Hair abroad: here today, gone tomorrow?
This post is directed more towards girls rather than the guys who read this blog. (Let’s face it, girls usually care more about hair.)
While going abroad for a semester or year, one has to fit everything within 2-3 bags. It is a lot harder to do than it sounds – even for veteran travelers. Think about it – that’s all of your shoes, clothes, school supplies, and personal products in just a few bags. You can’t expect to find specific products abroad so if you are picky in personal products (such as shampoo, body wash, etc.) then you should consider bringing enough to last the entire trip.
For those who have low maintenance skills, this might not be a problem. But if you have hair that needs special treatment, such as black hair, then you might want to do some research before you depart from home.
The following is a quote from a DiversityAbroad.com article on managing black hair while abroad. The author brings up some good points – such as whether you should bring hair to do braids with you and how to find a hair stylist who knows how to work with your type of hair.
“Know Your Options
When thinking about this issue, first consider how you want to wear your hair. There are essentially two categories – out or not. Some women prefer to wear their hair out, while others like to tuck it away in braid extensions or weaves.”
Check out the full article and tips at: http://www.diversityabroad.com/article/study-abroad/managing-black-hair-abroad
Hair products take up a chunk of my bag no matter how far I am traveling. I have naturally curly hair and none of my white friends can relate…they don’t look at the calendar and their plans when figuring out when they are going to shower and wash their hair. Even going home to visit my parents, I have to lug a ton of hair products home. I tried buying a set and leaving it there but somebody decided to use them all after they ran out of their products making my efforts pointless. I did my study abroad in Mexico and almost every picture shows my hair in a bun or a braid.
A colleague who studied abroad in South Africa with me got her hair braided before leaving the USA – not realizing that the braids would be cheaper in South Africa! She had the braids in for about a month before she took them out and kept her hair short for the rest of our time there. It was cheaper to find products for ethnic hair where I was in South Africa than it was for products for non-ethnic hair!