Miss Sylvia of the Hair Dressing Salon

by Margaret Sullivan and
Nelcia Marshall

I used to plait Corn Row or Cascadoo in my god-daughter Mishma’s hair. She used to be so proud of this wonderful ‘pineapple hairdo’, done the night before, and neatly covered with a head cloth to preserve it for the next day.

I had the honour of plaiting Arah Hector’s hair a few short weeks before she died. She was tired, and her hair was “all over the place”, as she said. I plaited ‘pine apple’ and felt the tension ease as I plaited row after row. As I fastened the ‘leaves’ at the top, she smiled and thanked me warmly.

Neither my satisfaction, nor my hair dressing skills could come anywhere near Miss Sylvia – Hairdresser to the young school girl, as told to me by my friend Margaret.

In those days, busy Mothers would often leave home early, either to do domestic work, or to the mountain provision ground, with little time to comb a girl child’s hair. The boys had a distinct advantage.

Miss Sylvia – a worker in the home, would be the support service these mothers needed. Their girl children would make a bee line for Miss Sylvia’s house and patiently wait their turn to have their hair beautifully and lovingly plaited. Miss Sylvia would sit there for an hour or two, or however long it took and make everyone look neat and beautiful for school and work. What a relief to these young women and their mothers. This routine would continue until they were able to plait their own hair.

Miss Sylvia was the lady whose “hand used to grow your hair”. If you had “picky” hair, Miss Sylvia’s hairdressing salon was the place you went for that transformation to a big “head of hair”. I think every village and town had a “Miss Sylvia” whose hand could just work miracles and coax those stubborn locks out of the scalp. Of course that was the firmly held belief of our time. Miss Sylvia did it all for “gratis”. She was never paid a penny, because the myth was that if you did exchange any money for combing your hair it would not grow.

In today’s world Miss Sylvia’s hairdressing skills and labour would be worth a small fortune in this very lucrative industry of hair designs and braiding, especially when it comes to those beautifully braided styles that Miss Sylvia so kindly and lovingly designed in our hair.

Miss Sylvia was one of those quiet unsung nation builders, occupied with every day acts of community service. She no doubt counseled those little girls as her fingers moved nimbly in their hair.

These girls, now grown women, and successful in varying walks of life, cherish the very fond memory of Miss Sylvia and her salon. I am one of them”.