Author Topic: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?  (Read 17966 times)

EconDiva

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Ok so I've been thinking about this topic a lot lately and although I could obviously discuss this amongst my friends, I have come to the conclusion my friends are overspending in this category just as I am, and I don't get the feeling they will understand my sense of urgency in putting a halt to this nonsense.

I remember growing up spending 1-2 Saturdays in the salon getting my hair straightened.  Back then, in the mid 90s while in high school, my grandmother paid for this expensive at the tune of $50 a visit back then.  The trend continued through college until I went natural and cut my hair right out of college.  I spent a few years in braids (very expensive) and then a few years hardly paying for any hair care as I would twist my own hair. 

Now that my hair is longer, and I seriously no longer have the patience to spend time twisting it every weekend, I am at a loss.  My hair is always in a bun or it's straightened.  Always.  The bun is extremely boring.  The straightened hair is extremely expensive.  My stylist charges about $80 to straighten it (without a cut or trim).  As a result, this year I'm trying to do a challenge where I just don't go to get it done.  I started off by buying a new blow dryer and straightened my own hair 2 weeks ago.  I did ok but I've been working out a lot so that 3 hours is kinda in vain as its so hard to maintain. 

I am wondering what kind of styles I could try without having to go to the salon and pay a ton of money, and without having to look like I didn't put much effort into myself as I sometimes feel like when wearing the bun.  Are there other naturals (or even non-naturals) on the board that could offer their advice?  Have you also forgone the expensive salon visits since joining the MMM boards?

DebtFreeBy25

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2016, 01:14:21 PM »
How long is your hair right now? What kind of environment do you work in? (I'm asking how creative you're willing and able to get with your hair.)

I'm white with stereotypical white hair, but my baby sister has course extra curly hair (imagine a cross between Shirley Temple and a full 'fro) and I've been styling it all her life. I'm thinking easy braids like a fishtail may be a good alternative option for you.

EconDiva

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2016, 01:17:20 PM »
How long is your hair right now? What kind of environment do you work in? (I'm asking how creative you're willing and able to get with your hair.)

I'm white with stereotypical white hair, but my baby sister has course extra curly hair (imagine a cross between Shirley Temple and a full 'fro) and I've been styling it all her life. I'm thinking easy braids like a fishtail may be a good alternative option for you.

My hair is about 3 inches past my shoulders when fully straightened. 

EconDiva

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2016, 01:52:49 PM »
Have you ever tried it really short?  I think that look is really beautiful/elegant on many women.

I am white but have very thick, naturally curly hair.  I've tried to grow it out a couple of times, but the result is not good -- I end up with this Rosanne Rosanadana effect where it tents out to my shoulders and then can't get any longer because it tangles and breaks. I have defaulted to a very short cut as a result.  I don't do any styling -- just wash and let it dry naturally.  I get it trimmed every 2-3  months.

Only when I cut it off to go natural like 15 years ago.  And it did NOT look good on me but then again I had cut it myself so yeah, it was kinda a mess back then lol

So the 2 issues I have with wearing it short are (1)-doesn't fit my face (I have a big head), and (2); I would need to go to some type of stylist to maintain the cut.  With my hair at it's current length I do at least have the option of pulling it back and not going to the stylist for months on end if I choose not to.  Which is hence why my friends refer to any wearing of a bun as an EconDiva bun lol

How much do your trims cost?

neophyte

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2016, 02:31:42 PM »
One of my friends cuts her hair very short and has a couple of wigs she alternates between.  I think the initial investment might be high, but she styles them herself.  The good thing about styling a wig is you don't have to do it all in one sitting.

mozar

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #5 on: March 06, 2016, 03:52:14 PM »
Have you heard of the wash and go? It has 4 steps:
1. Deep conditioner
2. Co-wash
3. Leave in conditioner
4. Gel

People use a variety of products and there are a variety of methods. I've watched 100s of videos on youtube. I make all my own products which took extra research but you can use products that are commercially available. It takes me 30 min to put in the deep conditioner before I go to bed then I sleep with it. When I wake up it takes me 2.5 hours to co-wash, put in leave in conditioner, then gel. Yeah it's a pain to do every weekend but I got tired of shaving my head. I don't have to style my hair or touch it the whole week.
Here's an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWeekCA_5mI

Just search your hair type then wash and go. "4c wash and go" or whatever.

mozar

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #6 on: March 06, 2016, 04:00:06 PM »
I don't plan on cutting my hair for another year or so, but I am considering DEVA cut, which is for people with very curly hair. They cut your hair while it's dry, which makes more sense for curly people.

EconDiva

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #7 on: March 06, 2016, 04:10:37 PM »
Have you heard of the wash and go? It has 4 steps:
1. Deep conditioner
2. Co-wash
3. Leave in conditioner
4. Gel

People use a variety of products and there are a variety of methods. I've watched 100s of videos on youtube. I make all my own products which took extra research but you can use products that are commercially available. It takes me 30 min to put in the deep conditioner before I go to bed then I sleep with it. When I wake up it takes me 2.5 hours to co-wash, put in leave in conditioner, then gel. Yeah it's a pain to do every weekend but I got tired of shaving my head. I don't have to style my hair or touch it the whole week.
Here's an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWeekCA_5mI

Just search your hair type then wash and go. "4c wash and go" or whatever.

Gosh I haven't done a wash n go in sooooo long.  Yeah I would need to look back into even how to do it because back then I wasn't doing it right I'm sure.  I stopped doing them as my hair grew and because I felt like wearing a wash n go, my hair would tangle too easily once fully dry, and I would have to spend a ton of time detangling after having worn it out and letting it shrink up.

Maybe it would be worth trying this with warm weather on the horizon soon; I'd have to get that down closer to 2 hours or below for me though.  The major factor will be how to maintain it (if I need to braid it up at night or whatever, which I'm not sure of).  Can you tell I'm lazy with my hair? :/

I'm a red panda

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #8 on: March 06, 2016, 04:23:09 PM »
I don't plan on cutting my hair for another year or so, but I am considering DEVA cut, which is for people with very curly hair. They cut your hair while it's dry, which makes more sense for curly people.

I'm not AA but I liked the Deva cut I got. My hair is extremely curly and difficult to manage.  Sulfate free has really worked well.  That said, the Deva cut really wasn't any better than a well trained stylist for curly hair.   The biggest problem with the Deva cut is I had to come in with it styled the way I normally wear it, so they could see how it curls.  But when it is long, I never wear it down- so it was a huge hassle. It takes about 6 hours to fully dry, so it's only down on special occasions.  So I just went back to it being wet cut.

That said, the way I save on products (and cuts) is by putting my hair in a bun everyday. Upkeep would be a lot otherwise.

onlykelsey

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2016, 04:26:35 PM »
This isn't directly responsive to your question, but the only frugal solution a Nigerian friend of mine with ~4b hair could find was searching for wash and go products that worked for her and keeping her hair relatively short.  She tried for a while to find protective styles that didn't require lots of money and half of every weekend, but ultimately sort of gave up. Hopefully someone has a more optimistic answer!

DebtFreeBy25

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #10 on: March 06, 2016, 04:46:19 PM »
I don't plan on cutting my hair for another year or so, but I am considering DEVA cut, which is for people with very curly hair. They cut your hair while it's dry, which makes more sense for curly people.

I second going with a dry cut. The only decent hair cut my sister has ever gotten has been a dry cut. Less expensive stylists typically do not know how to cut curly hair when it's wet.

A pony tail extension may be an easy option for something different. Hair extensions are pretty cheap if you're not buying real human hair. I'm imagining the ponytail extension with your typical bun wrapped around the base.

EconDiva

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #11 on: March 06, 2016, 05:08:06 PM »
This isn't directly responsive to your question, but the only frugal solution a Nigerian friend of mine with ~4b hair could find was searching for wash and go products that worked for her and keeping her hair relatively short.  She tried for a while to find protective styles that didn't require lots of money and half of every weekend, but ultimately sort of gave up. Hopefully someone has a more optimistic answer!

There is another natural young female at my job with curly hair and she keeps hers in a cute asymmetrical cut and wears the wash and go daily so maybe everyone is on to something here....


BlueHouse

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #12 on: March 06, 2016, 05:17:42 PM »
I'm not AA, but part of my hair is super-wavy.  I use "African Pride" or Pink once or twice a year to straighten it myself.  A package costs about $8 at the supermarket and it's super-easy to do, although I acknowledge I don't have to get close to the roots, so I don't care about it growing out so much. 

Elliot

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #13 on: March 06, 2016, 05:32:26 PM »
My friend has 4-5 wigs she styles differently plus a ponytail fall. Keeps her hair closely cropped but long enough to "style" a bit if she doesn't want to wear a wig.

We enjoy the process of sewing them in or tightening them up (I do it for her/help her do it) a couple times a month for the girl talk time, but I think wearing a wig is not for everyone, and they make me crazy when I've tried them on.

She's done relaxers and braids and weaves, etc, but this seems to be the cheapest and to eat the least time. At least putting a wig in at home she can have a casserole in the oven or something so the time isn't 100% hair.

Letj

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #14 on: March 06, 2016, 05:39:38 PM »
Ok so I've been thinking about this topic a lot lately and although I could obviously discuss this amongst my friends, I have come to the conclusion my friends are overspending in this category just as I am, and I don't get the feeling they will understand my sense of urgency in putting a halt to this nonsense.

I remember growing up spending 1-2 Saturdays in the salon getting my hair straightened.  Back then, in the mid 90s while in high school, my grandmother paid for this expensive at the tune of $50 a visit back then.  The trend continued through college until I went natural and cut my hair right out of college.  I spent a few years in braids (very expensive) and then a few years hardly paying for any hair care as I would twist my own hair. 

Now that my hair is longer, and I seriously no longer have the patience to spend time twisting it every weekend, I am at a loss.  My hair is always in a bun or it's straightened.  Always.  The bun is extremely boring.  The straightened hair is extremely expensive.  My stylist charges about $80 to straighten it (without a cut or trim).  As a result, this year I'm trying to do a challenge where I just don't go to get it done.  I started off by buying a new blow dryer and straightened my own hair 2 weeks ago.  I did ok but I've been working out a lot so that 3 hours is kinda in vain as its so hard to maintain. 

I am wondering what kind of styles I could try without having to go to the salon and pay a ton of money, and without having to look like I didn't put much effort into myself as I sometimes feel like when wearing the bun.  Are there other naturals (or even non-naturals) on the board that could offer their advice?  Have you also forgone the expensive salon visits since joining the MMM boards?

So here is what I did that I love love love and it's economical to boot. I bought the Chi Enviro Keratin treatment (completely formaldehyde free), watched a youtube video on how to apply with a friend and have her apply for me twice a year. I bought it off Ebay for $75. The Keratin is not a perm since it will revert back to the natural or near natural state when washed and straighten out again when blow dried and flat ironed. It sounds like your hair is perfectly suited for something like that. It works amazingly well for me because I minimize the washing (African America hair don't need a lot of washing especially if  you don't sweat in your hair which I don't).  I wear it straight in the winter and the summer time I wash and go after applying diva curls and style with fingers only. The nice thing is that the Keratin loosens the curls so your hair remains very tamed.

EconDiva

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #15 on: March 06, 2016, 05:42:06 PM »
Ok so I've been thinking about this topic a lot lately and although I could obviously discuss this amongst my friends, I have come to the conclusion my friends are overspending in this category just as I am, and I don't get the feeling they will understand my sense of urgency in putting a halt to this nonsense.

I remember growing up spending 1-2 Saturdays in the salon getting my hair straightened.  Back then, in the mid 90s while in high school, my grandmother paid for this expensive at the tune of $50 a visit back then.  The trend continued through college until I went natural and cut my hair right out of college.  I spent a few years in braids (very expensive) and then a few years hardly paying for any hair care as I would twist my own hair. 

Now that my hair is longer, and I seriously no longer have the patience to spend time twisting it every weekend, I am at a loss.  My hair is always in a bun or it's straightened.  Always.  The bun is extremely boring.  The straightened hair is extremely expensive.  My stylist charges about $80 to straighten it (without a cut or trim).  As a result, this year I'm trying to do a challenge where I just don't go to get it done.  I started off by buying a new blow dryer and straightened my own hair 2 weeks ago.  I did ok but I've been working out a lot so that 3 hours is kinda in vain as its so hard to maintain. 

I am wondering what kind of styles I could try without having to go to the salon and pay a ton of money, and without having to look like I didn't put much effort into myself as I sometimes feel like when wearing the bun.  Are there other naturals (or even non-naturals) on the board that could offer their advice?  Have you also forgone the expensive salon visits since joining the MMM boards?

So here is what I did that I love love love and it's economical to boot. I bought the Chi Enviro Keratin treatment (completely formaldehyde free), watched a youtube video on how to apply with a friend and have her apply for me twice a year. I bought it off Ebay for $75. The Keratin is not a perm since it will revert back to the natural or near natural state when washed and straighten out again when blow dried and flat ironed. It sounds like your hair is perfectly suited for something like that. It works amazingly well for me because I minimize the washing (African America hair don't need a lot of washing especially if  you don't sweat in your hair which I don't).  I wear it straight in the winter and the summer time I wash and go after applying diva curls and style with fingers only. The nice thing is that the Keratin loosens the curls so your hair remains very tamed.

How long have you been doing this?  Does your hair really revert back 100% to it's natural texture?  What is your hair texture type?

Jacana

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #16 on: March 06, 2016, 05:49:41 PM »
I have a friend who went the wig route too. She started out with one, and added a few over the years. It is always so beautiful and trendy and she gets lots of compliments on it because it is impossible to tell it's not her own hair straightened and styled. She keeps her hair short and wears a trendy scarf or other head covering while swimming or when she doesn't feel like wearing it. She tells me it was significantly cheaper than trying to keep her hair manageable with braids or styling (I can only imagine the cost; she's Nigerian and I'm mostly Irish so very different hair obviously). I don't know how expensive the wigs are or how difficult to maintain, but I can say she looks stunning in them.

mozar

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #17 on: March 06, 2016, 06:33:37 PM »
Quote
(if I need to braid it up at night or whatever, which I'm not sure of)

I do the "pineapple."

Letj

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #18 on: March 06, 2016, 06:39:47 PM »
Ok so I've been thinking about this topic a lot lately and although I could obviously discuss this amongst my friends, I have come to the conclusion my friends are overspending in this category just as I am, and I don't get the feeling they will understand my sense of urgency in putting a halt to this nonsense.

I remember growing up spending 1-2 Saturdays in the salon getting my hair straightened.  Back then, in the mid 90s while in high school, my grandmother paid for this expensive at the tune of $50 a visit back then.  The trend continued through college until I went natural and cut my hair right out of college.  I spent a few years in braids (very expensive) and then a few years hardly paying for any hair care as I would twist my own hair. 

Now that my hair is longer, and I seriously no longer have the patience to spend time twisting it every weekend, I am at a loss.  My hair is always in a bun or it's straightened.  Always.  The bun is extremely boring.  The straightened hair is extremely expensive.  My stylist charges about $80 to straighten it (without a cut or trim).  As a result, this year I'm trying to do a challenge where I just don't go to get it done.  I started off by buying a new blow dryer and straightened my own hair 2 weeks ago.  I did ok but I've been working out a lot so that 3 hours is kinda in vain as its so hard to maintain. 

I am wondering what kind of styles I could try without having to go to the salon and pay a ton of money, and without having to look like I didn't put much effort into myself as I sometimes feel like when wearing the bun.  Are there other naturals (or even non-naturals) on the board that could offer their advice?  Have you also forgone the expensive salon visits since joining the MMM boards?

So here is what I did that I love love love and it's economical to boot. I bought the Chi Enviro Keratin treatment (completely formaldehyde free), watched a youtube video on how to apply with a friend and have her apply for me twice a year. I bought it off Ebay for $75. The Keratin is not a perm since it will revert back to the natural or near natural state when washed and straighten out again when blow dried and flat ironed. It sounds like your hair is perfectly suited for something like that. It works amazingly well for me because I minimize the washing (African America hair don't need a lot of washing especially if  you don't sweat in your hair which I don't).  I wear it straight in the winter and the summer time I wash and go after applying diva curls and style with fingers only. The nice thing is that the Keratin loosens the curls so your hair remains very tamed.

How long have you been doing this?  Does your hair really revert back 100% to it's natural texture?  What is your hair texture type?

I think it might be 3C and no it does not revert to its natural texture fully since it's more manageable with a Keratin. However, after sufficient washing the Keratin wears out.

pbkmaine

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #19 on: March 06, 2016, 06:57:16 PM »
My hair is type 2C. I really recommend a Deva Cut. When I lived near NYC, I went to the Devachan salon and it is wonderful how well they understand every kind of curly hair.

serpentstooth

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #20 on: March 06, 2016, 07:13:12 PM »
My friend has 4-5 wigs she styles differently plus a ponytail fall. Keeps her hair closely cropped but long enough to "style" a bit if she doesn't want to wear a wig.

We enjoy the process of sewing them in or tightening them up (I do it for her/help her do it) a couple times a month for the girl talk time, but I think wearing a wig is not for everyone, and they make me crazy when I've tried them on.

She's done relaxers and braids and weaves, etc, but this seems to be the cheapest and to eat the least time. At least putting a wig in at home she can have a casserole in the oven or something so the time isn't 100% hair.

There are basically two groups that wear wigs regularly: black ladies and Orthodox Jewish ladies. An OJ friend of mine figured out what factory in Asia is making all the wigs on the OJ market and started ordering direct, and it's running her $250ish for a Chinese hair wig from there instead of $1000+ from a vendor serving her market. If you're interested in human hair wigs, PM me and I'll get the info from her. IIRC, the factory had Indian, Chinese and European hair available.

LouLou

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #21 on: March 06, 2016, 07:59:38 PM »
I spend very little on my hair.  I am African American woman with fine, coily hair (maybe 4b or 4c? I don't think this system is informative so I don't know which category I'm in).

I am a lawyer, at a predominately white firm of about 150 lawyers.  90% of the time I wear a "megapuff" - basically a wash and go tied on top of my head.  I leave it in for about four days - any longer and the serious tangles start.  I tie a satin scarf when I sleep so I don't have to restyle.  Hardly any tangles compared to a loose wash and go.

My system - I dampen my dirty hair with a spray bottle, coat in coconut oil, and put on a shower cap for 20 minutes.  The tangles fall apart in my fingers that way.  I follow through with a wide tooth comb. Then I shampoo, condition, coat it in leave in conditioner and gel, and tie my hair on top of my head with marley hair as my hair tie. 

My shampoo and conditioner are from Trader Joes or Costco - very inexpensive.  The leave in and the gel are the "As I Am" brand.  It all lasts a very long time. I pay someone to trim it every blue moon.

I coax it down to bun when I have court.  Every once in a while I will do a twist out.

olivia

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #22 on: March 06, 2016, 08:41:19 PM »
A good friend of mine is AA with natural hair and she's a big fan of a blogger called Beauty by Lee.  This is one of her videos on how she does a wash and go, including which products she uses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJoTtqLTVyA

She has multiple videos with different wash and go styles. She's also an INCREDIBLE make up artist, so if you like makeup I bet you'll be a fan of that too. I'm terrible at makeup so I don't even try!

OvertheRainbow

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #23 on: March 06, 2016, 10:23:08 PM »
Not much. I buy a 7-8 dollar relaxer and have my mom do it from home. Relaxers are every two to three months. Argan oil lasts just as long for a decent price.

shelivesthedream

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #24 on: March 07, 2016, 01:13:20 AM »
I (white woman with cropped hair) have kind of an odd question. I don't really know how to phrase it but...

I see tons of black hair salons in London advertising all sorts of treatments, and big black wig shops with every style of fake hair imaginable. Most of the black women I have seen have done something to their hair, like straightening or braiding. Why do they do this? Why don't more black women have natural hair? I get that a massive Afro might be a bit too much to deal with, but I think chin to ear length black hair looks great. Also, is it the same in predominantly black countries, like African countries? Or is it a thing that has evolved in the West to make black hair look less, well, black?

browneyedgirl

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #25 on: March 07, 2016, 05:59:18 AM »
I (white woman with cropped hair) have kind of an odd question. I don't really know how to phrase it but...

I see tons of black hair salons in London advertising all sorts of treatments, and big black wig shops with every style of fake hair imaginable. Most of the black women I have seen have done something to their hair, like straightening or braiding. Why do they do this? Why don't more black women have natural hair? I get that a massive Afro might be a bit too much to deal with, but I think chin to ear length black hair looks great. Also, is it the same in predominantly black countries, like African countries? Or is it a thing that has evolved in the West to make black hair look less, well, black?

There are many articles on this topic, and I'm sure that someone else can answer better than I (another white woman) can, but you should really check out the movie Good Hair. It's a documentary by Chris Rock and it spends an hour and a half answering your questions. It really is must watch.

LouLou

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #26 on: March 07, 2016, 06:17:42 AM »
I (white woman with cropped hair) have kind of an odd question. I don't really know how to phrase it but...

I see tons of black hair salons in London advertising all sorts of treatments, and big black wig shops with every style of fake hair imaginable. Most of the black women I have seen have done something to their hair, like straightening or braiding. Why do they do this? Why don't more black women have natural hair? I get that a massive Afro might be a bit too much to deal with, but I think chin to ear length black hair looks great. Also, is it the same in predominantly black countries, like African countries? Or is it a thing that has evolved in the West to make black hair look less, well, black?

There are many articles on this topic, and I'm sure that someone else can answer better than I (another white woman) can, but you should really check out the movie Good Hair. It's a documentary by Chris Rock and it spends an hour and a half answering your questions. It really is must watch.

Good Hair is a good place to start.  But the short answer is to your bolded question is yes.  Black kids get kicked out of private schools for wearing natural hair.  Black people get fired from jobs for it.  Much us this discriminatory attitude has been internalized by Black people themselves, especially older people.  When I stopped flat ironing my hair, people kept telling me I need to "do" something.  Your hair should be "done" in some way, as if the way we are made is inherently disgusting or inferiority.  So sad.  There are black women who don't even know the actual texture of their own hair, because it has been chemically straightened for so long.

Here's an article detailing several news articles about Black fired for not straightening their hair, including a woman discharged from the Navy because of brief guidelines that basically prohibited Black women from having many practical natural hair styles:  http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2015/09/women-fired-for-their-hairstyles/

There is a big natural hair movement that's making big progress though!  Things have changed, even since Good Hair came out.  It would be unthinkable for someone in my position to wear natural hair to work even 10 years ago.  Now, out of the few black women at my law firm, most of us have natural hair.

chubbybunny

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #27 on: March 07, 2016, 07:00:12 AM »
My daughter is AA and has 4c hair, and I seriously struggle with the best thing to do for her.  My first goal is to NEVER have it chemically straightened.  I have had many black women tell me it will be so much easier, but I just can't bring myself to do it.  I spent a ton on hair products when I first adopted her, but I'm learning that some of the suave conditioners are actually pretty good!  Can't go wrong with kinky curly for a detangler, though.  I'll keep that one.

I can do two-stranded twists that will last about 2 weeks, takes me about 20 minutes complete.  I'll do braids on occasion, or fancy yarn braids to lengthen her hair.  They lasts 4-6 weeks but it's such a pain to remove!  Hate it!  She is in gymnastics, so we can't really leave her hair out.  She also tangles so quickly that anything outside a protected style can only last one day anyway.  I've broken down when I wasn't feeling motivated and spent $$$ getting someone else to do her braids.  It takes just as much time to remove, and I usually regret spending the money afterward. 

Cutting her hair short at her age is NOT an option, so I would love to find something else to do.  I've thought about getting her hair locked (something in between sisterlocks and Whoopi Goldberg) and then learning to maintain them myself, but as other people have stated, there is some judgement that goes along with that hair style. As a Northern European woman I don't feel confident enough in the politics to "make a statement" with my daughter's hair.

vivophoenix

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #28 on: March 07, 2016, 07:13:05 AM »
I am a 4c who has been natural for about four years now.

I alternate between being straightened and wearing a high puff, or two strand twists and twist outs. but i think i am mosltly like Loulou. a high puff that i wet before hand.

I very rarely  pay to have my hair done cause it cost too must and often isnt how i like it.

i use tres esseme naturals conditioner for my no poo wash. I usually wet my hair every day, I do not wash every do. but i will wet it or conditioner wash it.

and i alternate between coconut oil and olive oil.

that means i spent about $10 a month on my hair.

invest in a good heat protect ant if you want to flat iron.
you do not need an expensive flat iron if you want to straighten your hair.

i will be honest i have had about three set backs. they were all related to heat and the fact that i wasn't using a good heat protect ant. i gave up heat for about three months and achieved great length.

I have learned it is ALLLL about technique. i watched alot of videos.
if i want to straiten my hair i have learned to do it myself.

you should look into:
bantu knots
learning to wet set your own hair for a roller wrap.
i cant recall the brand but there are also these spiral curlers that are easy to install your self and give amazing no heat spiral curls. ( i owe the cheap amazon brand of the expensive ones)

if you are working out a lot you should look into keeping a very high tight pony with a head band to catch sweat. but if i were you i'd just learn more curly styles. learn a wash n go maybe or do twists

if you want to be straight all the time i would look into a relaxer. please do not take the keratin advice someone gave. it does not wear off, and it is very heat damaging. Longhaircareforum is a great forum.
« Last Edit: March 07, 2016, 07:16:51 AM by vivophoenix »

vivophoenix

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #29 on: March 07, 2016, 07:20:07 AM »
My daughter is AA and has 4c hair, and I seriously struggle with the best thing to do for her.  My first goal is to NEVER have it chemically straightened.  I have had many black women tell me it will be so much easier, but I just can't bring myself to do it.  I spent a ton on hair products when I first adopted her, but I'm learning that some of the suave conditioners are actually pretty good!  Can't go wrong with kinky curly for a detangler, though.  I'll keep that one.

I can do two-stranded twists that will last about 2 weeks, takes me about 20 minutes complete.  I'll do braids on occasion, or fancy yarn braids to lengthen her hair.  They lasts 4-6 weeks but it's such a pain to remove!  Hate it!  She is in gymnastics, so we can't really leave her hair out.  She also tangles so quickly that anything outside a protected style can only last one day anyway.  I've broken down when I wasn't feeling motivated and spent $$$ getting someone else to do her braids.  It takes just as much time to remove, and I usually regret spending the money afterward. 

Cutting her hair short at her age is NOT an option, so I would love to find something else to do.  I've thought about getting her hair locked (something in between sisterlocks and Whoopi Goldberg) and then learning to maintain them myself, but as other people have stated, there is some judgement that goes along with that hair style. As a Northern European woman I don't feel confident enough in the politics to "make a statement" with my daughter's hair.

how old is your daughter?

she maybe should be taking on some of the responsibility of doing her own hair depending on her age.

I am sorry but what you are describing is normal hair care for natural women. there arent really any short cuts. look into a pony puff or a high puff. it is super easy, shows and shows length. you should be able to pull her hair back in like three mini pony tails at night and sleep in a scarf to stop tangles in the day time she can wear it out. and just repeat that. this is something she should be able to do on her own. :)

onehair

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #30 on: March 07, 2016, 07:25:22 AM »
I used to spend $125 at the hairdressers every 2 or 3 months.  Maybe $100-175 for braids when I wanted extensions.  I used to spend maybe $40-80 for hair products when I had no idea what to buy for my hair needs.  I know my hair is coily but am not sure of the number.  I went natural in 2014.  I still go to the natural hairdressers on occasion mostly for permanent color.  A coworker does my hair for an extremely good discount as long as I bring the supplies.

Now I spend maybe $60 every 6 months for shampoo,conditioner and moisturizer.  I even cut that by asking for hair products recommended by the professional hairdresser for Christmas lol. 

LouLou

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #31 on: March 07, 2016, 07:27:44 AM »
My daughter is AA and has 4c hair, and I seriously struggle with the best thing to do for her.  My first goal is to NEVER have it chemically straightened.  I have had many black women tell me it will be so much easier, but I just can't bring myself to do it.  I spent a ton on hair products when I first adopted her, but I'm learning that some of the suave conditioners are actually pretty good!  Can't go wrong with kinky curly for a detangler, though.  I'll keep that one.

I can do two-stranded twists that will last about 2 weeks, takes me about 20 minutes complete.  I'll do braids on occasion, or fancy yarn braids to lengthen her hair.  They lasts 4-6 weeks but it's such a pain to remove!  Hate it!  She is in gymnastics, so we can't really leave her hair out.  She also tangles so quickly that anything outside a protected style can only last one day anyway.  I've broken down when I wasn't feeling motivated and spent $$$ getting someone else to do her braids.  It takes just as much time to remove, and I usually regret spending the money afterward. 

Cutting her hair short at her age is NOT an option, so I would love to find something else to do.  I've thought about getting her hair locked (something in between sisterlocks and Whoopi Goldberg) and then learning to maintain them myself, but as other people have stated, there is some judgement that goes along with that hair style. As a Northern European woman I don't feel confident enough in the politics to "make a statement" with my daughter's hair.

Stay in there!  I have never ever had my hair chemically straightened, even though I wore it straight most of my life.  Look at http://www.curlynikki.com/ for tips on your daughter's hair.  The blog writer has a young daughter.  She stretches her daughter's hair with curlformers once a month.  Here's an old blog post about it: http://www.curlynikki.com/2013/10/on-her-lalaloopsy-gias-curlformer.html  She discusses it more than once though.

I think I will do the same with my daughter.

I am so done with braids and twists.  I just don't have the energy to take them down!

vivophoenix

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #32 on: March 07, 2016, 07:29:04 AM »
My daughter is AA and has 4c hair, and I seriously struggle with the best thing to do for her.  My first goal is to NEVER have it chemically straightened.  I have had many black women tell me it will be so much easier, but I just can't bring myself to do it.  I spent a ton on hair products when I first adopted her, but I'm learning that some of the suave conditioners are actually pretty good!  Can't go wrong with kinky curly for a detangler, though.  I'll keep that one.

I can do two-stranded twists that will last about 2 weeks, takes me about 20 minutes complete.  I'll do braids on occasion, or fancy yarn braids to lengthen her hair.  They lasts 4-6 weeks but it's such a pain to remove!  Hate it!  She is in gymnastics, so we can't really leave her hair out.  She also tangles so quickly that anything outside a protected style can only last one day anyway.  I've broken down when I wasn't feeling motivated and spent $$$ getting someone else to do her braids.  It takes just as much time to remove, and I usually regret spending the money afterward. 

Cutting her hair short at her age is NOT an option, so I would love to find something else to do.  I've thought about getting her hair locked (something in between sisterlocks and Whoopi Goldberg) and then learning to maintain them myself, but as other people have stated, there is some judgement that goes along with that hair style. As a Northern European woman I don't feel confident enough in the politics to "make a statement" with my daughter's hair.

Stay in there!  I have never ever had my hair chemically straightened, even though I wore it straight most of my life.  Look at http://www.curlynikki.com/ for tips on your daughter's hair.  The blog writer has a young daughter.  She stretches her daughter's hair with curlformers once a month.  Here's an old blog post about it: http://www.curlynikki.com/2013/10/on-her-lalaloopsy-gias-curlformer.html  She discusses it more than once though.

I think I will do the same with my daughter.

I am so done with braids and twists.  I just don't have the energy to take them down!

curlformers are great! i own the knock offs

Slow&Steady

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #33 on: March 07, 2016, 07:38:36 AM »
I have a friend that blogs under Bury Me In Red Lipstick that is AA and loves using scarfs.  I do not think the scarfs are cheap and I am not sure if you could get away with them at work but you might check out her blog.

chubbybunny

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #34 on: March 07, 2016, 08:31:32 AM »
Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm going to try bantu knots this week, and am researching curlformer now.  I am often disappointed by what I see in videos and the results we get in real life.  I just found this video, and this is exactly what my daughter's hair looks like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evdRQc8TFbo

vivophoenix

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #35 on: March 07, 2016, 09:46:29 AM »
Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm going to try bantu knots this week, and am researching curlformer now.  I am often disappointed by what I see in videos and the results we get in real life.  I just found this video, and this is exactly what my daughter's hair looks like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evdRQc8TFbo




I have this texture of hair exactly. use them on wet hair.

try flexirods as well

EconDiva

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #36 on: March 07, 2016, 09:56:06 AM »
I (white woman with cropped hair) have kind of an odd question. I don't really know how to phrase it but...

I see tons of black hair salons in London advertising all sorts of treatments, and big black wig shops with every style of fake hair imaginable. Most of the black women I have seen have done something to their hair, like straightening or braiding. Why do they do this? Why don't more black women have natural hair? I get that a massive Afro might be a bit too much to deal with, but I think chin to ear length black hair looks great. Also, is it the same in predominantly black countries, like African countries? Or is it a thing that has evolved in the West to make black hair look less, well, black?

There are many articles on this topic, and I'm sure that someone else can answer better than I (another white woman) can, but you should really check out the movie Good Hair. It's a documentary by Chris Rock and it spends an hour and a half answering your questions. It really is must watch.

Good Hair is a good place to start.  But the short answer is to your bolded question is yes.  Black kids get kicked out of private schools for wearing natural hair.  Black people get fired from jobs for it.  Much us this discriminatory attitude has been internalized by Black people themselves, especially older people.  When I stopped flat ironing my hair, people kept telling me I need to "do" something.  Your hair should be "done" in some way, as if the way we are made is inherently disgusting or inferiority.  So sad.  There are black women who don't even know the actual texture of their own hair, because it has been chemically straightened for so long.

Here's an article detailing several news articles about Black fired for not straightening their hair, including a woman discharged from the Navy because of brief guidelines that basically prohibited Black women from having many practical natural hair styles:  http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2015/09/women-fired-for-their-hairstyles/

There is a big natural hair movement that's making big progress though!  Things have changed, even since Good Hair came out.  It would be unthinkable for someone in my position to wear natural hair to work even 10 years ago.  Now, out of the few black women at my law firm, most of us have natural hair.

I agree with this.

The black hair care industry is making a ton of money.  From stylists to products.  But now that I'm older and trying to be more frugal, I vowed I would stop spending so much money on hair.  Particularly salon visits to get it straightened because it is so costly.

Now do understand that there is the process of chemically straightening with a relaxer, like one of the other posters mentioned, and then there is the process of "temporarily" straightening natural hair (with a flat iron).  When I was getting relaxers I always went to the salon because, well that's just how I was raised.  I didn't have family that was comfortable applying relaxers to my hair themselves and generally speaking, I never was either.  But for those that do relax, the cheaper alternative would be to do this as one of the other posters mentioned she does.

I am natural, but I like variety so sometimes I like to wear it straight so even though I'm not relaxed, if I want it temporarily straightened (meaning the use of a blow dryer and flat iron), I "usually" go to the salon.  Runs about $80 just for that.  Too expensive considering rain/heat/humidity/fog/sweating from the gym can take it from straight to kinky very quickly, especially since my hair has not been chemically straightened.  Again, making it too costly.  Part of the reason why I am investing in a few better tools (blow dryer, steamer, etc.) so I can start straightening it myself from time to time.

But alas, I still tire of the bun (boring) and the straightened look (only lasts a few days and have to keep putting heat on it) so I am looking for more permanent, stylish, low cost alternatives.

Elliot

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #37 on: March 07, 2016, 06:17:36 PM »
I have a friend that blogs under Bury Me In Red Lipstick that is AA and loves using scarfs.  I do not think the scarfs are cheap and I am not sure if you could get away with them at work but you might check out her blog.

The silk scarves are rather inexpensive at TJ Maxx.

EconDiva

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #38 on: March 07, 2016, 07:58:09 PM »
Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm going to try bantu knots this week, and am researching curlformer now.  I am often disappointed by what I see in videos and the results we get in real life.  I just found this video, and this is exactly what my daughter's hair looks like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evdRQc8TFbo

The bantu knot outs were a good suggestion; I forgot how easy these are to do.  I am going to try this style out this weekend.

Good option for someone like me that isn't talented in the styling department!

maco

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #39 on: March 07, 2016, 08:17:59 PM »
Yet Another White Lady here

I just wanted to suggest that the Long Hair Community might have some good resources, or at least a decently large number of Black women whose brains you could pick about natural hair care.

Also, I have a friend who wears her hair in two braids, one under each ear. She wraps them in different colors of ribbon to change up the look. Her braids are about shoulder length, and I think she's a 4C. I know she uses plenty of shea butter in styling it, and I gave her my leftover shea butter shampoo bars (yeah, shea butter's a little heavy for white girl hair...). Anyway, there's an idea for a style other than a bun that shouldn't take too long to do.

onehair

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #40 on: March 08, 2016, 08:06:15 AM »
I buy my head scarves at AC Moore they usually offer 3 for $10 or $2 for 10 specials sometimes even cheaper than that.    I also have gotten them from art stores 100% silk with the added bonus one can paint on them with the right paints if desired...

mozar

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #41 on: March 08, 2016, 04:13:28 PM »
There's also something called the maximum hydration method,  but it takes even more time.

Letj

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #42 on: March 08, 2016, 07:00:32 PM »
I (white woman with cropped hair) have kind of an odd question. I don't really know how to phrase it but...

I see tons of black hair salons in London advertising all sorts of treatments, and big black wig shops with every style of fake hair imaginable. Most of the black women I have seen have done something to their hair, like straightening or braiding. Why do they do this? Why don't more black women have natural hair? I get that a massive Afro might be a bit too much to deal with, but I think chin to ear length black hair looks great. Also, is it the same in predominantly black countries, like African countries? Or is it a thing that has evolved in the West to make black hair look less, well, black?

There are many articles on this topic, and I'm sure that someone else can answer better than I (another white woman) can, but you should really check out the movie Good Hair. It's a documentary by Chris Rock and it spends an hour and a half answering your questions. It really is must watch.

Good Hair is a good place to start.  But the short answer is to your bolded question is yes.  Black kids get kicked out of private schools for wearing natural hair.  Black people get fired from jobs for it.  Much us this discriminatory attitude has been internalized by Black people themselves, especially older people.  When I stopped flat ironing my hair, people kept telling me I need to "do" something.  Your hair should be "done" in some way, as if the way we are made is inherently disgusting or inferiority.  So sad.  There are black women who don't even know the actual texture of their own hair, because it has been chemically straightened for so long.

Here's an article detailing several news articles about Black fired for not straightening their hair, including a woman discharged from the Navy because of brief guidelines that basically prohibited Black women from having many practical natural hair styles:  http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2015/09/women-fired-for-their-hairstyles/

There is a big natural hair movement that's making big progress though!  Things have changed, even since Good Hair came out.  It would be unthinkable for someone in my position to wear natural hair to work even 10 years ago.  Now, out of the few black women at my law firm, most of us have natural hair.

The big reason is the legacy of slavery and colonialism where black people learned to dislike themselves.  Just about every black child aspires to have silky long hair and light skin, particularly in poorer developing countries with low education levels and it doesn't help that the image of beauty is a slender white female with long hair. That's true even here in the US with all its diversity. Therefore black women see the natural kinky hair as being ungroomed and unbecoming. With that said it is extremely difficult to manage black hair and the kinkier the harder it is. It is pure to true for children when you try to put a comb through it.

Letj

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #43 on: March 08, 2016, 07:28:46 PM »
I am speaking from personal experience using the chi enviro smoothing treatment/keratin. My two daughters and I have been using it for years. It does wash out but I don't wash my hair frequent enough for it to wash out completely before I get another treatment. However, every time I wash it gets closer to natural. It also tolerates heat much much better than a relaxer. The hair looks healthy and silky like a good flat iron on natural hair. You can definitely see a healthy difference between the chi enviro treatment and a relaxer.

mozar

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #44 on: March 08, 2016, 08:07:54 PM »
Quote
It also tolerates heat much much better than a relaxer.

It's basically a flat iron extender right? How often do you flat iron your hair?

trailperson

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #45 on: March 08, 2016, 08:35:38 PM »
I'm about a 3c and I've been natural since high school although I was going to the salon every two weeks for a long time for a press or twists. I don't spend much on my hair anymore. I do a lot of wash and gos. I conditioner wash with Suave Naturals because it is super cheap (like less than $2 a bottle) and my hair takes a lot of product, then use the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie as a leave-in and Kinky Curly Curling Custard on top of that. Shea Moisture and Kinky Curly are more expensive but I stock up during sales at Walgreens and Target. Lately I've been a fan of protective styles like twists and large braids (I do them myself) because I'm lazy and I can leave them in for awhile and then have a twist-out or braid-out later on. I haven't been to a salon in about three years, I'm due for a trim.

Also I occasionally check out Naptural85 on youtube for hairstyle ideas.
« Last Edit: March 08, 2016, 08:41:05 PM by trailperson »

redbirdfan

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #46 on: March 08, 2016, 11:25:01 PM »
I gave up on salons, etc. a while ago for financial and practical reasons.  I have a very short natural (a la Lisa Gay Hamilton/Lupita Nyong'o) and get it cut often enough to keep it professional.  I get haircuts for free in exchange for helping my barber with minor legal matters.  It's a win/win.  I have nothing but respect for everyone using the various techniques referenced in the previous posts.  I just don't have it in me.  No regrets whatsoever.  I buy shampoo, conditioner, and argan oil online in bulk once a year.  It averages out to about $7/mo.  Before going natural I was averaging about $160/mo.  My hair was literally and figuratively on fire.             

With This Herring

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #47 on: March 09, 2016, 07:06:02 AM »
Yet Another White Lady here

I just wanted to suggest that the Long Hair Community might have some good resources, or at least a decently large number of Black women whose brains you could pick about natural hair care.

Also, I have a friend who wears her hair in two braids, one under each ear. She wraps them in different colors of ribbon to change up the look. Her braids are about shoulder length, and I think she's a 4C. I know she uses plenty of shea butter in styling it, and I gave her my leftover shea butter shampoo bars (yeah, shea butter's a little heavy for white girl hair...). Anyway, there's an idea for a style other than a bun that shouldn't take too long to do.

I'm also white.

I also recommend Long Hair Community.  Currently, the main page is under construction, so try this link.  We have a lot of black women, many of whom keep their hair natural.

I have seen a few black women who will braid their hair in two French braids or Dutch braids (Dutch braids are center-over-outside, instead of the outside-over-center of French braids), then angling the ends of the braids toward each other and tucking the ends into each other's bases.  I think it is a cute style, but I don't know whether it would be quicker than your current twists.
See this page of videos.

Lyssa

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #48 on: March 09, 2016, 11:36:57 AM »
Opposite end of the spectrum here, so no practical tips whatsoever, just theoretical thoughts.

My skin is almost literally white. I'm occasionally asked if I'm not well by people who have not previously met me. I have dark blonde 'spaghetti hair', impossible to curl and so straight that most clips and hair ties start to slip the moment I put them in.

In my teenage years I tried to tan and get some volume in my hair. I have also tried a lighter blonde color to make my skin look less pale in comparison.

I've given up on all of this. I try to look like a reasonably well groomed pale woman with long, straight dark-blonde hair. Is it kind of boring doing the same ponytail 95 out of 100 days with the same 3-4 clips that stay in place reasonably well? Possibly. But at least I have a trademark look and can invest my time and money elsewhere.

I am aware that the situation is a lot more difficult with black hair and that it is politically loaded in a way that my personal hair history is not.

Just saying that I'm more content and happy not trying to fundamentally alter my appearance and that I also appreciate different expressions of beauty in others. It's a sad state of affairs that in Africa and Asia women use toxic creams to get a lighter skin tone and Europeans visit tanning salons despite the well demonstrated increased risk for skin cancer.

shelivesthedream

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Re: African American females...how much are you spending on your hair?
« Reply #49 on: March 09, 2016, 01:57:47 PM »
I just watched Chris Rock's documentary Good Hair.* Wow. It's like a window into another world. It's CRAZY! I thought the relaxing chemicals were shocking and then they got onto the weaves. I just...wow. Spending an entire annual salary on replacing your real hair. Seriously, if they saved all that money they'd be FI in a decade or two! And all the men talking about how they have not touched a black woman's hair since [ridiculous date]. I cannot get over how crazy all the weave stuff is! It's...sad, really. How all these women feel that they HAVE to do it to look acceptable.

*On a side note, he's actually a great presenter! I'd never heard of him before and I often find comedians doing documentaries a bit obnoxious, but he was very good.