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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, January 29, 2002

ISLAND STYLE
Cornrow-style hair trends spread to many ethnicities

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

Verna Morgan, a stylist for Da Wig Shop, styles Sandy Wang's hair in "S"-shaped cornrows. Cornrows have gained popularity in part because they last for weeks or months and require little care.

Photos by Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

"At first I was nervous about coming in here, but now I'm so happy. I never thought it would look this good on an Asian," exclaimed Sandy Wang as she ejected herself enthusiastically from the chair manned by "Miss V" (Verna Morgan) at Da Wig Shop on Kalakaua Avenue. Wang, who previously had straight hair, was bedecked with braids and beads, in the style of singer Alicia Keys, whose CD cover she had brought in to show the stylist.

Wang said a colleague at the shop where she works, BCBG Max Azria, had come to work with cornrows the previous week, giving Wang the impetus to try it out.

Hawai'i hair salons and home salons specializing in the styles that evolved from African Americans are seeing an increase in clients of all ethnicities, with all types of hair. Terri Robinson, owner of ABC Hair with Flair on King Street, said her clients are 60 percent African American and 40 percent Asian, Hawaiian and haole.

What's driving the trend? An increasing number of stars (and star athletes) such as entertainers Keys and Destiny's Child, and basketball player Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers, are sporting the styles. In addition, they're easy to wear (though not to create), last for weeks or months and require little care.

Wanda Wilson of Waikiki, who loves to swim, asked stylist Evie Lindon of Da Wig Shop to plait her hair into cornrows with a side part. Wilson finds cornrows very convenient. "With this style, you don't have to do your hair — it's done. You wash it at night and it's still done." It will last about two weeks before Wilson needs to have it touched up or braided again.

How do you wash your locks when they're tightly braided? Just like normal hair, said Latonia Smith, a stylist who operates from her home near Tripler Army Medical Center. "You can shampoo, then rinse and pat the hair dry, or you can use spray shampoo and wipe it down with a towel, or use a waterless powder shampoo."

Since the scalp is more exposed with these hairstyles, Smith recommends regular use of conditioners to keep the hair and scalp oiled and moisturized. Her favorite ingredient is tea tree oil.

Da Wig Shop advises clients with cornrows and braids to wrap their hair in a silk scarf or "do-rag" (scarf with an oblong in the back and two long ties at the sides that can wrap around the head to secure the shape of the braids).

There are three methods for adding extensions to braided hair: sewing hair into a braid, which lasts about three months, bonding it with a spray glue, which lasts about three weeks (and should be removed by a professional to avoid breaking the hair), and weaving extensions into the braids, lasting from one to three months.

Women in the military choose braiding because regulations dictate they cannot wear their hair any longer than the top of their collar. They choose braids or cornrows that can be put up in a bun or french twist, enabling their hair to be any length.

Chris Cooley of Mililani said his hairstyle depends on "who I want to be that week. Oddly enough, an Afro is more conservative for me, and people take me for a more approachable person when I have cornrows."

Nearly any man can wear cornrows, as long as his hair is 2 inches or longer. As Jennifer Lopez proved, even some straight-haired folks can have the style.

While Afros are coming back across the country, local stylists said they are not as popular among men in Hawai'i, probably because they can make your head feel hot.

Around Honolulu, prices range from $5 for kids' cuts to $30 to $300 for braids, extensions and cornrows, depending on the time and materials involved. (It can take up to 10 hours for tiny braids on long hair, so generally two stylists will take on the task.)

On the Web:
For a virtual encyclopedia of 'dos, see www.flavahawaii.com.