Making Hair Abroad

Often times when you see people overseas carrying ‘dada’ (dreadlocks), it’s not swag o; it’s often because of the cost of making their hair every now and then.

If you consider the cost of making your hair in the UK, you’d rather cut it or grow dreadlocks. In this country, people don’t change hairstyles randomly, especially African ladies, because we’re high maintenance. That’s why you see many ladies have different versions of WigCaps.

I see a lot of Africans, including school children, carry their braids even though it is due for a change or has developed so much undergrowth (which often tells you how long the hair has stayed for). 😂

In fact, the first time I made my hair here, I undid it after 3weeks (cos I felt it was due for a change) and went back to have it remade,  but I was surprised by the lady’s reaction when she realized I had undone the hair she made ‘just’ three weeks ago. Hahaha… She made me feel like I was being wasteful.😂

Here, nobody is your friend when it comes to making hair, no free hairdo. To have your hair cornrowed, it costs £10, and that’s even in big sizes o. So sometimes you find people doing ’DIY’. The other day, my mom was asking me why I didn’t learn handwork. 😂😩

And it’s more difficult for us Africans because, for the ‘Whites’, they have a natural ‘bone straight’, but for us Blacks, our ‘bone’ is not straight, 😂 so our hairs are very expensive to maintain, especially overseas, in comparison to what we pay in Nigeria, or other respective African countries.

I always feel resentful visiting the salon when I realize, after converting, how much I’m spending in Naira, just to make hair. 

I’ll normally not carry braids beyond a month, but currently, my hair is 6weeks old, and In case you see me with this hair for the next 9months, please don’t blame me. It cost me £80 (inclusive of the extension and cost of labor), which after converting is around N56,000 🤧😩(£1 = N700).

PS: I’ve been considering cutting my hair, and I finally summoned the courage to. Cutting my hair is one of my 2021 highlights, because I started the year with a different look but ended with a different look. Watch my Instagram reel documenting my haircut.

Rate my new look in these photos below…

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©️Progressoberiko