Braids for the playa

[stimpyonmybutt]

Does anyone have any suggestions on where to get my hair braided in the Bay Area for the playa?

[Savannah]

Hm.
http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=br ... 94117&ns=1

Oakland looks better . . .
http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=br ... oc=oakland

[polaroidbaby]

Hair Police is going to be in San Francisco doing extensions, braids and dreads from the 23-28th of August. They are awesome. Check them out here.
http://www.hairpolice.com/tour.htm
They have been traveling all over and doing fun hair for over 10 years.

[Sunny D]

I've been considering doing braids as well since last year my hair was a frizzy mess. I wonder how long they really last on the playa with the dust, wind, and showers.

[sovietidaho]

Sunny D - Mine did great last year, but I didn't shower. If your hair is braided, you probably won't want to shampoo it anyway, just rinse it out. You may even be grateful for the scalp oils in the dryness! Your mileage may vary, of course.

[gaminwench]

Put Tea Tree oil in a spray bottle with water, spray your scalp 2 or 3 times a day; yummm...

My braids last ~3 months.

[Clbcrely]

perfect！！！！

[Sunny D]

Oooo tea tree oil does sound lovely...

[Alexisaok]

Enjoy the fabulous fairie hair!!!

[Sunny D]

ha! so silly and cute. great ideas! this video led me to hair falls which also sounds like a great low maintenance option.

[Savannah]

I love the faerie hair. I actually did it for a club night in town, and while it was a little time-consuming (at least an hour) it was easy, and looked great. I used ribbons, trims, Mardi Gras beads and fake flowers.

[Sunny D]

Any pictures?

[skorpiyostyle]

i braided yarn into my friends hair last year on the playa. They were small braids, prob like 1/2-1/4 of an inch and it took about 2.5 hours. They held up for the whole week, but she said they were a pain to take out.

[Witch Baby]

Amma from African Hair Braiding on Taylor street in SF just did mine and they are awesome.

[danibel]

I don't have any leads on braiders but I have had my hair braided the last two years and I won't go out any other way. I have thick hair and my first year was big dry tangled un braided mess! I did think about forgoing braiding this year as I have a costume that would look better with pigtails but my overall comfort for the whole burn is more important and I made a "appointment" with my niece to have her corn row my head next Sunday.

Last year I had a pro do it and she added "hair" to the braids (cost was $75). I think it helped protect the ends a lot. It did take at least an hour to unbraid it, but that was OK as my sweetie just got in the shower first, and I sat over a trash can unbraiding and dropping all the extra hair in. I wonder what the maid thought when she emptied the trash...

[lizerbe07]

Hey!

I'm already planning for next year...How much do the braids damage your hair when you take them out? Thanks!

[Picky]

...How much do the braids damage your hair when you take them out? Thanks!

In my experience (have braided or locked for three burns as well as off-playa now and again), it's not the braids that do damage - it's my own impatience when taking them down. The playa gets in and can plaster your ends to the fiber. Use a ton of oil or conditioner, be sure to budget plenty of time to remove them, and comb before you wash. I usually budget as much time to remove as it took to braid. (For single braids, Poetic-Justice braids, and a full head of synthetic locks, this can mean 6+ hours, for example).

Braids are meant to be a protective style, to prevent the playa from drying out your natural hair. They can be heavy and pull on your scalp and hair, though, depending on how many braids you have and how much fiber you add. I've been braided too tightly before, and got tiny red bumps along my hairline that itched horrendously. They healed when I removed the braids. I concur with the others above about tea tree oil spray for itching, but keep an eye on your scalp - I've found it to be drying. Also, when you take them down, don't be alarmed at how much hair you lose. Hair that you would normally shed on a daily basis is trapped in the braids and you will lose it all at once. It will seem like a ton, and "OHMYGOD am I going bald?!" is always my first reaction. I have had edges that don't look great for a while, though, but not every year, so I think it kinda depends.

This year (in pic) I did had jumbo pre-twists installed using the crochet method, and I loved it so much. Did not have the same problem with my ends being matted into the fiber, my hair was neatly tucked up in cornrows, and the twists did not pull as much on my scalp. Also, my pre-twists were made from Toyokalon fiber, not Kanekalon (common braiding fiber), and I've heard (total speculation) that Toyokalon is lighter weight than Kanekalon. Anyone with more experience wanna weigh in on that one?

As for how to find a braider, I use Style Seat, which is good for a lot of different beauty services, not just braiding.

Hope some of this is helpful!

[Ratty]

Picky, Your hair was a 'show stopper' this year. I can only imagine that you spent the entire time letting people look, touch and ask questions. You looked like a living doll. It was a pleasure working with you at Census.


HEY! Has everyone filled out the online census? Hurry up. It won't be open forever.

[Picky]

Aw, thank ya, Ratty! I'm already planning next year's hair... I think it will involve cornrows + a faux-hawk + crochet twists + ombre hot pink. I can't wait.

[LuisaK]

I need to find a braider who can do messy/stylish box braids on white hair! I will be in Oakland/San Fran tomorrow or need contact for someone at the playa!

[cranberries]

I had my hair braided today by a very lovely woman from Ivory Coast , it took 4+ hours because my hair is already long and thick and my head feels about 3x heavier than usual. Last two years I have just worn 2 braids and left it at that, easy peasy, this is a HUGE change.

But! Now it's purple, and easy to care for, and I already feel like my transformation into a spritely playa creature has begun!

[LuisaK]

Thank you for responding! Ok where do you live, where did you gig and what kind of hair do you have? Can you post a photo in here for me please