Supporting Black Business Abroad
I was in need of a retwist before my trip to Boston, so I tried a mobile home service. I live in Shenzhen , but far away from city center, so I was super excited to have someone come to me!
The serviced was polite, friendly, and he did an ok job. For the first day or so it seemed fine, but by the end of the week my parts were fuzzy. The retwist itself was tight and so my looks looked and felt thin at the roots.
Later, someone shared in our local black women group chat concerns about the quality of the servicers work and so many people came forward about the low quality:
I felt relieved that I wasn’t just being picky, but I felt bad because this is a new business and he was trying quite hard.
This was over a month and a half a go. I’m headed in for a detox, retwist, and style with my original loctitian in the city. Will I have to commute over an hour? Yes. Will it be worth it? Absolutely! #locs #locsstyles #locretwist #china #blackinchina
Having lived in Shenzhen for some time, I've come to appreciate how important it is to find reliable Black-owned businesses, especially for hair care like loc retwists. Mobile services sound convenient, but as my experience shows, the quality can vary greatly. After trying a mobile retwist service, I noticed my locs looked good initially but became fuzzy within a week, and the tightness at the roots made them feel thin. This resonated with many others in my local Black women’s group chat in China, where we shared concerns about new service providers' quality. It highlighted the delicate balance between supporting emerging Black entrepreneurs abroad and ensuring we maintain hair health and style integrity. From my own journey, I learned that while convenience is valuable, it’s sometimes worth the extra effort and time to visit a trusted loctitian with proven expertise—even if it means commuting over an hour. Quality in loc maintenance not only preserves the style but also protects the health of one's hair and scalp. Moreover, supporting Black businesses abroad helps build stronger communities and creates spaces tailored to our unique hair care needs. Joining local groups and online communities can provide recommendations and reviews, which have been invaluable for me. For anyone living outside major city centers or in countries with smaller Black populations, my advice is to combine personal experience with community feedback before committing to hair services. Your locs deserve the best, and finding professionals with a genuine understanding of Black hair textures is empowering. Ultimately, supporting Black businesses internationally means uplifting entrepreneurs who are carving out spaces away from home while also ensuring our cultural beauty standards and hair care traditions are maintained with pride and quality.
