A Black Woman's Struggle to Find Silk Press Services in a New England Haircare Desert

After leaving New York City in 2018 for a 1720s New England country home, the author—born in Atlanta and formerly a Harlem resident—found herself in a town where Black hair care was virtually nonexistent. A mid-pandemic breast cancer diagnosis, discovered while pregnant, further altered her hair texture from familiar curls to something perplexing. Her search for a local stylist involved heatmapping Vagaro listings, mining #silkpress on social media, and calling salons, only to face rejections like "We don't have anyone on staff who can do your hair" or "No, we don't do 'ethnic' hair." Even a new salon founded by two celebrated master stylists offered only a loose invitation to "see" what could be done. Unlike New York City, where most salons would at least attempt her hair, New England salons refused outright. She resorted to DIY blowouts, braids, and Bantu knots, learning from YouTube and TikTok, but mistakes like melting a plastic rat-tail comb left burnt bits. Now she schedules silk press appointments during 100-mile round trips to her Chelsea salon in Manhattan, which has expanded its expertise in African American, textured, thick, dense hair. She hopes her town will eventually become an oasis.