My name is Patia, and welcome to Hair Me Out.
When I was younger, I always wanted to blend in, but now, I love to stand out.
Switching up my hair is one way to achieve that.
I can't wait to get gray, ombre Casamance braids for the very first time.
Hi, my name is Anta.
Hi, my name is Fatoumata.
Welcome to Khamit Kinks.
So, Patia how long have you been natural?
Um, I think like, five years or so.
Oh, wow, so how do you usually wear your hair?
Uhhh...
In like, a bun.
Casamance braid is, first of all, the name comes from Senegal.
It's a city in Senegal.
They're easy to do, easy to wear, maintenance-free.
Once we're finished, you'll be able to style it.
It won't hurt.
We care about your hairline.
We make sure that it's not going to be tight.
You don't have to take Tylenol when you go home.
It's very flexible.
The reason I stopped getting my hair braided in high school was because like, it hurt.
I'd be in pain for three days.
It just wasn't worth it.
I'm a little scared, not gonna lie.
So, from the first one...
So, how do you feel?
Oh, it's good, yeah.
So, Patia who was the first person to do you hair?
My mom, she used to do it.
She used to like, wash it in the sink and then she would braid it in like, five or six
braids with barrettes.
But my grandma also did my hair a lot.
She would do it with like, all these fun styles.
And she'd put like, ribbons intertwined in the braids.
And she liked doing hair, so...
When did you guys start learning how to braid and how did you learn how to do hair?
My mom has four girls.
She didn't know how to do hair.
She used to send us to aunts and friends to get our hair done.
You have to wash their dishes...
You have to clean their house before your get your hair done.
So, I said, "I'm tired of that.
I'm going to learn how to do my sisters' hair and stay home."
While growing up, I was doing my siblings' hair, my mom, my aunt...
When I came here in 2003, I was like, "Ah, should I do hair?"
So 15 years now, I'm still doing it, I love doing it.
So my mom I guess got fed up one day and decided to take me to her hairstylist, Miss Melba.
Miss Melba would wash and like, hot iron – hot comb my hair.
Sometimes on special occasions she would do like, the Shirley Temple curls.
But my mom wouldn't let me perm my hair, so this was like, our compromise.
At 16 I like, begged my mother for a perm against her better judgement and my foolishness...
Um, and she let me get one.
When I first-first went natural, I did braids, or I did, uh, twists for I think, like, maybe
eight months to a year.
And then I got a big chop, and I was like, shocked.
I was like, "Oh, I like my face!"
I went natural like, right before the big boom.
Like, I wasn't like, an early-early natural person, but not everybody...
Everybody wasn't natural yet.
My friends were like, "Well, you're gonna have to do your hair," and like, "Everybody's
gonna see your face," and like, crazy things!
And then also just...
I didn't know how to care for natural hair.
I was on YouTube like it was like, my second job.
What is your favorite thing about doing hair?
My favorite part is when a customer comes...
Their hair is already damaged.
Their edges are all gone...
So, they come to us for help.
And then, if they keep coming for one year, a year-and-a-half, they're going to see their
hair start changing.
Their hair grows.
Most of them, they've never seen their natural hair, and once they see it,
they're shocked and surprised.
Seeing them be happy, being respectful, and loving themselves when it comes to their hair.
All of my clients that come in here know that Fatoumata loves to do cornrows.
When I do it, I feel so inspired.
And from the beginning to the end, I see the client's face looking really happy.
It makes me feel so good.
Like changing people's lives.
I love having natural hair.
My hair is big, and I think, especially for other women that are trying to grow their hair,
like, length is a big deal...
So, I think that it being big and kind of long, people will come up to me
and ask me about it.
I don't know, it just, it takes up space... which I like.
It makes me stand out.
Every time somebody compliments me, or every time I have a style that I like, I'm like,
"Oh, this is me!"
like, and it makes me feel really good about who I am plus or minus gray ombre braids.
Now, we're dipping the ends in hot water to make them softer, more bouncy.
This will seal the ends from getting frizzy or unraveling.
It'll surprise you...
I love it!
Oh my gosh.
I look like I should be in a band.
Thank you so much!
You're welcome!
It was a pleasure!
I love the way my gray ombre braids turned out.
My hair used to be one of my biggest insecurities, but now, it makes me feel great.
I love myself just the way I am with my big, complicated, and beautiful hair.
Thanks for joining me on this episode of Hair Me Out.
Thanks for watching this episode of Hair Me Out.
Let us know what you want to see next in the comments below.
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Alright, one more time...
Or, not one more time, but...
Again.