25-year-old Safah Williams exhibited great determination this weekend when she bravely did her own smedium knotless box braids without having a complete emotional breakdown.
While most would have caved to the pressure of braiding the back of their head, become completely overwhelmed, then fully broken down, Safah pushed forward.
“It was really tough,” Safah says. “People see your beautiful, gorgeous hairstyle but don’t know the finger cramps and blisters that it takes to get there. They don’t know about the times you almost gave up.”
On Saturday morning, after hours of scrolling Pinterest for hair inspiration and finger dexterity exercises, Safah began the process of braiding her hair. In addition to the mental torment, braiding the back of one’s head is the most strenuous exercise in upper body strength known to man.
“I was close to tears,” Safah says. “But then I remember the amount of money I was saving by braiding my hair myself and it saved me from having a complete emotional breakdown.”
This was only the first stop of Safah’s struggle bus – four hours in Safah realized that she didn’t have enough hair, but managed to get through it without going completely off the rails.
“I wanted to weep like a little baby and then cut all my hair off,” says Safah. “But I didn’t. I coolly wrapped my hair up in a scarf and began to walk with fervor to my beauty supply.”
The trek was a long 15 minutes, but Safah came back in one piece with three packs of 1B/T27 54” Kanekelon hair. What a boss!
“When I got back my phone was buzzing with texts from my friend Rachel asking why I wasn’t coming to wine night,” Safah says. “Rachel doesn’t get it. Her hair is the texture of a golden retrievers.”
At 2:30 am, Safah finished her ombre box braids, with her emotional wellbeing basically intact.
“I am so proud of myself for being so resilient, braiding is not for the meek of heart. I really proved that if I can braid my hair without having an emotional break, you can too.”
