Hair Braiding ... girls please help! Reno?

[goldlilly]

Any woman who has visited the playa knows the painful effect of playa dryness....

I have very fine hair and in about 15 min. of being on the playa my hair statics and is amost impossible to brush or I will break it off... like I said, very fine, silky hair. After the past two burns I had to cut almost an inch off to compensat for all the damage. It takes me 6 months to grow out that much hair!

I must have my hair protected this year. Not to mention I have an array of fun costumes and doing any sort of styling or even simple pony-tails is virtually unmangable with playa hair....I've heard all the methods for leave in conditioner, and wigs and all that... But I am more interested in the braiding extentions you see out there. I want some funky colors briaded around my normal hair for those 10 days to protect my hair, add to my costumes, and make life as a woman on the playa a million times easier. My hair is the last thing I want to worry about out there...

I've done a lot of research and have found lots of women who do that in LA and Vegas areas, but I am in Reno. Another aspect...is this really going to cost me more than a $100? I am a college student, who can not afford that, especially for such a short term deal. Not to mention the finicial demands of the event itself.

Does anyone know a braider in Reno, or have any suggestions for me? I am open. I dont need a professional, I just want to make sure the braids stay in for 10 days and I dont pay a zillion dollars. I thought about contacting the beauty school but I dont know if those girls would understnad my style?

Please help. I am not used to putting this much effort into my hair, but I dont want to go through another year of playa hair.

[virgin]

i second that... please... anyone? anything?
i was thinking of maybe makeing a few larger braids, then wraping them in fabric. Maybe a hat for the top????

???

[AntiM]

Hats are good. Make sure they have a chin strap or you'll be doing the 100 meter dash.

[spectabillis]

... I had to cut almost an inch off to compensat for all the damage. It takes me 6 months to grow out that much hair!

is this the normal rate? i get about an inch a month.

[Lassen Forge]

I have wavy, fairly fragile (and dry) hair, but it grows at about 2 1/2 inches/month, so it (kinda) balances.

What I do... olive oil warm oil treatments the week before. Condition the heck out of it (2x a day) the last few days before leaving. Also I try to wash it and dump some conditioner in it while I'm there. This year I'm putting lemon juice in the hair wash water, and take some oil to replenish midway to see if that helps alleviate the "dusty squeaky syndrome" I always get.

Plus, the sun and heat don't help. Wear a hat (second on the chinstrap!!) a Kefiya, something to keep the sun off of it. DON'T braid it tightly as that can cause your hair to stretch, dry out, and break - loose braids seem to be better (at least for me).

bb

[winterE]

The Reno Beauty schools are actually not a bad idea! You can find some really cool chicks and guys there with funky style who could probably work something out for cheap! You would have to supply your own extensions but could probably find a cheap wig and cut it up OR use fabric?

[goldlilly]

actually, an inch every 6 months is very abnormal...I can't express how fine and silky my hair is. It grows very slow, and is incredibally fragile....Pain in the ass! But when its working with me I love it. :)

Anyone from Reno have any ideas?

Someone mentioned fabric...What kind of fabric would you think?