Senegalese Twists from Cameroon

While in Cameroon, I felt like being adventurous and trying Senegalese twists. I'd always wanted to try them out but never got around to it. In Cameroon, everything is ridiculously cheap. But often times, you do get what you pay for. So while everything is very cheap...most things that are cheap are of a similar quality. And the same holds for this experience of getting my hair done -- which cost, when converted to USD, $10. 

I loved the twists...I thought they were beautiful. I didn't mind that they were so long. I asked her not to cut the hair. I wanted them to be as long and free as possible. She used a lot of hair though! There were at least five packs of hair on my head...so when it was finished, it felt super heavy! I'm not used to having that much hair on my head. I don't think anyone is. 

I loved that I could wake up, do practically nothing to my hair, and be ready for the day. I also loved the style versatility. You can really do pretty much everything with twists that you can do with untwisted hair. But because she used so much hair...it was actually very difficult to put my hair in a ponytail. None fit! I had to use a head band instead. I also loved that even when the twists started unravelling a bit and some even started locking a bit--it still looked carefree and beautiful.

I didn't love...getting my hair pulled out! Hair stylists are rough with your hair over there...she didn't wash it prior to styling. She didn't even spritz it. She dry brushed my hair out with a fine tooth comb. So I was simultaneously watching my hair being ripped out while feeling like my scalp was being torn open--not fun! Beauty is pain I guess...it was an experience for sure.

The Salon:

The salon was one small room. With one open doorway leading to the hot outdoors. A few planks of wood connected the salon to the dirt road in front--which was separated from the salon by the sewage line. Some ares didn't have wood to walk across, you just had to step over it. The stylist--who is actually my dad's cousin--sat me inside in the shade. The process took about 3-4 hours. Leisurely. And as time passed, another woman was getting her hair set in rollers. I don't know what she paid. It was a long and painful 4 hours. But worth the $10...and I liked the results!

The result: