Hair is the topic today

So I have been avoiding the whole hair issue since I chopped off ALL my hair four months ago and was quite content sporting my teeny weeny “fro” for Carnival, despite the fact that many people seem to think long hair is synonymous with beauty. However my hair started growing back faster than I anticipated and in an attempt not to succumb to the temptation during the growing out stage and just cut it all off again, I have put in extensions. That decision has made it pretty easy for me, since I plan on leaving in extensions for the next few months; hence I am definitely doing micro braids for Carnival.

When it comes to Carnival hair there are so many issues to consider; should you wear the hair long or short? What type of hairstyle fits best with your costume? Will the heat and humidity affect your hair? Do you want to spend precious time with tools to style your hair? Then there are things you never consider that become a factor later on, for instance getting mud or paint in your hair during jouvert or getting your hair wet at a Carnival fete where the practice is to soak patrons. Ideally Carnival hair should be very easy to take care of and not be a hassle with your headpiece yet Carnival is a time where you can go as wild or glamorous with your hair as you might like.

Braids are probably the number one choice since they are low maintenance and with the hectic feteing season who has time to fuss over hair? Plus you can wash them easier than a weave and they can be worn in various styles depending on the type of braids you choose. The only headache with doing braids is that they take hours to put, they can be heavy and hot! Personally I like the smaller braids, like the micro braids, since they are more versatile and you can easily pull them up in a ponytail if the heat becomes unbearable, but they are the ones that take the most hours to do! Another alternative is the Senegalese twist which blogger Jamette sported this year and they looked beautiful or even cornrows which look great with all headpieces.

Ladies with natural hair have it pretty easy though I have heard complaints that the weather in Trinidad is not particularly conducive to the fros. If you are visiting for Carnival, have natural hair and plan on rocking that style you might need to moisturize your hair more than you do at home. Other than that you can find many hairstylists who can tend to the fros, locks and twists if you need to maintain your hair while in Trinidad. The one concern I had when thinking of wearing my hair natural was how the headpiece would look, I mean you do not notice many “bald” ladies in headpieces coming to think of it, though I do see more and more women with natural hairstyles finding all sorts of creative ways to style their hair! Afro Chic, for instance, wore her fro in a “faux hawk” this year which matched her headpiece to a T.

One of the most overlooked styles, when it comes to being low maintenance is the pony tail! Sure it is simple, but it is pretty easy to work at a fete or with your headpiece. The pony tail can be worn as a chignon, a low ponytail worn to the side or even a long high ponytail with the aid of hair pieces. I have a particular fondness for a ponytail when playing mas since it always looks neat, never gets frizzy with the humidity, keeps you cool and is no hassle whatsoever! Even if you choose to wear your hair loose, curly, wavy or straight it is easy to pull it up in a ponytail and still look cute.

Whatever hairstyle you choose, whether you put thought into it or not, remember to protect your hair from the abuse of the sun and damage from your headpieces! I leave you with an excerpt from the Carnival Virgin Survival guide:

Hair Care:

The decorations on the (any) backpacks and the position of them may cause some snags and breakage. A stylish chignon or a simple, elegant plaît is an easy way to protect your hair. Most of the costumes' headpieces have some sort of headband as its foundation, which means that your hair is going to be subject to the same constant sun that your skin is—perhaps even more, since you're in a crowd, and assuming you don't tower over everyone else, your body would be shaded at least a portion of the time, whereas your exposed area of hair stays exposed, unless you're sure to constantly stand in the shade one must make sure their hair is as protected as your skin.

I can't endorse any particular product, but lots and lots of anti-frizz (silicone based) works wonders against all the moisture in the air (sweat, cool zones, wildness of people just flinging water in the air in sheer excitement and drunkenness. Anti-frizz may not provide sufficient hold or control for all, but a good rule of thumb is to make sure your products are alcohol-free. You're probably putting enough alcohol into your system on the road; you might as well not have your hair dehydrated before you even leave your house. Can you imagine the brittle mess you'd have to deal with come Ash Wednesday morning?

Also, have your ends trimmed after Carnival, apart from it being logical, it's almost always necessary if you are going to the beach and/or pool because the sun/salt/chlorine combination strips hair of moisture. In addition to the post Carnival deep conditioning, get rid of abused ends (kind of like pruning a tree of the yellowed leaves—it makes the nutrients be better distributed to the more "deserving" parts). And, it goes without saying that pre-Carnival hair should always be well-tended and the picture of health, because there is NO WAY that it makes sense to invest that much in the rest of the package and forgetting the tresses. So, have your hair trimmed a few weeks before the trip.