she was due for a weave I made sure I was home to see it with “these my two very eyes” too bad I didn’t film it people don’t believe me when I tell them I have friends who self weave. Banke’s skills go extra this one can even weave by candle light. They can self braid with extensions too and also do other peoples hair. Lord knows they saved me a lot of money by doing my hair! The only self I can do is self relax and self trim as well, been self relaxing on and off for the last six years quite of an expert by now I must say:) oh and cornrows too without extensions but not neatly.

Some of these skills are quite necessary you may end up in Mongolia with no Afro hair dresser around or a hair dresser proficient in Afro hair. Speaking of Mongolia my other friend Easterlina lived and worked in Mongolia for 18months and had to chop her hair off at one point because there was no one who knew what to do with it good thing short hair suits her, happy to report that the hair has now grown back to its pre -Mongolian state.  Hats off to all the ladies who can self relax, self braid, self trim and an extra special shout out to those who can self weave that takes some skill right there. Blanka and Banke I hail una!