Natural Hair and Conservative/Corporate Workplace

[options]

I have recently gotten a job in the government sector. I have been working all of my previous professional life in a rather liberal - as far as appearances go - setting in the media. Now I am transitioning into a more visible (on camera, in public) position and I feel some trepidation with the prospect of wearing my wild twisted-out fro on the job. Moreover, I am just looking for more stylistic flexibility in general and am so tired of braiding- or twisting-out to be able to manage my hair. If I do not braid or twist my hair, it would be a congealed-like mass of 4A hair.

I don't know if I should texturize, get braids, a weave or what. My hair is very thick and about 5-6 inches all around right now, hitting my nape in the back.

Has anyone overcome this hurdle? What were your solutions? I have to make a decision in a week.

 

[PretteePlease]

wear the twistout wear the fro wear the twists. maybe start slow with your twists going into a bun or something and then bam in a few months let your Fro Glow let it shine. I mean they know how you wear your hair now and you got the job, by the way how are you wearing it now? do not change to a texturizer braids or a weave just for them.

 

[Nefertiti0906]

I work for the government in a very conservative environment and I have natural hair. I haven't had any problems with anyone regarding my hair, but then again I don't do many different styles. When I wear my hair in twists, I put it in an updo with a hair accessory. I've put my hair in flat twists amd sometimes I pull my hair back in a bun. I've also had braids for a while. And I've rocked the phony pony (on blow dried hair, I just flatironed a one inch circumference around my head so it'll look like all my hair was straightened) and the phony bun. I leave my afro's and twist outs for the weekends or after work.

I hope that helps, good luck in ur decision...

 

[Erica78]

BUMP

 

[Tracy]

I think a puff is your best bet because of the length and because it will be as close as you can get to a bun. I think the best style for natural hair in the workplace is a bun.

 

[CocoaButterflyy]

I was working in a very conservative govt intelligence agency and I wore a twist out alot I also would get it flat twisted going back into a bun. I still work for the govt now but in the arts and I do twist outs, wash and go ponytails and two strand twists

 

[soslychic]

I agree with the above style suggestions. Please don't texturize your hair unless you've really thought about it first. You may regret it later. How often are you redoing as in rebraiding or retwisting for a twistout? You shouldn't have to do it everyday. If you sleep with something on your head and fluff in the morning, it should last a few days.
If you're tired of dealing with your hair in a loose state, just give it a rest and get some flat twists (would can look very professional in my opinion) or as stated above some 2 strand twists in a ponytail or bun.
And it may get easier as your hair gets longer because you can just slap it in a low puff and be on your way.
Wish you the best.

 

[NGC]

If you can't pull your hair into a puff right now (maybe due to length or thickness), flat twist the front half of your hair going towards the back and put the remainder into a puff or bun.

 

[NYCQT16]

Co-signing with flat twists and puff or bun...I think that's conservative enough without compromising your naturalness

 

[Shatani]

ITA with all the above suggestions....no need to change your look AFTER youve already been hired lookin the way you do! that MAY be part of why they want you on screen, you never know....

ive got a bit of length on you, but i tend to put small twists in my hair and pin it up with a classy accessory, and when im too lazy to twist, i pull out my trusty bun-stuffer and slick it back....

youve got options girl...take a trip through some hair albums and i know you can find inspiration!
~T~

 

[options]

I am so frustrated! I am tired of twisting and braiding my hair. What's worse is that I have, like, 70 percent shrinkage. My hair is about 6 inches long but looks like 2.5. It's not long enough for a bun or puff yet, so those are out. I don't think the twists will fly because mine tend to stick up and out in many directions. Maybe I could set them on rollers .... but that might get old, too.

I fear the flat twists could come off looking too much like "thuggish" cornrows. /images/graemlins/whyme.gif

 

[Nonie]

Hey, I wore braid extensions for years before doing away with them. I used human hair so that I could have styling options, including the use of heat on the extension hair, not mine.

I would put my braids into French braids on either side of my head crossing the ends over in the back and tucking them under. I thought the look was very neat and becoming, and so did everyone else at work:

Because I usually did that do on wet hair, I could undo the French braids to get a micro braid-out after a couple of days...or just when I wanted a different look:

And then I could always just put my braids back in a ponytail, or pony-plait/bun.

Those dos were my only options when my hair grew to about the length of my extensions. When I got a longer piece, I could again use heat at the ends (beyond my hair) in addition to the styles I just mentioned:

As a precaution to protect my hairline (which I really never had a problem with since I do my own extensions so I'm careful not to pull my hair or put too much extension hair per braid), I started to do mini-cornrows at the front:

One day sth possessed me to extend my cornrows farther back, test my hand at cornrowing a little more. I didn't like how my few micros looked together with the longer and much thicker cornrows so decided to undo my micros with the intention of doing them bigger (some jumbo braids). Being a little /images/graemlins/nuts.gif I was making decisions as I was going along. My previously bald patches hadn't filled in fully so wearing my hair out or in single plaits was not going to work. Besides, like you, Options, my hair shrinks sth awful so I would not have been able to disguise my previously bald spots in the back (remember the ones?) well, with my constant washing. So I considered a puff. Only without any in sight...and after being misled by Sally's staff and buying weaving hair thinking it was a curly puff, I had to think fast. (Don't forget, I was coming up with ideas when already in the middle of the process /images/graemlins/nuts.gif ) Enter my pantyhose to the rescue -- Who said necessity wasn't the mother of invention? /images/graemlins/grin.gif -- (I cut the legs off and sewed the panty section leg holes up to make a cap). Then using my stuffed bunny as a dummy, I put the cap on its head and sewed the tracks on to it make wig. Since the tracks were not enough to cover the stocking cap fully so that one could tilt the head without revealing the stocking secret, plus the hair was too long to look or feel natural to me -- looked more like a drag queen's wig /images/graemlins/rofl.gif -- I put a net over the hair to create a more realistic puff and hold the hair together. I LURVED the results and it's the creation I'm most proud of to date. Compliments came flying from everywhere when I wore it to work:

I later bought a real puff that better matched my hair and sported that for a few weeks, changing my cornrow style every week. It was much smaller than my makeshift one, so I had to do longer cornrows. I didn't part very straight towards the back when I did my cornrows coz I didn't use a mirror to see the back, but no one seemed to notice, and if they did, they said nothing, so I didn't let it bother me. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Eventually, I moved to twists. Which I've been sporting for at least three weeks now. I had my hair pressed when I first wore them then put on curlers when I went to bed to get a wavy-bob do. When I washed 'em, they shrunk to a dredlock look, and were not long enough to put into a bun...or let's just say I didn't think of that at first. Instead, I put them in rollers while wet and in the morning had a cute li'l do which again I've gotten compliments for:

And a close-up:

For variation, I have twisted my twists together to form rows (flat-twists) then clipped the braided the ends together and put on a fake puff. (This doesn't require your hair to make it all the way back as the twisting (flat-twist style) helps ensure you tuck in the shorter twists.) Or I've pulled them back without twisting them around each other then worn the puff...and if you make a puff like my 3/4 one, then you don't need long hair for that either. Today I was crazy enough to wear pigtails although that wasn't the plan. /images/graemlins/lachen70.gif I used different rollers from my usual ones in preparation for my curled twists -- a satin set I found at CVS that was much smaller than my usual bendy kind -- but I didn't like the tight curls outcome that greeted me in the morning. So I tried to spritz my twists to loosen them a bit. /images/graemlins/nono.gif Didn't work as I'd hoped; I completely lost the curl and wound up with my dangling "dreds". Although I love that look for the weekends, I wasn't sure it would be acceptable at work and I was running late so wasn't being very creative or thinking hard (I didn't even remember the puff /images/graemlins/whyme.gif ). Granted it was a very awkward do, but no one said anything... /images/graemlins/sekret.gif and I survived the day. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

My conclusion: if you exude confidence, you earn respect, and everyone accepts you as you are. So try out the different dos suggested. Before you know it, ideas will be flowing out of you, and you'll wonder how you could've ever felt overwhelmed or helpless.

No one had mentioned cornrows when I started typing this ramble so that's another do you could pull off nicely, and I really don't think flat-twists are bad at all. Personally I think those two dos are the neatest natural dos ever, besides putting your hair in a bun or puff, and if I wasn't so stubborn such that I didn't want anyone doing my hair, I'd be rocking some very neat, designer cornrows week-in, week-out, with no puff needed to disguise a poor parting job in the back. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Before you consider texturizing, read more about it from those who have. Brownie who is transitioning from a texturizer wrote she wouldn't have done it if she'd known what she knows now. But perhaps her reasons aren't, to you, reasons enough not to? Curlycrly is texturized and so is ModelChick and they love their hair. Be open-minded to the fact that a texturizer could be badly done (Den's first experience) but that doesn't mean it can't be "fixed". Just research on it like you would a major life change so that you don't get any surprises. We'll be here for you whichever way you go...no matter what. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[sassygirl125]

Gggg-gg-go Nonie! /images/graemlins/bdance.gif

/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[ms_kenesha]

Nonie, that was a great post and thanks for the pics! I'm loving your rollerset twists! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Nonie]

[ QUOTE ]
Gggg-gg-go Nonie! /images/graemlins/bdance.gif

/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Sassy, I had no clue you were a rapper too. /images/graemlins/grin.gif And to make a rap about ME /images/graemlins/smile.gif I feel tho thpecial! /images/graemlins/notworthy.gif

Ms K, thanks for the compliment. /images/graemlins/kiss.gif

 

[NGC]

Nonie,

Excellent suggestions and demos girl! I love all your pics /images/graemlins/smile.gif

When my hair was shorter I put it in mini twists and then pinned it up so it looked like I had a French roll.