My Fall Protective Style: Individual Braids..

Xpressions #8 used

Okay so it never fails I always go into some kind of braids in the fall/winter months. Typically I reserve my box braids for summer, but I put crochets in this past summer and thought I would switch it up.  I'm not a  big trend watcher anyway.  I  wear what I want, when I want and for different reasons! This time I desperately needed  to give me and my hair a break. I've been super busy and I was starting to lose patience with my hair. Yes it happens to me! And when that happens I put my hair away before I do something crazy like damage it or cut it off!  So, I made a quick decision to save me and my hair, and in these box braids went!(I couldn't muster up any strength to try installing these, I had someone else do them. Liz @ Calizbeauty Salon in Plano, Tx..I'm loving the color!)    I absolutely love my natural hair but I don't always love how much work goes into caring for it, nor do I always have the time!  I thank God for other options....

1 week old, barely pulled back

   

I would love to keep these in for 2 months, but we shall see!  The length and thickness of these braids have been a bit cumbersome getting use to. I am such a practical person, if hair is slowing me down or getting in my way it has to go! Comfort over cuteness will always win out with me.  But, I am trying to get use to them. Maybe I will make it a month!  Every little bit helps I am going to enjoy my break for as long as I can. And as always I know when this is over I will be back in love with  "the Process'' of managing my lovely thick, dense, kinky curly cottony hair!    

So what are you guys doing with your hair right now?  Will you be protecting it from the cold weather or yourself?  Either way works! lol. 

    

Well until Next time!! 

Summer Hair Care Plans..Do you have any?

Braid out

Hello ladies!! I am behind with posting this month..please forgive me! How have you been!? Well, if you are living in the Dallas Ft worth area you have noticed that it is already getting pretty hot outside. Its not officially summer but we are already feeling the effects of it here and that typically means a revamp of hair care needs for me.   My hair is prone to dryness, and especially during the summer so wearing my hair out is very limited. The summer sun seems to just DRY my hair out and it feels like dessert sand!

Textured Banana Clip Bun

Simply wearing my hair in buns, updo's, and my signature twists isn't always enough during the summer.  I have to completely cover my hair and especially during the hottest months. So I will be wearing braids.  I also increase how much water and moisturizer I use as well as Grape seed oil to protect my hair from  heat damage.  Yes the sun gets that hot here!  I feel its equivalent to sitting under a hooded dryer, no exaggeration.     

My summer Hair Care Plan

  

I will spritz my hair with water and glycerin  to attract  more moisture from the air

Add Grape seed oil to my EVOO mix as a heat protectant from the sun

Moisturize Daily

Wear protective Styles ALL summer.........And that's it,  pretty simple! How will you care for your hair this summer?   

Crochet Braids recently added 

Until Next Time! 

  

Twisted Bun Fun

I'm Still Protecting my Hair

And twists and braids are my favorite way to protect! I attribute twists as one of the best ways to retain length for my hair. (I will do a post about that soon!)  But, I wear them so often that I sometimes run out of ways to style them, and it can get kind of boring?  I am known for wearing my typical half up have down twists or I just pull them up in a Ponytail! 

Moving forward I'm going to start experimenting with different ways to style  my twists so I won't loose my love for them!  You tube is full of twisted updo's and styles so we will see how I do with that!  I found the one I'm wearing below on HonestlyErica's youtube channel! She is awesome. She's always posting interesting styles for Mini Twists and braids.  

Side Swept Twisted Bun/with Halo braided bang.

Well Until Next time!

My Summer Protective Style Challenge

Mini braids

Greetings Healthy Hair Enthusiasts!  Summer is here, and in Dallas we are really feeling the heat!  We are already in the upper 90’s and I've decided that it is way too hot to leave my hair out.  When it’s this hot  I can feel the heat drying out my hair something fierce so,  I've decided that I want to place myself on a protective style challenge. Not only to keep most of my moisture in, but to also cut down on the minor breakage from my detangling and styling.

My Hair prior to detangling 

My go to protective style using my natural hair is typically Mini twists, but I decided to switch it up this time and try mini braids or plaits.  When I use to wear braid extensions, I use to love how long I could leave those in, and washing and conditioning was a breeze! 

Mini braids with open ends

I installed these on May 27^th.  initially I braided leaving out 2 inches on the ends to define.  I left them this way for less than a day.  I didn’t feel I had the luxury of leaving my ends out so I braided them all the way down.  I want to cut down on single strand knots during this time as well, so keeping the hair as stretched as possible will help me accomplish this.  

I plan to keep these in for at least 4 weeks.  I will cleanse, take them down, Henna, deep condition and will put them back into mini braids or mini twists through Sept 27^th...My 3 Year Anniversary!! (Will leave my hair out no more than 2 days in between sets)   While my PS is in, I will Co wash and deep condition alternating with AO GPB and Dessert Essence Coconut conditioner. I will also be using Hydratherma Natural’s Follicle invigorator spray on my scalp, and hair.  I will also use their Hair growth oil for sealing..   Vatika Oil will also be used,  because of the lemon that’s infused into this oil it prevents my scalp from itching.  There’s also Amla and traces of Henna in this oil which should help strengthen my roots and hair as well.  I’m excited about this challenge, I never make it on other people’s PS challenges I do better when I have my own conviction for doing them.  My goal is to minimize halo breakage from detangling, reduce single strand knots, and of course to retain length!   What will your Summer Healthy Hair Regimen Be?

Until Next Time! Keep it healthy and happy! 

Protective Style: Crochet Braids!

My New Protective Style!

Hello Everyone! It's March Already?  Wow.  Here in Texas we didn't have much of a winter,  It was in the 80's today and we hung out in the 70's for most of February.  So what am I protecting my hair from?  ME!!  lol. I flat out enjoy the break from the daily manipulation.  Truth is,  I don't need a special season to go into a long term protective style. It is whenever I want a break from doing my hair!   

 

For most of you who've followed me or this blog, you know braids have always been my favorite long term protective style, but because my hair has grown a lot longer I had to let go of my love for curly individual braids.   But when I started to  notice this "new way"(well  new to me!) of doing crochet braids, I had to try them out,  and I LOVE Them!  They are a lot simpler to install on my self than individuals and are not as time consuming.    Before going into braids  I deep conditioned, moisturized, added a leave in, heat protectant and did a "tension method" blow out.  When blow drying I used medium heat and didn't blow dry straight, just enough to stretch to prevent tangles when braiding. 

blow out..tension method

  I then added cornrows to my hair. This was the first time that I've added cornrows to my hair since being 100 % natural.  Not as quick as adding them to relaxed hair, but  I got through it!  : )  

  

After adding my cornrows, I pinned my braids upward and crocheted  my curly synthetic braiding hair. I then cut and shaped it!  

 

Not bad for my first crack at adding any kind of extensions to my own hair, I'm loving this braid style because it looks very  natural.  

I'm excited because my hair thrives in braided protective styles, and this one has lower risks of damage because the hair is crocheted onto my cornrows,(which are not tight) I can still style the hair without worrying about any of my hair or edges being pulled.  I will probably do these throughout the spring and summer off and on...with regular Ayurvedic and deep conditioning treatments in between.  If you are local, and  want to know how you can achieve this style, please look me up at Styleseat.com/healthyhappyhair.com

Until Next time.. Keep it Healthy and Happy!  

Braiding for Health

(Braids done by: Designs by Jackie)

I've been getting a lot of inquires from my Braiding for Length Retention Blog Post and decided to post an addendum to that.  Although it's good to know that you can experience growth while in braids, proper hair care before, during, and after your braids are taken down also plays a factor in your long term healthy hair goals. One missed step in any stage can result in serious damage to  your hair.   Below is a response to an inquiry that I got a couple years ago regarding Braiding for Health. This reader was serious about braiding her hair for health and gaining length. (It's a lot to read, but it's very helpful!)

My Journal and response:

I had a person inquire about what they could be doing wrong when wearing braids to retain length, because their hair always broke when wearing braids. She noticed that my hair seem to flourish in braids and wanted to know what the difference was. Many women  don’t realize  that the condition of your hair prior to going into braids is a huge factor.   If your hair is already weak, thinning or breaking, going into a set of braids is the last thing you should do!  Work on getting your hair healthy first so you will have a great foundation to start with, prior to braiding up.  Their are 3 stages of braiding for health: Before, During, and After and they all work together  to maximize your hair health,  and length retention.   In addition to your hair being in good condition prior to braids, you must nourish while in them, and how you remove your braids also matters. Major damage can occur at every stage if neglected.  Wearing braids are low maintenance,  but it is not a time for you to take a full blown vacation from healthy hair care.

 Response:

Hello *****gir1!  Thanks for stopping by today.  I'd love to give any advice that I can with your hair, and as it pertains to wearing braids. To  fully help you out, I will need to know what you do to your hair prior to getting braids, and what you do to it while it's in braids, and then once they are out. This way we can probably figure out what's causing the breakage. No, I do not do my own braids as of now, but I’m working on that! I have a really good braider that cares about the health of my hair. For example:  if I ask her not to braid my hair tight, or not to braid my edges, she listens. So that is important, you have to speak up because it's your head, and your money.

Here's what I did to grow healthy hair and retain length with braids extensions.. (Disclaimer: This is MY Regimen, so it's not the ONLY way to grow healthy hair while wearing braids, also  this is a lot of info but very helpful.)

 Make sure your hair is in the strongest possible condition prior to getting your hair braided up. (Please do at least one protein conditioning treatment on your hair prior to getting braids,  I also make sure that I've gotten in two moisturizing deep conditioning sessions on my hair for a at least 45mins with a heat cap) So it’s best to start doing these treatments 3 to 4 weeks before going into braids this makes your hair stronger, and is resistant to breakage. 

Golden Hot(soft) conditioning cap

•  I apply a Henna and Amla treatment or Cassia within this 3 week prep time. This will coat the strands, and strengthen your roots,  This ensures that your strands are  strong and is resistant to being pulled out.  (Not to say that some braiders still won’t be able to yank your hair out, if they are a rough or braid tight...but it’s our job to speak up if our hair is being pulled too tight.)

 (On Braid day) makes sure your hair is blown out, or stretched and detangeled. (I had a lady once snap and pull my hair while she was making the parts, to put in my braids.  I'm sure some of my hair broke off, because my hair was not detangled well, and she of course didn’t care about the health of my hair) most braiders just want to jump in and start braiding, so make sure you assume the responsibility of  detangling your own hair. Leave no kinks behind, and blow outs are perfect for this.  (Use low heat and a protectant)

• Please try to stay away from Micro Braids, although I’m sure it's possible to get through a set of micros without breakage, I would not chance it, it’s a BIG risk.  A heavier strand of artificial hair is being braided onto minute strands of hair. Once the added hair is on, your natural strands are compromised because it is already at a disadvantage. With healthy braiding, especially if they are individuals, its best if the amount of hair added is equal in weight and density.  With Micros, there's not enough support in such a small amount of strands with your own hair, remember there is strength in numbers!   Micros require such small pieces of your own hair that it's no wonder people lose their fragile edges when the try to style their hair while wearing them.  
•  Choose medium sized braids, or braids the size of a pencil are a perfect size. Also, DO NOT let your braider braid your “baby hairs” or fine edges.  It is not necessary to braid up every single sprig of hair around your edges. That is how you lose them.  Prior to the braider starting, pull as many of those hairs out as you can, that hair is too fine and should not be pulled into tight braids. (apply a little gel afterwards if need be to keep them looking neat and groomed.)

•  Use a good synthetic hair fiber to braid up with rather than human hair, I've found that human braiding hair  competes with the moisture in your real hair, which causes your real hair to dry out, and break. Human hair braids can also get tangled in with your real hair because the fibers are similar. Synthetic braids actually protects the hair better...and when it’s time to remove they slide right out! (Tip, before applying synthetic hair, make sure the hair has been presoaked to remove the alkaline base off of the hair)

• While your hair is in braids, please DO NOT IGNORE your hair. You still have to take care of your hair while it's in braids. I clarify with ACV, Co wash, & deep condition my hair while in braids, every week. I have an album dedicated to that particular wash regimen(on fotki.com..screen name *Chan*).  Afterwards, I always use a leave in conditioner, moisturize, and seal it with oil, just like I do with my own hair when it's out. (Try not to put thick heavy conditioners in your hair, I always dilute mine with water to lessen the amount of buildup I get. Too much build up makes braids tougher to get out) Also when applying product you want to focus on the length of the braid and not the actual scalp so you will lessen build up around the base of the braid. (I do use a light oil to do my scalp massages as I remember to do them.)   Also, try not to let your hair dry out.  I spray my hair with water every single day so it will retain the moisture which prevents breakage.

• Styling, give your hair at least 2 weeks before you start trying to pull your hair up into styles and ponytails etc. your braids are still taunt at the base and you could suffer breakage by rushing to pull your hair back too soon.  
•  DO NOT LEAVE YOUR BRAIDS IN PAST 2 months! This is most important. Anything beyond two months and you are moving into dangerous waters. Also when your braids start to slide down around the edges, many women get theirs touched up to prevent breakage (TIP: Please wear a silk bonnet at night to keep the hair covered, even while you are in braids. it preserves the synthetic hair, and keep your natural hair moisturize.)

• Once it's time to take them down, be patient. Give your self necessary time to remove your braids. If you rush this process you could break your hair while trying to remove the braids. Also there's usually some product build up and maybe even dirt..trapped..around the edges and nape.. apply a lot of oil to help slide that out. Once the braids are out... make sure you detangle your hair really well after you remove them. That is.. BEFORE you wash or wet the hair, get ALL of the shed hair out first, because if you don't your hair will  become severely matted and tangled. 

• Then, give yourself a mild protein treatment after you take them out to help rebuild strength, and then follow up with a moisturizing conditioner, you can also give yourself another Cassia or Henna treatment!

*So, This is how I take care of my hair when in braid extensions. This is My experience and exposure to  the world of Healthy Hair Braiding, and it works for me. If your braiding regimen is different and it's been working for you, by all means, continue with what you're doing. But if you are seeking answers and need help with your Braiding for Health Regimen..This is a great place to start, and just in time for our fall and winter season!   Until Next time!

(Freshly washed and Conditioned Braids)