Plaited Dreads + Hard Hat

Hair bows used to secure dreads under hard hat.

Last week I retwisted and plaited my dreads because I wanted them to be crinkled and curly for my next trip. Typically, when I was in corporate, I would style my hair in a simple updo when I plaited my dreads. Now that I am working in the plant, there is absolutely no way I can pin my hair up and wear my hard hat comfortably. I didn’t come to that conclusion until Monday morning when I took off my bonnet.  

I thought the only way to wear my hard hat somewhat comfortably is to put my hair in a low ponytail bun. En route to the plant I stopped at a Walmart and looked at several hair elastic hair ties and decided to get Goody Ouchless Thick Hair Elastics & bobby pins to hold down the pieces of hair that stick out. I like the Thick Hair Elastics because it allows me to stretch the hair tie and loop it around my ponytail multiple times instead of utilizing >1 hair tie to hold my ponytail bun down. 

Why am I telling you this? Well as Black female plant engineer with dreads (I don’t know any others) there is only so much you can do in order to secure heavy dreads under a hard hat and feel comfortable.