The European Union is out to get me; not really, but I like being dramatic. I scoured the streets of Rome, trying to find braiding hair in my color. Now it does not help that my hair is ginger, not burgundy, not ombre, but ginger. I could not find my hair color in any hair store I came across. Luckily, three months ago Trinity was prepared for this to happen. As a Black woman, there is a deep connection we have with our hair and one of my biggest fears going abroad was how to maintain my hair’s health. I studied abroad before, so I expected Rome to not have my hair color and I prepared for it. I packed hair dye to touch up my roots and I packed extension hair to be able to re-braid my hair at least twice during my trip. There are African braiders in Rome and due to connections at my internship, I was able to find a woman that could braid my hair type. But still, that was only part of the problem. I still had to navigate things like skincare and makeup- things that lighter people don’t have to pay as much attention to. Sephora did not offer anything darker than a paper bag and as a person with acne-prone skin, most of the brands from home did not exist here. So, I was worried to say the least. But since I expected this, I packed enough to not have to deal with hair, skin or beauty anxiety as much. But for my women of color who are thinking about studying in a predominately white place like Italy, here are some things that I did in preparation for my trip.
1.Allocate “Beauty Space” in your luggage
Depending on how long you are leaving for, one hairstyle may not last for your entire trip. When I studied abroad previously, it was easy to manage my hair because I was only away for six weeks. But my study abroad trip in Rome is four months and I usually change hairstyles a bit in that time span. As I packed my bag for Rome, I saved space for things I knew would be hard to find overseas. I packed braiding hair in my color, I packed my natural hair products as well as detangling tools for my natural hair. This is not to say that these things don’t exist anywhere in Rome, but it left one less thing for me to navigate as I arrived in a new city. If you are traveling for a longer time, consider packing a few extra things to maintain your hair, like I did. But it is important to note that there is a bit of diversity in Italy. Therefore, it is likely that you can find hair stores and vendors that cater to your hair color or type. I knew going into my trip that it would be almost impossible for me to find hair in a ginger color because of my previous study abroad experience. But if you have regular black or brown hair, this won’t be as difficult, I promise.
I also made sure to refill all my skin care products I rely on daily. Especially because the United States has a lot of different beauty regulations than the European Union. So, a lot of the Korean skincare that I use back home, was not available for me to purchase in Italy. If you have acne-prone skin like me, you like to stick to what you know. And because of that, I did not want to take the chance trying a duplicate product upon my arrival. This is why it was important for me to allocate space and weight in my luggage for the extra beauty products that I would have to bring. Thankfully, I don’t wear a lot of makeup, so that part was easy. But if you have darker skin, I recommend packing a few of your favorite makeup products because you will likely not be able to find them in Rome. Sephora is good for things like fragrances and eye shadows, but when it comes to complexion products, they are not as diverse as we are used to in the United States.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask
In places like Rome, there is a robust African population. Do not be afraid to ask women that you see on the streets where they get their hair done. A lot of the time they are enthusiastic to share their beauty secrets with you especially because they understand the frustration you may be feeling. The surest and easiest way to find places that cater to your skin type or hair type, is to ask people that look like you. I work with a lot of migrant women so they gave me the WhatsApp of people that could braid my hair. Over the past three months that I have been in Italy, there is a lot of beauty frustrations that I have had the privilege of avoiding. While it sucks to have to allocate extra space in your luggage because your host country does not cater to your skin or hair type, there are ways around it. And if you do happen to be in Rome and need a protective stylist, I would recommend @braidedbywhitney_ on Instagram!
And while the red hair dilemma is still in effect, I was able to find ways to take care of my hair during my time abroad. And I hate to support Jeff Bezos, but when in doubt, search Amazon for all your natural hair needs. Because that is the only place where I could find hair in my color. If you are a person of color thinking of studying abroad check out the Education Abroad things to consider page as you prepare to go!