Tree Braids and Other Random Things....

It has been awhile since my last update. It hasn't been because I'm busy though. I was just bored with my hair. I had been straightening and bunning my hair since October and quite frankly I was tired of it. About a week and a half ago I got some tree braids put in. At this stage in my journey, tree braids and cornrows are pretty much the only options for my hair in terms of braids with extensions. My hair is pretty much too long for micros and kinky twists. Anyway, have a look:




Ok, here's the run down on tree braids. I pretty much call them glorified cornrows...which they are. My hair is in small cornrows and has the braider braids about 4 strokes or so then pulls out hair which gives the illusion that I have a weave. So the pattern looks like (- equals braiding > equals hair pull out):

--->-->--->........( and so on and so forth)

It's actually kinda cool when you think about it. Since my hair is in cornrows, I can keep my scalp clean with the ORS Herbal Cleanse Dry Shampoo and I can spray leave in onto my braids. It's pretty low maintenance and I tend to keep the hair that's out in a bun since the hair gets tangled easily. The style takes about 3 to 4 hours to create, lasts between 6 and 8 weeks, and can be done with human or synthetic hair.

My only issue with this style is that the added hair sheds A LOT! I think the shedding is really evident because my hair is in a straight style. I may had to compare what happens when I use wet and wavy hair ( or something with some sort of curl) to make an accurate assessment about that. Also, you have to really be aware how tight the braider is braiding your edges b/c these braids are all up on them.

So far, however, I love tree braids and they are giving me a welcome break from my hair. I'm trying to decide if I should stick with tree braids over the summer or just do cornrows (w/o extensions). Time will tell....

Taking the Cornrows Out

It has been a fun 3 weeks but the cornrows must go. They are starting to fuzz and get build-up. It's good that I'm taking my cornrows out now so that I can let my hair recover before I relax it. I'm debating on if I should straighten it but I will probably put it into a phony pony.

I decided that I will relax my hair early next month around the time of my birthday (Aug. 6). What better way to bring in the big 2-5 than by showing off my beautiful hair? It has also come a very long way from where it was this time last year so I'm happy about that. Also, it will probably be the last of the braids for awhile. With autumn around the corner, I'll probably start wearing more buns and phony ponies. Hopefully I reach my goal of APL soon so that I can ease up a little bit on the protective styling. I would love to wear my hair out more often but I'm so scared of a setback that I just choose to keep it up.

Anyway, that's it for now. Just wanted to post an update.

It Was Fun But....

I am back in braids! After a week and a half break, I have gotten my hair cornrowed! They took about 2 hours to complete and they look like this:

Top



Side




Back





I love my cornrows! However, my only issue is that the braider braided a wee bit too tight. So, I spent last night with a can of oil sheen and a rattail comb loosening them suckers up! Next time I'm gonna have to tell her not to braid so tight (which is odd since it didn't feel tight when she was braiding....)

Anywho....

My braid regimen is still the same. I will continue to keep my scalp clean and moisturize my hair. I'm still using Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1 but I am also using a product by a local vendor. It's called Nahbila's Essentials Hair and Skin moisturizer. It contains: distilled water, aloe vera, glycerin, peppermint and rosemary extracts, virgin olive, almond, soybean, kukui nut oil, vitamin E, and fragrance. So far, I like it. It is very light and does moisturize my hair. It's also inexpensive! I paid $4 for it! Either way, I'll be alternating between those 2 moisturizers. I can keep cornrows in for up to 4 weeks so I will probably be taking these out at the end of the month and getting another set put in during the month of August.

That's all for now, just wanted to update you guys!

Wanna Learn How to Braid Your Own Hair?

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope that everyone is having a great day and (if it's hot where you're at, like it's hot here) you're staying cool.

Anyway, something that I have wanted to learn how to do (in the interest of saving some dinero)is braid/ twist my hair. I did some research and found that Braids by Breslin gives awesome tutorials. However, those DVDs cost money too. Well, today I was on LHCF and someone posted this link: http://www.braidsbybreslin.com/freestuff/


Apparently, if you sign up for her newsletter, you receive the Learn Tree Braids, Learn Cornrows, Learn Kinky Twists, Learn Micro Braids, and Learn Weaves videos as well as The Black Hair Answer Book, 5 Secrets to Healthy Hair, and The 1 Secret That Changed My Hair.

This is definitely a good deal and I encourage you guys to check it out!

Washing Braids/Twists/Whatever..pt 2

I have talked at length about how I use dry shampoo when my hair is braided, this I know. However, sometimes I miss washing my hair and DCing. What is a girl to do?

Well there is actually a way to wash your hair while your hair is braided up. You will need:

1) Pantyhose (tied like a stocking cap)
2) Your favorite shampoo
3) Water
4) Spray bottle
5) Your favorite DC

Basically, you put the stocking cap on your head. Then, you place your favorite shampoo in the spray bottle and dilute it with water. Mix well. Spray the shampoo/water mixture onto your stocking cap (I typically try to saturate it). Rinse well with water. Dilute your favorite DC with water and spray onto your stocking cap. Leave DC on for as long as you like. Rinse really really well.

That is it! I hope that is clear. I definitely had to wash my twists like this because I am starting to smell like the Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1 that I spray in my hair every single freakin day. That was NOT and is NOT the business! At least now my hair will smell like the Aubrey Organics GPB that I'm DCing with. Anyway, now you know ladies...another alternative for washing your hair while it is braided.

Selecting the Right Braid Style for You

Hey you guys!

Well it has been a minute since I have last posted. I have been having some family issues lately and haven't been in much of a mood to post. However, I am feeling better now so I have decided to give you guys a new post.

Since my hair is in kinky twists, the last series of posts have been about caring for your hair while in braids. Now I want to shift gears a bit for those who may be thinking about getting their hair braided but don't know what style to get. If you are using braids as a protective style, it is very important to consider the style you are getting since some styles may be detrimental to retention.

Some things to consider before getting your hair braided: 1)Work appropriateness--some styles may not be appropriate for work. Since I am a grad student and the dress code/hair code is extremely lax around here, I can do whatever style I please and it won't be a problem. However, this may not be the case for everyone. 2)Time/Effort--Personally, I hate sitting for hours on end (this is why I only got micros 1 time)but I want a style to last for at least 2 months.So I choose styles that take less time but last (i.e., kinky twists). I like cornrows as well but they have to get redone frequently (and I am not a fan of that. 3) Hair length--Some styles aren't protective once your hair gets to a certain length

All right here we go:

Micros
If you are getting micros that braid only a little bit and leave the rest of the hair out, like this:

(yes, I have had my hair every possible way you can imagine lol) I want you to STOP. First, assess how long your hair is. If your hair is NL and beyond, this is probably not the style for you. This style leaves your ends out and is not very protective. You would really have to be on top of your moisture game if you want to retain length.

If your hair is shorter than that and you do decide to get them, make sure the braids aren't super duper small. You may be surprised to know that the braids in my pic are the biggest they went (size-wise). If I hadn't asked for bigger braids, they would have been smaller than that (shocking I know!)

Cornrows


I would probably recommend this style to anyone at almost any length (you do have to have enough hair to put into a braid, of course). I have been wearing cornrows on and off ever since I was a little girl. I find that they are pretty versatile. You can make them smaller, you can make them larger. You can pull them back into a bun. You can pull them back into a ponytail. Whatever you want to do, you can do it!

The only drawback: you have to get cornrows re-done fairly quickly, depending how you take care of them. I have found that as long as I keep the cornrows moisturized and covered up at night with a bonnet, they last as long as 4 weeks (if I don't take them out before then)! When I didn't do those 2 things, I found myself getting cornrows every 2 weeks.

Box Braids


Another excellent choice for any length. The entire length of your hair is braided, making it a good style for retaining length. As you can see, the last time I had box braids was in high school. From what I can recall, those braids were teetering on micro (NOTE: This is the only exception to the micro rule. If you have micro box braids, the style is fine as long as the braids aren't really really small!). I had them in for about a month and a half (the only reason I took them was because I was bored) and got tremendous growth from them.

Kinky Twists/ Sengalese Twists




So clearly, kinky twists are a favorite of mine. I like them because they are the best style (in my opinion) for protecting your ends. My hair is twisted throughout the length of the extension, which makes moisturizing a breeze. I just spray it throughout the length of the extension and call it day. I find that kinky twists look better with time. As you start to get more and more new growth, they look better and better. This makes it 1000x easier to maintain them for 2-3 months. Also, it takes less time to put them in. It takes about 5-6 hours (unlike micros which take forever and a day).

As for sengalese twists, I have never had them. Until recently, I wasn't sure what the difference was between them and kinky twists. Basically, sengalese twists are longer than kinky twists and kinky twists use a different kind of hair. They kind of remind me of ropes (lol) and they just seem extraordinarily heavy. I don't think I would ever get them since I don't like the feeling of my head being weighed down. However, I know people who have had great growth with them...so whatever works for you. Again, this style is suitable for any length.

Tree Braids
This is the style that I would love to try but I am terrified! I have heard so many stories about it ripping peoples edges out. However, I have heard some success stories too so I feel inclined to include it in the listing. Tree braids, also called invisible braids, are appropriate for those in a more professional setting. The style really looks like weave and the braids are barely visible (I would post a pic but I'm afraid of using someone else's pic....just google tree braids and some images will pop up). This style lasts about a month, so it is a style that you would have to get re-done fairly frequently.

I hope this post helped those considering a braided style but wasn't sure which style to get. If you are truly choosing braids as a protective style, there are certain considerations you have to take. Like i said before: low maintenance doesn't mean no maintenance.

Finding A New Moisturizer

So I have had these twists in for 2 weeks now and I have ran through 2 bottles of leave in conditioners!

Let me explain: I spray the length of my twists 2x a day with my leave-ins, alternating between Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave In and Giovanni Direct Vitapro. Doing this has caused me to run through bottles of leave ins that usually last for months. Well, my leave ins aren't cheap (the Revitalizing Leave In runs me around $12 a pop!) and I am in no mood to go all the way out to Whole Foods. I decided I can find a cheaper alternative at my local BSS.

I have heard so many rave reviews about Hawaiian Silky Miracle Worker 14 in 1 as a moisturizer that I decided to give it a shot. It only cost me $6 (plus tax)--I can get 2 bottles of this for what I pay for my leave ins!



From what I can tell, this product has multiple uses, including moisturizing hair that is braided. Apparently, it also strengthens hair, relieves itching, increases body, and is a thermal protectant. Time will tell if 14 in 1 can do all of these things but for now it seems like it make be an excellent moisturizer. I sprayed some in my hair as soon as I got home and and it seems to do its job.

We shall see if this is a keeper!

Because Low Maintenance Doesn't Mean No Maintenance...

....I washed my hair yesterday. Since my hair is in twists, I wash my hair with dry shampoo. I started using ORS Herbal Cleanse (you can find it in beauty supply stores for about $6) 2 years ago after one of my friends (who keeps her hair in braids) recommended it to me. This shampoo is definitely a staple for me when my hair is in braids.



I start the washing process by sectioning my hair and applying the dry shampoo to my scalp. Once applied, I massage the shampoo in and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Once I'm done, I wipe any residue away (gently) using warm water and a cloth.I love the tingly feeling my scalp gets from using this shampoo. Feels like my entire scalp is--refreshed. I love it! I finish up the washing session by rubbing a small amount of the dry shampoo into my twists. You can do this for each individual twist or if you're lazy, like me, you can section your hair and apply it to those sections. I finish up by spraying Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave In along the length of my twists and covering my twists with a bonnet. Voila...I'm done.

The time it takes to do my hair is definite benefit to having twists. I'll probably give my hair a wash again this weekend.

What To Do When.......

...it seems like your hair is too short to do ANYTHING!

Trust me. I've been here. As a matter of fact, I'm still here. It can be frustrating, especially when you hear of all these different styles that require slightly longer hair. Well here is a list of things that I do when I can't do certain hairstyles.

What to do when you can't...

-Rollerset: I love rollersetting. I do. It gives beautiful curls. The only down side to rollersetting is that it is incredibly time consuming. Well my short hair divas, now is the time to count you blessings. I have found that wet wraps are incredibly easy to do when your hair is short. Add some foam wrap lotion ( I prefer Jane Carter Solution Wrap and Roll), wrap hair, and put on a wrap strip. You can then air dry or still under a hooded dryer and flat iron if you so desire. That's it. It doesn't get any easier than that!

-Braidout, Twistout, or any kind of other "-out": I frequent hair care forums and during the course of the summer so many of the ladies in the forums talked about doing braidout and twistouts. I'll admit that I was a little jealous. Why? I can't do them, that's why. Unfortunately my hair was too short to do either one. However, I found flexi-rod sets to be an alternative for us short-haired chicks. You can buy the appropriate sized rods and create a curly do that lasts for days!

-Rock the oh-so-famous bun: Yeah I don't have enough hair to put into a bun yet. But I do like the option of having a low maintenance style. Sometimes, doing your hair everyday gets old fast! This boredom with my hair eventually lead me to the wonderful world of wigs. Wigs offer a new style and the option of low maintenance. The same can be said for phony ponies ( if your hair is long enough to get into a ponytail), weaves (sew-in of course), and braids (be careful with the micros though).

So you see, short hair doesn't necessarily lock you into one style. With a bit of imagination and creativity, you can find styles to get you through the awkward stage.