00:00The first, like the very first person that taught me how to braid was, I know mom.
00:05It's not me?
00:06It wasn't you.
00:08Oh my god, cut the cameras.
00:10Hi, I'm Zari McOberson and today I'm going to get Nala's box braids with beads at the end.
00:16My mom does my hair almost like every month.
00:19I only get my hair done by her or, you know, close family members, but mainly my mom for free
00:26because I'm her daughter.
00:28Good hair to me is healthy, pretty much healthy.
00:33It can be any length.
00:34As long as it's healthy, that's all that makes it good hair.
00:39What's up, you guys?
00:41It's your favorite hair artist, Lena J.
00:42I am a celebrity hair artist.
00:44I specialize in braiding and I'm in Los Angeles, California.
00:49I've been braiding hair since I was like 12 years old and I've been licensed over 10 years.
00:54I feel like hair and braids are a form of expression.
00:58So today I'm going to be doing some jumbo knotless box braids for my daughter and she wants to add
01:04like some wooden beads on the end.
01:07So we're going with that vibe today.
01:10Hey, hair.
01:12Hi, mom.
01:14Oh, my gosh.
01:15So how was wash day today?
01:16You just got your new cuts.
01:17Yeah, it was easier.
01:19So I'm just put a little, you know, a little heat protectant, a little serum.
01:25You're not paying me for this.
01:28You got to do my, are you going to do my hair next?
01:29Uh-huh.
01:31Okay.
01:31Oh, you've been here now.
01:34Pre-sectioning the hair will save you so much time.
01:36It's kind of like my road map to protective styling.
01:39I'm just sectioning your hair so I can detangle it as I go.
01:46The split ends are not your best friend.
01:47You got to cut them off.
01:48Thank you for cutting them.
01:51I know you didn't really want to at first.
01:54For one second I didn't.
01:56And then I was like, you know, what the heck?
01:57You know, I want to let you know that I'm not trying to be too overprotective.
02:01I don't mind you trying things, you know.
02:03I want to help you feel confident and, and great hair equals confidence.
02:08I teach my daughter that her hair is beautiful in all stages, but also know that like hair
02:15is not everything.
02:17It can enhance her beauty, but it doesn't define her beauty.
02:23I remember you're like, I was like, what do you want to be when you grow up?
02:27Right?
02:28Right?
02:28Okay.
02:28You insulted me so good.
02:30You were only six years old.
02:31You were like, so mom, what do you want to be when you grow up?
02:34And I'm like, I'm grown.
02:36I do hair.
02:37You're like, no, like a doctor or a lawyer.
02:41And I was like, no, I'm a hairstylist.
02:44You know, I help people change their lives.
02:46I bring their vision to life.
02:48And then after I told you that, you said, well, if that's what you want to do, then
02:52you just got to be the best.
02:53And that was like the best advice you ever gave me.
02:57And like, you're my go-to person for that.
03:00Because it was really life-changing.
03:02I was like, okay, I have to go hard because my daughter needs to know that this job is
03:06serious.
03:07How's that feeling?
03:08It feels good.
03:09You know, this brush massages your scalp too, you know, stimulates the blood.
03:14I like this brush because it's like flat ironing your hair and brushing it at the same time.
03:23When achieving knotless box braids, the key is to make seamless braids.
03:28So, you will not be able to detect where the extensions were inserted.
03:33Start off with the person's natural hair and then feed in the extensions.
03:39This is really a bonding time for me and my mom.
03:42I just feel like we're just connected in some way when she's doing the hair.
03:46Hair is a lot to my family.
03:48Like, it's natural for us to know how to do hair.
03:51So, yeah, we're into the family.
03:53Even if she doesn't want to be hairstylist, that's fine.
03:55But she needs to know the basics of hair.
03:56I'm actually just helping her braid the end.
04:01Okay, my favorite part is definitely accessorizing.
04:04Like, how she wanted to put beads.
04:05I don't want to put you on the spot, but, like, I've been trying to get you to put beads
04:08in
04:09your hair for, like...
04:10Oh, I was just about to say that.
04:11I always want to put beads in my hair.
04:12And you're like, no, that's too kitty.
04:16It was at a time.
04:18I don't mind the trend, you know, following the trends, but I'm just more so a trendsetter.
04:24So, that's why I'm trying to...
04:26Oh, yeah, that's the difference between you and mom.
04:27So, that's where we lose our connection because she doesn't see my vision until it's already out.
04:34As far as professional-wise, I want to be an entertainer.
04:40I love it.
04:41Whatever she wants to do, I support it.
04:43But as long as she's consistent and works at it, does the best.
04:47You know, pretty much the advice she gave me.
04:50I'm not going to throw her out in the ocean and expect her to sink or swim.
04:54Like, I'm going to be right there by her side to help her along the way.
04:58You know, the background that we come from is not, you know, the best.
05:03You know, so we have to work really hard to get somewhere.
05:06And so, you know, she might feel a little overwhelmed because she's just a teenager.
05:11She's a young girl.
05:12But I just want her to appreciate, you know, what she has, to just be creative, to just go
05:17after whatever she wants.
05:19And don't let anyone stop her.
05:22Be fearless.
05:24So, I'm definitely proud of who she's becoming.
05:26You're going to make me cry.
05:29No, for real, my eyes are watering up.
05:31I don't want to mess my makeup.
05:34You're so beautiful, Zine.
05:36You taught me so much.
05:38I'm probably not going to be your best person all the time.
05:41I'm willing to take that.
05:43I think that's what a mom is, you know.
05:45I do feel like sometimes it's a lot of pressure on me.
05:50I feel like a lot of teens can relate to me.
05:52Like she said, we don't always have our good moments.
05:56But we have moments.
05:58So, that's all that matters, you know.
06:01She's in my life, so.
06:04You're going to have to make me cry.
06:06Don't want to mess up my makeup.
06:09You're a mess.
06:12When I leave home, it's going to be a lot harder to find someone else to, you know, do my
06:18hair.
06:18So, of course, I'm going to have to find out eventually or do my own hair because, you know,
06:22she's not always going to be right there, you know, to do it.
06:25And she can just be old and do my hair.
06:27Oh, excuse me.
06:29I'm going to be retired.
06:31I want to encourage my daughter to want to try different things.
06:37I'm, like, pretty open to stuff.
06:40But I don't want something that's going to make her look extremely older unless it's a special occasion.
06:46I don't want to stunt her growth, you know.
06:48But I just want her to embrace being a child and lead her in the right direction as far as
06:53maturity.
06:55Yeah, so we're on the last braid.
06:58I've already put my water on so we can dip the hair so the synthetic fibers can melt and give
07:06movement and look more natural.
07:09Finish it off with some cute wooden beads.
07:13I like the colors you chose, too, because, like, I feel like you can wear anything with those colors.
07:18Yeah.
07:18I wanted to chop it down a little bit more, so here we are with just something a little bit
07:22more simple.
07:23And I'm going to put a ring on it because, I don't know, it's just cool.
07:28Okay, girls, we can dip now.
07:31Yay.
07:34Here I have a tea kettle, and I'm going to use the hot water to seal the ends of the
07:39synthetic hair.
07:46Mom, can you teach me how to put this on my braids?
07:50I'm not sure.
07:51Okay.
07:53And then put the braid through.
07:55Okay.
07:56Just push it up.
07:58I like to load them up on this plastic stick so it's easier to apply to the braids.
08:05You use an elastic band to secure the beads on the hair so that they will not fall off.
08:16Okay, you ready for your reveal?
08:18Yes.
08:19Can you see how beautiful you are?
08:21Yes.
08:22Oh, my God.
08:24Mom, you did so good.
08:28Are you talking about me?
08:30Are you talking about you?
08:31Yes.
08:31Oh, okay.
08:33You look so good.
08:35Thank you, Mom.
08:36Oh, you're welcome.
08:38I love you.
08:46I love my new hairstyle.
08:49It makes me feel really good and confident.
08:51I had really high expectations and she lived up to that.
08:55Oh, man, it made my heart smile.
08:57I love that she loved her hair.
08:58You know, it's really, it's kind of hard to please my family and friends.
09:04They critique me the most, I guess.
09:06I don't know.
09:07I feel, I don't know.
09:08I humble myself really quickly when I'm doing my family's hair.
09:11I am very proud that my mom became a stylist.
09:14She's so good at it and it's her talent and I think she does her job really well.
09:19She is definitely a big role model to me, how to start a business.
09:23I can talk to her about that, how to do some hair.
09:26I can talk to her about that, about anything.
09:29When she looked in the mirror, it really made me feel happy.
09:32It made me feel like I did my job and that's why I do hair.
09:39I do hair to make other people feel good and to make other people feel beautiful and to know
09:43that I can do that to my daughter, it just makes me feel complete.
Comments