Celebrate Raw Hair

Here is something for all of you who love your natural hair. I call it my Raw Hair series.

As an artist, naturally I needed some artsy way to express my views on the topic of natural vs. permed hair.

I have been thinking of doing a series like this for a while. I played around with different styles and mediums to see what would look best. I realized that I had to stop thinking about it and just make some pieces. After I create them and post them I think of new ways to get my message across. So look for different messages or the same message presented in different ways.

I made them so they can be put on note cards and worn as T shirts.

So far there are just a few on my site, www.ArtWanted.com/zebracorn
As I make more I will let you know.

Thoughts on Dead Dreads

This is my hair, as you can see. As you can also see, it is not attached to my head any more. It is the proverbial bag of hair that some people are accused of being as dumb as.

Perhaps I have stressed over too many woes. I do have a tendency lately, to sweat the small stuff. Perhaps I have not taken care of it properly. Perhaps it is the normal order of things: to lose a few dreads once in a while.

Whatever the reason, here they lay, waiting for my loctition to re-attach them.

I have often wondered what the conversation would be like if I sent some of my hair into a forensics lab to have it evaluated. What if I was at a crime and left some of my hair. Would they be able to determine my sex, age and race? Would they take one look and say, “Elementary, my dear Watson,” or would they be left scratching their heads? If I sent in an entire dread it would probably be a sure giveaway. But if I sent just a few unlocked hairs…. What if I sent in a permed hair, or if I dyed it and then sent it in. What then? Would they ever guess it was a dyed permed hair from an albino Black female?

These are the serious world matters I contemplate. I’m not going to lose any hair over it.

longer and longer

I knew this day would come: the day when I would complain about my locks getting into my food or being too hot on my neck or pulling when I sat back against a chair. I knew the day would come when I would sigh about how heavy it gets when I wash it or how long it takes to dry. I knew I would complain about having to pull it out of my collar when I put on a shirt, and constantly move it out of the way as it continues to get longer and heavier.

I knew I would roll my eyes at people wanting to take a picture or touching it or asking me if it is real and a million other questions.

I knew these days would come. And I made this choice anyway. Because I am loving every minute of it.

Keep your feet out of my hair

Truthfully, I thought only us napptural blonds fell victim to the hair touchers. And I thought only White folks had the nerve to reach out and put their fingers in our hair.

I was wrong. We are ALL victims of this.

Yesterday I found a blog called The Angry Black Woman. She has a store with T shirts that say, "Don't Touch My Hair". Now, I have heard this before but this brought it home one more time for me.

Not only do I get really stupid comments and questions about my hair and my person, the dummies feel they have the right to touch me. I tell them quickly and not so politely that they may draw back a nub. I don't actually say that, I may step back and say, "Excuse you".

Some people will ask. Then I am torn between my need to educate and my need to remain unmolested. If they look clean and I kind of like them I may give permission, but not often.

I am thinking that the longer it gets the more the temptation. I am almost paranoid when I am on the bus. But that will not make me cut it. I plan to grow it to my lower back if it has a will to do so.

So potential molesters beware. Keep your fingers, paws, mitts, feet out of my hair. Thanking you in advance.

Good busibness practices

I got the hair decorations I ordered the other day. I can finally stop tying my hair back with shoestrings. They look very nice on my hair. I like them.

At the risk of reprisal though, I need say something about customer service and marketing.

If you have a business don’t just think that if you put out a good product that the world will beat a path to your door. You MUST put out a good product AND practice good customer service.

After waiting three weeks for my items I emailed the company to check the status of my order. The email bounced back. When I tried to call the company a voice told me the phone was out of service. This put me in a panic. The money had been taken out of my account and I had nothing to show for it. I had waited three weeks and the site promised I would have my product within two weeks.

I called my bank and was in the process of canceling the order and getting a refund when someone gave me another number to call. I called, and called again and finally got through. I left a message and have yet to receive a courtesy call back.

When I finally got the package it looked as though my merchandise had been hastily shoved into an envelope and sent to me.

IMHO phone numbers and emails should always be kept current. It is easy to change a page on a site or do a redirect. It is not too expensive to buy those little white boxes with the cotton inside so that your product looks its best when it arrives. No one is saying you have to buy velvet covered boxes with engraved lettering, but it seems that the people who get the most business pay close attention to detail. Please send your customers a confirmation, a Thank You or something that tells them you acknowledge them and appreciate them. All I got in the envelope was an ad telling me to buy something else. I didn't get any sort of email.

These tiny things make a big difference in the way your customer feels about your company and your product. They are more likely to buy from you again and to tell their friends.

Proper sleepwear

A lot of people are led to think that once you get locked hair you don’t have to take care of it any more. People on TV and in the movies never wear any sleepwear on their heads. But they also “sleep” in full make up. That should tell you something.

Once I realized that not wearing any head gear at night dried out my hair, and damaged it I started looking around for ways to protect it. Don’t even bother going to your local everything store. Once your dreads or locks begin to grow and get fuller and thicker those plastic caps you used to buy will not fit any more.

I found it tedious and frustrating looking for products in my area suited to me. So I went online. Here is what I’ve found.

http://www.dreadsock.com/ There is a video on the site showing you how to put this on. It is a little tricky at first. I had to get used to my long thick locks. They don’t behave like the stringy perm I used to have.

The sometimes called lock sock (or loc soc) can now be found at several online places. I bought two socks and a shower cap from here: http://www.sistasplace.com/lbsoc.htm These are slipped over your head and tied. I don’t know the “proper” way to put these on, but I must pull them all the way down over my head, then pull them back up and tie them. It works for me.

Both of these products are made of soft breathable comfortable fabrics. Since I bought these products a couple of years ago I have seen more variety in color and style from these and other stores. I am loving this.

Resurrect that lost lock

For those of you who have been locked for a while you have probably lost a few locks. This happens because as the hair grows, moves and dies it tends to bunch up and become thicker in some places on the lock and thinner in others. Overall your hair will have an even appearance on your head but when you examine each lock close up you will notice this variation. As the lock thins down to a few strands they become unable to hold the lock and will break off.


I mourned my first lost lock. I kept it for a while, wondering what to do with it. Finally I tossed it. The next time I visited my consultant I told her about the loss. She told me not to throw them away; to keep them and bring them to her. She was able to weave the lock back in, onto another lock. I swear, these people are magic.

Know this: The hair at the end of your lock is no longer alive. It has broken off and died but because it has locked into the live hair it is being held into place. This is true of all locked hair.

So the next time or the first time you lose a lock, don’t have a funeral for it the way I did. Take it to your consultant and have it resurrected.