With all this talk about weave, Indian Hair, products, styling tools and more, let’s talk about your hair underneath!  Many times you hear us emphasize how important it is to keep your hair under the weave healthy as well.  Weaves are great for growing out your hair and just giving your hair a rest.  After a few weaves, you’re curiosity peaks and you want to see how those tresses underneath look.

Hair Sugar took the plunge and took out the weave to see what that natural hair was looking!  Hair Sugar’s hair is natural underneath the weave, except the relaxed edges that are left out, so we needed to make sure we went to a stylist who was really good with conditioning and pressing.  DISCLAIMER: Don’t be discouraged at first with your natural hair fresh out the weave.  It is going to take some time to train it again.  If you have been wearing weave for years like Hair Sugar, you are used to curling and styling your weave with the curling iron or flat iron on a daily basis.  With your natural hair, you cant shouldn’t do that.  So that is going to be an adjustment.  Also, Hair Sugar’s weave held curls better than her natural hair…another adjustment.  All in all, Hair Sugar is finally (after almost a month ) is liking her natural hair much better.  Hair Sugar had a bad hair coloring job and wore weave fore the past 2.5 years to grow it out.  Hair Sugar’s hair has probably grown tremendously!  Check out the before and after pictures:

Color broke off Hair Sugar’s hair so she decided to weave it up!

Hair Sugar 2.5 years ago with her natural hair

Weave to the rescue!

Hair Sugar wore weave for 2.5 years to grow out the color that damaged her natural hair

Drumroll….Hair Sugar’s natural hair after weave for 2.5 years

Hair Sugar's healthy natural hair

Hair Sugar finds it EXTREMELY important to go to a hairstylist who is skilled in working with natural hair.  When the weave first came out, Hair Sugar went to a fabulous stylist named Rachel who works at her salon called Salon Cabelo (www.saloncabelo.info) in Buckhead Atlanta.  She is into healthy hair and is very skilled at her craft so check her website out and book your appointment A.S.A.P.

Our weave stylist Tasha also does natural hair and works out of her salon in Smyrna, GA.  She pressed Hair Sugar’s hair in the recent picture above.  If you would like to schedule an appointment with Tasha give her a call at 678-598-5714.  Tell her Hair Sugar sent you!

www.theweaveshop.com

There has been some buzz swirling round the weave-hoods of Atlanta about a place that does $50 sew-ins.  Too good to be true?  Well Hair Sugar had to check it out to for our weave fanatics and give you the inside scoop.  The Weave Shop is a fairly new chain of weave only salons in the Atlanta area that ONLY specializes in weaves.  This includes sew-ins and quick weaves.  Locations are in Lawrenceville, Decatur  and Buckhead (the location I visited).  First, before you get too excited there are some rules.  Rule #1, you have to come with your hair already washed and blow dried.  Not a big deal.  Rule #2 $50 dollars gets you only the basic sew-in, a trim and flat iron.  Detailed cuts start at $15 and spiral curls or feathers are additional cost.  Still not a bad deal right? Rule #3 if you wear Indian hair that has to be pressed out, that’s an additional $20.  Rule #4 Friday-Sundays are walk-ins only so be prepared to wait all day unless you arrive when they first open.  The line was out the door.   Appointments are taken only Monday-Thursday.  Ok so lets get to the details of Hair Sugar’s personal experience.

I was definitely weary of going to this place.  My biggest fear is a weave tragedy and Christmas is right around the corner and who has time to look like a set up Christmas stocking??  I decide to take a chance after a family friend recommended The Weave Shop to me and told me to ask for a specific stylist named Travis.  So I decided I would check it out this Sunday and arrive as close to 11am, when they open, as possible.  When I arrive at 11:30 am, there are already 5 ladies ahead of me so I sign in, take a seat and use the wait time as an opportunity to scope out the scene in case I need to make a mad dash for the door!  My main concern was the braider.  I wanted to see how she was braiding everyone’s hair and if she was braiding small to ensure a flat weave.  The braider was also my main disappointment.  She was braiding too thick for my liking.  I also wasn’t pleased with the pattern in which she used.  She braided mostly straight down in varying patterns.  Usually, I like my hair braided as small as possible in a semi circular zig zag type of pattern close to the edges of my hairline with just a bit of hair left out.  I still wanted to give it a chance because sometimes a poor braiding job can be hidden with a superb sew-in.  SOMETIMES!

The shop was pretty small with 3 stylists sewing, cutting and styling only.  There were 2 braiders by the time I left but just one to start.  I asked that the recommended stylist Travis sew in my hair.  He was the bomb, fast, meticulous and knew what he was doing.  Finally around 4:30pm (yes I was there a good 4 .5 hours before it was my turn) I was up for braiding and I was not really looking forward to it because this braider was new to my head and I didn’t want to look like that Christmas stocking!  I asked her if she could braid my hair smaller because I was using hand-tied hair and the braids needed to be small.  She just looked at me kind of dumbfounded but says she can try.  Travis comes over and tells her how he wanted her to braid my hair since my natural hair was so thick and long.  That made me feel better.

Once the braider was done, Travis sewed in my Indian hair and he was great.  Travis was the best part of the experience and well-worth the wait.  My tab came to $100 and here is the break down:

1. $50 – basic sew in
2. $20 – press of Indian hair
3. $20 – my hand tied wefts were not all on one long track so Travis said this would take extra work (not happy with this)
4. $10 – tip

Total = $100

I give The Weave Shop an A for effort, a C for braiding and a B+ for styling.  Honestly I got a bit more than what I paid for considering I was paying close to $300 before this.  Would I ditch my old stylist for The Weave Shop?  Nahh probably not, however I would go back to The Weave Shop again if the budget wants a rest from my hair obsession.  Whatever you do, make sure TRAVIS does your hair if you go to the Buckhead location.  Check out the new doo boo!

Hair Sugar's Hairdo from The Weave Shop

Hair Sugar used 14 inch Candy Cane (Curly) hair available in the boutique.

The Weave Shop Locations in Georgia

Open 7 Days a Week
Call 404.292.1015
www.theweaveshop.com

Buckhead Location
141 West Wieuca suite b100
Atlanta GA 30342

Decatur Location
4712 Memorial Dr. Suite B
Decatur, GA 30032

Lawrenceville Location
1565 Woodington Circle Suite 101
Lawrenceville, GA 30044

You got this fresh weave installed about a week or so ago and now its itching like crazy under there!  Don’t forget about your scalp under your weave. We recommend washing your hair every 1-1.5 weeks in general.  It takes a bit longer to get the scalp clean since your hair under the weave is all braided up so use products that will get your scalp as clean as possible.  There are some great natural products out there that can clean your scalp and ease the itch at the same time.

Recently we tried Dr. Bronners 18-1 Hemp Peppermint Pure Castile Soap.  This soap can be used in about 18 different ways and we love it used best on the scalp.  You can purchase it at your local Target for around $18 for a large bottle.  They also sell the small trial size bottles so you can test this minty soap out for about $1.99.  We recommend diluting some soap into a squirt bottle used for hair coloring as you can use the nozzle to get the shampoo right on your scalp.  Scrub your scalp gently then let it sit for about a minute and enjoy the tingle!

Remember this is a soap, not a regular shampoo so your hair may feel a bit dry or stringy afterward.  This is OK because you are just removing some of the oils and build-up from your hair that should be removed anyway.  Follow up with any moisturizing shampoo and conditioning treatment to restore the moisture.  Dr. Bronner makes great all natural hair products so if you want to try a natural alternative to soothing your scalp try the peppermint soap!

Dr. Bronner's 18-1 Hemp Peppermint Soap

Hair Sugar doesn’t believe in bad hair days!  There are too many cute accessories out there on the hair front to ever have a bad day.  You just have to be creative about how you twerk it so let us help you.  Many of us who wear weaves tend to stay away from headbands and hair clips out of fear of popping a track or string lose.  Fear no more, put away your emergency needle and thread.  We are here to ease your fear and help you make that weave last longer!

Style Trick 1: Try a fluffy stylish headband with a bow

Feathers and bows are very much in style these days.  This is great for your weave because the exaggerated styles hide new growth or loose tracks very well.  Forever21.com has a plethora of styles you can choose from all under $10!  Check out this trendy bow headband from Forever21.com for a whopping $4.80:

Satin Bow Headband from Forever21.com

Our good friend StyleScrybe from Shoes & Booze wears these stylish headbands in her weave all the time.  Sassy!

Style Scrybe in her pretty bow

Style Trick 2: Wear a soft feminine hat

Beret’s never seem to go out of style.  These little French numbers keep coming back each year and are sure to add some jazz to your hair.  Sequin is in this season so why not wear it in your hair?  Forever21.com has a shnazzy sequin beret for $9.80:

Sequin Beret Cap from Forever21.com

Angela Simmons wears beret’s all the time.  They look great with just about any outfit!

Angela Simmons in a fly beret

Make sure all your hair days are good ones and try out some of these accessories.  When you weave is due for a renewal, how do you maintain your hair?

We are having a sale to make room for new inventory arriving soon.  EVERYTHING is on sale and you can recieve 10% off your purchase by using the coupon code SWEETTWEET at checkout.  Make sure to click the “Boutique” link above to view the products available.  No one loves a sale better than Hair Sugar so be a hairfashionista on a recessionista budget!