Everywhere you look these days, someone is wearing braids. At one time they were reserved for children or Annie Oakley look-alikes. Now braids are a fashion statement worn by rappers to movie stars to the front desk receptionist in your local doctor´s office. But braids today are no longer a simple three strand weave with a part at the back of the head, or the sophisticated French braid pulled up from the sides into a loose weave running from the crown of the head to the nape of the neck. Today´s braids take their cue from Africa, and one of the most popular African braiding styles is called “cornrows,” mini-braids woven in rows along the scalp and down the hair. Cornrows burst onto the international scene about 20 years ago, thanks to the curvaceous actress Bo Derek who wore them in the Dudley Moore film entitled “10.” There she was bouncing along in a bikini on an Acapulco beach, dozens of tiny blond braids and multi-colored beads sparkling in the sun. The clincher was, her hair never looked disheveled despite being in and out of the ocean at least a hundred times. Someone was watching, and an idea took hold. Soon cornrow braids began appearing sporadically on beaches in the Caribbean and Mexico. With the more recent popular adoption of African hairstyles in the North American culture, they have become a “must do” for North American and Mexican visitors to the beaches of Mazatlán. On any given day you will find dozens of patient women, men and children sitting quietly on beach chairs, beads

in hand, while the very deft and quick fingers of a trensita (Spanish for “little braids”) vendor weaves magic into their hair. Trensitas on the beach are a bargain in Mazatlán. American and Canadian salons advertise cornrows for medium length hair at over $100US a sitting, some even charging as much as $7US per braid. The beach vendors offer the style at between 200-250 pesos. And you can sip your beer while watching the kids make a sandcastle at the same time! While salons warn customers to put aside at least two hours for the procedure, most vendors can whip up the braids in 30-45 minutes. If you are a man, with at least 3-4 inches of hair, you too can have cornrows topped with beads for 70 pesos, and many men do. Cornrow hairstyles will last 15 to 20 days with a few simple precautions, the most important of which is to tie up the braids at night in a silk scarf. If you don´t have silk, any scarf will do. Oil your scalp every 3-4 days and apply “leave-in” conditioner on your scalp for daily maintenance. Shampoo your hair on a regular schedule, patting dry the braids. Don´t twist, rub or wring your hair as the braids may unravel. Remember, especially, that you are in a semi-tropical climate where the sun sears exposed scalps. Apply 30+ sunscreen to the bare rows on your scalp to avoid severe sunburn. When you are ready to pack your bags for home, for a small charge you may want to have a touch-up done to braids that have loosened. Then you are ready to walk off the plane in your hometown looking like a “10.”