African Braiding Salon Part 3

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My mouth was agape and I seriously thought about bolting before I allowed the stylist to cornrow my sweet daughter’s hair. The stylist showed me a jar of hair grease (no other way to describe it) and assured me that it was VERY good for hair. I asked to see the jar and looked at the ingredients. First ingredient? Petroleum. Um, really? How about we use this African Pride Oil over here? She oils my daughter’s hair and then begins to part it. Fortunately (for my daughter and the stylist), the stylist was surprisingly gentle as she parted my daughter’s hair. It may have helped that I was hovering right there ensuring that my daughter had a pain-free experience. Next the corn rowing. My daughter sat in the barber chair and gazed at her emerging hairstyle. I was surprised at how calm she was the entire time. I don’t know about you, but when I was a little girl just about every cornrow used to hurt my tender head. I would flinch and wince almost every single time a new cornrow was created. Not my daughter, a real trooper. I was so grateful that the stylist redeemed herself. My daughter’s cornrows were stunning and I was relieved.

Still, I was not out of the woods yet. Now, time to confirm the final price. I’d been quoted $60 for small cornrows with beads, plus $10 for the wash. Well, unbeknownst to me, I was supposed to bring in my own beads. I made a mental note that both hair washes and beads are a la carte. I informed Marcy and the stylist (ironically, her name is Tina!) that I’d be paying $60. They sort of rolled their eyes at me and begrudgingly agreed. I gave Tina a $7 tip (I was being nice, very nice) plus my daughter’s gleaming face said she was excited about her new style. As I said my thank yous and goodbyes (not about to break bad, I had my daughter and I was WAY outnumbered! Just jokes, I’m not the fighting type but I have been known to strongly voice my displeasure. This time, I kept my mouth shut and walked on out), I knew I wouldn’t be going back to that salon. However, I will take my daughter back to a more professional African braiding salon. Now, the hunt to find one!