"My Mane Problem Finale" Exclusive Clip And Interview With Dr. Boogie

Dr. Boogie Talks “My Mane Problem,” Plus Watch An Exclusive Clip From The ALLBLK Series! [VIDEO]

- By

My Mane Problem Key Art

Source: Courtesy ALLBLK / AMC Networks

BOSSIP: How did you get the idea to do this show?

Dr. Boogie: Well I had another show in mind that I was trying to do called “Queen For A Day,” where I just go take a woman and just give her her best life. Full on hair, makeup, photography, wardrobe, doctor, whatever we need to do. That wasn’t really working because people weren’t into shows that weren’t buffooning. So Allison created this show, from Irwin Entertainment. She came to me early on and I was just big on not buffooning. I was like ‘As long as I’m not buffooning I’m OK.’ I’ve already been around the circuit and nobody was really trying to buy my shows. But this had more of a “Botched” angle, and we just get a little more heartfelt with it. Once they started doing casting and hearing the stories of African American women and their hair I knew we were on to something bigger. What I liked about the network was they were very clear to me that I don’t have to do any buffooning and clowning and you know, hurting women’s feelings. Once we got past that, you know everybody was on the same page and then we came up with “My Mane Problem”. I’m so grateful to ALLBLK for pushing towards that.

We love the fact that you’re helping women deal with their trauma. We never heard it put that way before, but that’s exactly what these women on the show are dealing with.

It is traumatic and people don’t understand that. I’m so happy that we got to show that where people can understand you don’t tease people about their hair, you don’t talk about their hair and even a compliment can hurt someone. Saying, ‘Oh I like your hair so much better like that.’ So you didn’t like the way I looked before? That causes mental trauma.

We get to talk about real issues and for me to do your hair, I need to know where you let yourself go. You know it might be very very personal. On “My Mane Problem” the girls open up, we go deep. It’s like whatever the situation is, my technique of figuring out what the best look for you is to figure out what’s going on with your life. Even though I’m not a licensed psychologist, anybody that is a hairstylist knows that hairstyle can be healing. You can talk to their confidence. I’ve been around millions of women, for years and the confidence that you can install in a woman by making her look good became phenomenal to me.

What’s been the biggest issue that you’ve seen? Not just on the show, but just in doing hair in general? What do you think the biggest mistake that people are making is?

They’re not stimulating the scalp and they’re not feeding their hair. Black or white, hair thins. You have to massage and stimulate or the blood isn’t going to flow. You have to brush your scalp or massage it. It’s just like your foot or your arm. If you let it sit there too long in one place, it’s gonna fall asleep and then you wake up and you know start shaking it, well your scalp is the same way. If you don’t brush your scalp or massage it, follicles aren’t going to respond and the blood is not gonna flow. Ten years go by fast, wearing wigs, scarves, hats, ponytails after a while you see the hair has gotten thin. That’s because you have not circulated that blood and allowed those follicles to grow. Number one biggest mistake.

Number two — feeding the hair. Back in days the jheri curl was big and everybody had hair because we set it, because we wanted the hair to blow and move, so we stopped feeding it, putting oil in it. You’d go to the hairstylist and they’d pick up the oil and you almost would run from the oil. And that’s the number one thing that your hair needs. You gotta feed it. You gotta simulate it and there are so many people, hundreds of people who are not doing that. Everybody that’s reading this right now, raise your hand if you haven’t stimulated your scalp in a week. Half of America. When’s the last time you stimulated your scalp?

I’ve been natural for years, so I use a detangling brush a few times a week.

Oh, I just got to get down on my knees and God bless you girl! Yeah keep the message going. Let me say this about the natural thing, I’m not a naturalist on the show, it’s not all about, ‘Oh let me take everybody natural.’ I give the woman what works for her lifestyle and what she can manage. We have our pro no relaxing people and I actually saw a comment on one of the posts and they were like, ‘Well why did you give her relaxer if she has scalp damage?’ That’s why you have to know her full story. You gotta give her something, because that’s why she’s hiding because what she has. Because she can’t maintain it. So I choose to give her a relaxer because she can maintain it. Like I said on the show, I give people what works for them. I’m not about pleasing others, because that’s what these women have been dealing with for their entire life; their family, their friends, telling what they look like or how they should be. So many women struggle with identity or who they are with their hair alone. It’s kind of hurtful and that’s why I’m so so grateful for “My Mane Problem.”

Let’s talk about weaves, because I think that’s another one people think ‘Weaves are bad,’ but I know from watching “My Mane Problem” that if you use the foundation braids, you’re protecting your hair. What are some of the things that you think people need to know if they are going to do a weave? What are some ways that they can protect their edges?

You know the weave is one of my hair regimens where clients who have just really been traumatized and their hair is breaking off and it just can’t take any more chemicals, heat, anything, the first thing I will do is to put a weave in their hair. Because what needs to happen is, it’s a protective hairstyle and if the braids and the base are done correctly this could be a wonderful thing.

I have a client now who, I had been living in her town and I moved out and she couldn’t find me and she went to all these hairdressers and they literally fried her hair to death. So when I got ahold of her I put her on the regimen, put that weave in for two months at a time and then you are allowed to feed it.

So if your base is right… It’s not important to put those braids in tight guys, Please stop thinking that the tighter the braids are the better the weave. That’s not true. Get the braids in there right. Put the foundation on correctly, whether it’s braids or a weave and the most important thing is feed your hair.

Why I got the product Bionic that I have, Bionic Hair Oil. It’s everything. It’s not heavy, it doesn’t clog the scalp it has a dropper in it. You could put it in between that weave and drop those little drops in there so your hair can eat throughout the process of the protective style. And then when you take it down you’re going to notice an inch or two of growth every two or three months and you just do the same thing, repeat the process, let it feed, let it grow, then you take it all the way out. Some people don’t have the patience. It takes patience. Everybody wants instant gratification, so they can take the Instagram picture. I get it.

It’s hard to find a good hairstylist. What do you recommend for Black women who are looking for a good stylist? How do you find someone who’s going to do you right?

You have to know what you want. Are you about wearing the lace front wigs and doing that? Then you go to somebody who specializes in that. If you’re about healthy hair and you just want your hair to be maintained and be healthy, wash it and condition it and put on a regimen with the right product for your hair so it will just grow. So it kind of depends on what you want is a person. Do you want to be in the shop every week or do you just want your hair to grow natural and beautiful and just leave all the stress alone? It really is up to the individual.

We actually see you throw wigs away on the show, are you throwing them away for good? Also is an expensive wig “better” than an inexpensive one?

That is a big misconception because, in the business of doing hair in television with the Lisa Rayes and the Vivicas, I will use a $30 synthetic wig in a minute. For one, it’s gonna last longer and I’m not brushing and combing hair and curling all day. So that’s gonna last longer. And no you buy all this expensive wig, that’s not gonna make your hair healthier or better. You’re just basically spending more money, right and covering up and hiding even more. And you’re not even feeding your scalp or stimulating it. So regardless of how much the wig costs, it’s got nothing to do with the fact that you’re not taking care of your hair underneath.

As far as the show, we have nothing against the wig. I’m smacking the wigs off and throwing them away because they’re in trouble and they need a spanking because they’re wearing wigs and not taking care of their hair. So it’s not the fact that they wear a wig, it’s that they’re not taking care of what they have underneath there. Most importantly, you’re not confident for what you have there.

The entire first season of “My Mane Problem” is available on ALLBLK now.

Comments

Bossip Comment Policy
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.