January 25, 2005 @ 6:24 am

Online Exclusive: Celebrity Hairstylist, Traci Washington Tells All

by: Patrick Taliaferro

What makes your technique unique? I am into hair care. I call weaves a personality piece. My weaves are done so that the scalp can breathe. There are some weaves being done, butÂ… no air gets to the scalp and that causes skin problems. When you look at my work it looks natural. When you see my clients, you shouldn't know that they are wearing a weave. You should be surprised. How did you acquire this skill? My aunt was a hairstylist. I stayed under her and developed my skills and took them to another level. How did you go from styling in Boston to 106 & Park? I've been doing Free's hair since we were kids. I grew up with her, so when the opportunity came open, of course she chose someone she trusted to style her hair. A hairdresser is sacred, you don't want to have to switch if you don't have to. I'm into hair care first, so if Free wants to do blonde today and brown tomorrow, she know she can't come that way with me. It's a process. I'm concerned about her having healthy hair over making money. Other than Free, who else's hair have you hooked up? Lisa Leslie, Rah Digga, Aaliyah, Faith Evans, Snoop, Mario, and BET President Debra Lee. Most people can't spot a bad weave, whose weave would surprise us? Jessica Simpson has a real good one. I admire the person who does Jessica's hair because it's always tight. She can go from short to long, and it looks great. Paris Hilton wears a weave but you can tell. They don't do a good job because if she pulls it into a ponytail you can see her tracks, which obviously she doesn't mind showing. There is an art to weaving - you shouldn't see tracks when you pull it back. Who has the best weave in the business? Halle Berry - that long curly look she does is beautiful. Oprah has a beautiful weave, which is a given and of course Janet Jackson's weaves are always flawless. Which celebs make you want to perform a makeover? Paris Hilton of course. I would also love to touch Ashanti. Although her album cover art is beautiful, I see her frequently and it's not as nice in person. She is into wigs now, but when you wear wigs they still have to match your natural hair. Whoever is picking out her wigs chooses styles that make her look really, really old. Some of Mary J. Blige's weaves are nice, but I don't like the circles on top. I like the hair to blend in with the weave, to show the natural mane. The cuts on her head are fabulous, but sometimes I don't like the finish. I don't want to disrespect anyone's work, but it's my craft. I am sure people have thought Free's look was tacky on a particular day but the majority of the time her hair is really tight. What do you want people to achieve from viewing the DVD? I take a person step-by-step on how the weave is done, you don't have to sit in a chair and not know what's going on with your hair. You will have knowledge on the process. It's all about hair care. Are females the only one's rocking weaves in the industry? There are a few male entertainers who've extended their braids like Master P, Mystical, and Marques Houston when he wears braids. Of course, Michael Jackson. I could have sworn that AJ from 106 & Park had some weavage going on? Nah, that's all AJ. It's really growing now, it's all the way down to his butt. Many people treat the stylist like a psychologist, has that been a trend with Free? Free and I are like sisters. We don't really gossip, we tend to talk about our personal lives. We don't get down and dog people. Free isn't that type of person anyway, unless you do something bad to her. To learn more about Traci Washington's instructional DVD, "Loop Stitch Hair Weave, Vol.1," click here to go to her website www.icartstylez.com.

Article tags: Online, Exclusive, Celebrity, Hairstylist, Traci, Washington, Tells, All 

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