The singlemost important thing we can do for the health of our self-esteem is to ensure that mop of hair on our heads is well taken care of and looking good!
That certainly sounds very vain, but ask any woman just what it does to her self-esteem when she walks out of that hairdressing salon after having a heart to heart with her hairdresser, who in many instances has become her confidante; had a good head massage and her hair is looking like a million dollars!
The value of taking care of and making time for one self, cannot be over-emphasised.
How can you help others if you have over-extended yourself and your cup has run empty?
The History of African Braiding
Chic, modern African braided hairstyle trends have blossomed post-Apartheid ever since 1994 when the late Madiba, Nelson Mandela, became the first president of a free and democratic South Africa.
Our housekeeper Sibongile never fails to amaze us with her grace and style, and I will be sharing with you some of her stunning braided hairstyles; one can see the joy in her face at showing off these styles!
This special woman with a heart of gold is a huge asset to our little bnb Lily’s Cottage; we on the other hand ensure that our staff’s working conditions and benefits help them live a good life.
Hair braiding has been a huge part of African culture for centuries and can be traced to as far back as 3500BC!
Braiding was used to symbolize the tribe’s family background, social & marital status as well as spirituality.
Styling was only entrusted to close relatives as it was believed that harm could come to them if a strand of hair fell into the hands of the enemy!
This was also a time for the women to socialize, much as happens when modern women go to the hairdresser.
The Himba tribe of Namibia and the Hamar Tribe in Ethiopia boasted ochre dreadlocks, whereas the Fulani & Wodaabe tribes of the Sahel region and Western Africa sported colourful beads and braids.
Hair salon during Covid
Enters a horrid little virus and the scene changes in hair salons all over the world.
I ventured out when our first Covid wave flattened; everyone sat all masked up, but that did not stop the chattering as always happens when women get together.
Conversing behind a mask is really frustrating, both for the one doing the talking and the one trying to decipher what's being said behind that mask; no guessing though what the hot topic was!
During this awful second Covid wave that's brought a new variant and the numbers are turning to names as my fellow South African 
Would I allow hubby to cut my hair?
Certainly not, as that would kill any self-esteem I had left after months of being masked up when I set foot outside the house or meet and greet guests!
Interesting that healthy hair was seen as a sign of fertility by African folk. Sibongile has very healthy hair, has two children and is a granny already; beat me to it ;)
Nowadays, it's all about fashion and style so before Covid hit our shores, Sibongile was going to a young upcoming hair stylist with a thriving little business which she ran after school!
These styles take on average about two hours and this young entrepreneur was much in demand for her services. Sad to think that Covid would have slowed that thriving little business down as it has done to the rest of the world!
So ladies, I commiserate with you if you're unable to visit your hairdresser right now and I'm sure you'll agree with me that taking care of that mop of hair is vitally important for our self-esteem!
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