Cornrow Styles for Women: Summer Protective Styles

Summer is officially here and the last thing most of us want to do is to style our hair daily. This is when Protective Styling comes in handy. Protective Styles are the best way to give your hair a break while keeping it healthy and cute at the same time. One of the quickest and easiest protective styles to do is cornrows.

Here are a few cornrow styles that I have been loving lately: 

Beyonce's "Lemonade" Braids. Let's face it, Beyonce has been the (celebrity)queen of braids for a while now. She has been rocking them, on and off, since she came on the scene. I have been seeing this particular style being replicated EVERYWHERE and for good reason. These are beautiful yet classy at the same time and go with any outfit! 

My Braids Regimen to Maintain Healthy Hair

African Pride Braid Spray, Carols Daughter Black Vanilla Oil, African Royal Braid Spray (can be purchased below) 

As many of you know, my hair is currently in Yarn Braids and it's been about 5 weeks since I installed them. They make my mornings much easier, but I still need to take care of them in order to maintain healthy hair.  Not only am I looking to minimize the amount of time spent doing my hair, but I also want to see some noticeable growth & retention.

Here is my current braids regimen:

Yarn Braids- Pros and Cons

I have installed yarn braids two more times since this last post. I love the look and it's probably one of my favorite protective styles thus far.

I have decided to come up with a Pros and Cons list for anyone thinking about trying the style. 



Pros

• Inexpensive - One pack of  Jumbo Yarn cost $5.98. For me, this was good for about two installations. A regular size pack of yarn cost $1.98 which I used as a highlight(red highlights) and this lasted two installations as well. 
• Natural Looking - Compared to box braids with synthetic hair, I feel as yarn braids look much more natural. They aren't as shiny and the texture feels more "real".  Many people think these look like locs and I can see why. 

Protective Style- Marley Twists

Hey Y'all!!! Hope you're doing fabulous!

I have been wearing my hair out all Summer and I needed a change. At the spur of the moment, on Saturday AM, I decided to put some twists in my hair. I ended up starting them at 4pm and finished at 9:30pm. I was surprised how fast I did them(compared to the 8hrs in the past), but I was determined to finish and enjoy my evening.

Protective Style- Marley Twists

Hey Hey Hey!!!

Happy Sunday!

I decided to install some twists in my hair yesterday. I started doing braids with Marley Hair, but they looked rather thin regardless of how much hair I used, so I opted for twists. 

This took me about 8-9 hours to do because the amount of detangling I had to do with my natural hair. 

I don't comb my hair, but I comb it before putting in a long term protective style. 

I plan to keep these in for 6-8 weeks and will follow the same regimen I typically do with braids. I will also probably curl the ends at one point. 

I'm hoping these will look better and better with age. 

Braids Regimen

Quick and Easy:

Spray scalp and length of braids(up until where my real hair stops) with African Pride Braid Spray- Morning and Night

Wrap with a satin scarf at night

At 3 weeks- Wash& condition braids then re-do front 

Remove braids at 6 weeks, keep hair out for 2 weeks then re-install either yarn braids or kinky twists.

That's all folks! 

Back in my relaxed days, I went from neck length to collar bone length in 6 months by wearing braids. 

I hope to make the same progress, but from SL to APL, this time around.  

Single Braids with Xpression Collection Hair

Hey Y'all! Guess how I spent my Friday night? Yup, braiding my hair.
Well, I started off twisting it and it just didn't look right to me..so I braided it instead.

I used the Xpression Collection hair that I purchased last April. I know I was complaining about it being $8.00 a pack, but besides the location of where I purchased it, I think I know why it was expensive.

Beyonce in Braids

Now y'all know I'm a braids gal, so there is no surprise that I always LOVED the braids Beyonce wore back in her Destiny's Child days. 

I'm glad to see her bring them back, although they are a little different than before. 

A lot of people are acting surprised to see her in them, but I recall braids being her signature style. Plus..braids on a black woman never surprises me. lol


One thing I could do without is the blonde...but then again, that's her signature hair color.  

I wish I didn't have a paparazzi pic of this, but it's all I can get

Beyonce Back in the days

Braids and twists 

Images courtesy of Google search 

Kinky Twists on Relaxed Hair

I spent Saturday installing Kinky Twists in my sisters hair. I twisted her hair last year, but this year was much easier! It only took about 7 hours this time around. 

Reasons why it was easier:

Her hair was longer than before

She did a braid-out the night before, so her hair was much more textured

I did them a little larger
They are still pretty long, but shorter than last time

After installing, I trimmed the ends then boiled them in hot water. We weren't feeling that look, so we twisted the twists, put rollers on the ends and boiled again in hot water. Much better! 

I also sprayed her scalp with a mix of Apple Cider Vinegar and water to prevent any itching.


The great thing about Kinky Twists is that they get better with age.  

Here are the results:

Apple Cider Vinegar Soak to Remove Chemicals from Synthetic Hair

Have you ever installed a new weave, some braids or even wore a wig and your scalp began to itch immediately??

No matter how many times you scratched, applied braid spray, oiled your scalp, etc.. it just kept itching??? 

If so, keep on reading!

Most synthetic hair manufacturers use alkaline and other chemicals on their hair to produce a heat resistant/wear resistant product. Read more about that here.

Although the chemicals are used to "protect" the hair, many people(including myself) have allergic reactions to them.

To prevent any allergic reactions or the "itchies", it is highly recommended that you remove the chemical base. The best known way to do so is soaking the hair in Apple Cider Vinegar because of the high acidity and powerful enzymes contained in it.

This is how I  soak my hair in water mixed with Apple Cider Vinegar:

1.) I fill up the below container(it's just a plastic cover to keep food warm) with some hot water straight from the sink.

2.) After Putting water in the container, I place 1 TABLESPOON of ACV in the water and mix

 (Braggs (see below) is  one of the best because it contains "the mother", but any ACV will do)

3.) I then place the synthetic hair(in it's original state, elastics and all)  in the ACV and Water Mix. I let it soak for 20 minutes. You will start to see a white film lift from the hair. Do not remove the hair until you see that film.

Dramatization (No water and ACV because I'm not braiding my hair until July)

4.) I then take the container to the sink, and dump all the water/acv out. 

5.) Rinse the hair one more time with plain water then squeeze excess water and let air dry.

(I let it hang off my chair and put some plastic on the floor to catch any dripping)

That's it folks!

PS- If you forgot to remove the chemical base on your hair, installed it  and your itching like crazy...spray your scalp with a ACV and water. 16 oz of water mixed with 1 tspn of ACV. You can always adjust for smaller servings.

A few additional tips:

• Too much ACV can make the hair hard. If the hair becomes hard after the soak, you can either rinse the hair again with some warm water or shampoo/condition the hair afterwards.
• If you are getting sores or scabbing on your scalp, take the fake hair out immediately and consult with a Doctor.
• If you install the hair before doing the soak and spraying your scalp doesn't ease the itching, you should try an acv rinse. So, use the same mixture as the spritz/spray and pour it over all of your hair in either the shower or sink then rinse off with water.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or success stories, leave it in the comment section.

Reader Question: Cornrows

I had a question in regards to a moisturizer for cornrows and regimen suggestions while wearing them.
So, I decided to do a post on this.


Moisturizer for hair/cornrows : The only commercial product I use to moisturize my cornrows/braids is  African Pride (Olive Miracle) Braid Spray. I love it and highly recommend. I have heard/read great things about African Royale BRX Braid spray as well.
You can also spray braids with water and seal with an oil.
I moisturize my braids daily.

Regimen Suggestions: I keep my cornrows in for only 2 weeks. So I would wash/deep condition before applying and after removing. If you plan on keeping them in longer, you can wash and dc your hair by using a stocking cap to hold the braids in place and diluted products in an applicator bottle to easily apply. Be aware that they will not look as fresh afterwards.
I suggest spraying braid spray daily. I do not suggest oiling scalp often because it will cause product build-up.
Wrap hair nightly with a satin or silk scarf.

Check out my braids label. I go into MUCH detail about caring for braids.

If you have any other questions, you know how to reach me!

Got My Braiding Hair Ready - Xpressions Braiding Hair

Rambling Post

In July, I will be self-installing single braids. I typically purchase Sassy Kanekalon braiding hair from Sally's for about $2.00 a pack, but decided to switch brands after watching Laila-Jeans video about her Senegalese Twists. I really liked the texture of the hair(Xpressions) and it seemed like a better quality than Sassy.

So, when I was back at my parents, I decided to visit a local Black(not Asian) owned beauty supply store. I haven't supported a Black owned beauty supply store in so long and they are one of the few in my home-town.

Anyway..tell me why one pack of the X-Pression Kanekalon braiding hair cost $7.50. I ended up buying 2 packs because that's how many I usually use in my hair...but dang. It looked like there was much more hair in these packs compared to the Sassy, but I really hope there is a different(in a good way)  look to my braids when I use them!

ETA (8/24/17): See below for some other options to purchase Xpressions braiding hair.  The prices reflected below the images are based on the amount of hair packs shown. 

Do Braids Make Your Hair Grow Faster?

" I noticed that my hair grows faster in braids. Have you noticed the same thing? If so, do you know why?"

I received this question a while back and addressed it via email. But thought about it the other night and decided to do a post about it.

Now, I could have simply answered this question by saying:

NO, my hair grows the same rate it normally does, it's just protected for a long period of time so when I see my "new growth" it seems like it grew out of no-where and very fast.

I could say no, to not give false hope...but in all honesty, I do believe when I have braids my hair does grow faster!

Here's my theory on why:

1.) More Scalp Stimulation-  The added weight from the braiding hair gives my scalp some stimulation, which results in a VERY slight increase in growth.

Now, we all know how scalp massages can benefit us. For me, having braids is like giving myself a scalp massage daily because of the gentle tugging caused by the braids.

Please note: I NEVER do them too tight, so I don't have irritation.

2.) My Braid Spray- I have always used African Pride Braid Spray while in braids. This particular spray contains many ingredients (herbs and essential oils) which are GREAT for the scalp and are said to stimulate hair growth.

Ingredients:Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, PEG 8, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Articum Lappa Root Extract, Betula Alba Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan) Extract, Tussilago Farfara (Coltsfoot) Flower Extract, Prunus Serotina (Wild Cherry) Bark Extract, Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Extract, Sambucus Nigra, Equisetum Hiemale Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Rumex Crispus Root Extract, Brewers Yeast, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Oleth 20, PEG 75 Lanolin, Silk Amino Acids, Acetamidopropyl Trimonium Chloride, PEG 12 Dimethicone, Panthenol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben Polysorbate 20

3.) Summer Growth Spurt- I typically wear braids in the Summer. My hair tends to grow a little faster in the summer. Don't ask me why, but it does and many others say the same(about themselves).

Now, don't run to the nearest braider to get some braids expecting a solid 2 inches of growth a month because I sure don't get that! I get a SLIGHT increase of growth, nothing to write home about, but it's better than nothing!

Have you noticed faster growth in braids?

Simple Braids Regimen

The only reason why I have cornrows is to make my life easier...so why not have a simple regimen?

• Spray scalp twice daily with Aloe Vera Mix (80% Aloe/18% Castor Oil and a few drops of Eucalyptus and Peppermint Oil)
• Spray Length of Braids twice Daily with African Pride Braid Spray
• Cover Hair Nightly with Satin Scarf
• *if needed, gel down edges

That's all folks!

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My Signature Cornrows

I know I said I wouldn't do it, but I put some cornrows back in my hair.
It's getting cold out and the colder it gets, the harder it is for me to get up in the morning. Being 9 weeks post,  even doing a simple bun takes me at least 10-12 minutes and I don't have time for that. So cornrows it is.

Few things:

• I made sure to soak the hair in water/Apple Cider Vinegar to remove the alkaline base. I know if I didn't, I would be scratching my hair day and night.
• I coated each section of my hair, before braiding, in moisturizer mixed with Avocado Oil. Detangled..then braided.
• This took my about 4 hours (I did 3 rows)
• I will keep these in for 2 weeks.

The knots don't look as noticeable in person. After a few nights of wrapping my hair, they wont be visible at all

If you are wondering why it took sooooo long, take a look at the what I had to de-tangle!

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Weekend Wrap Up- The Braids Aftermath

It took me 5.5 hours to remove all of my braids and this is half of the shed hair I was left with. Before removing my braids, I misted them with water mixed with Aloe Vera Juice. As I took out each braid out, I gently finger detangled my hair to remove all shed hair. Then when all of the braids were out, I sprayed my hair with the Aloe Vera Juice and Water then thoroughly detangled with a wide tooth comb.

After detangling each section, I put my hair in about 10 braids and shampooed my hair in those same braids.
I applied diluted shampoo to my scalp, massaged it in and let the water run down my hair.Then I applied some conditioner to the braids, let it sit for about 3 minutes then rinsed.

I then removed each braid, applied my Deep Conditioner (Lekair Cholesterol) then twisted each section. Put my shower cap on and left it on for about 1 hour.









While rinsing the DC out in the shower, I removed the twists and rinsed my hair loose. I then  applied Roux Porosity Control to my hair, let it sit for about 3 minutes then rinsed.
Towel Dried my hair, applied leave-ins and let air dry for about 30 minutes

Then I applied my Shea-Aloe Mix (Shea Butter, Aloe Vera Gel, Essential Oils, Avocado Oil) to my hair in sections, then put about 8-10 braids in my hair. I applied silk rollers to the ends to my braid-out wouldn't have straight ends.

Later on that night, I sprayed some Hot 6 Oil to my hair, removed the braids.  fluffed the braids out and was left with this........

I am now twisting my hair, so I can keep those twists in a bun for the week. This is the bottom 3 rows. 

It's About That Time

....to take these braids out!
That's it! I'm sick of them. I tried, I really tried to keep them in for 8 weeks, but I think 5 weeks is my max.
I must say that I am proud of myself. Since the start of my journey, the longest time I could keep my braids in was 4 weeks. Last year my braids lasted 4 weeks, then 3 and sadly after that, only 2 weeks.
So...to me, this is a big accomplishment.

This is what my new-growth in braids looked like @ 4 weeks. I think that's about .5 inches. Now I just hope I retain all of that.

This is TRUE 4B/4C hair!

I'm taking these out tomorrow, then I'll put my hair in small, long cornrows next weekend. I plan to keep those in for 2 weeks....

I plan to relax the first week of September and I know there's going to be a jungle to get through. My hair was slightly (I use this term lightly) underprocessed...so I have a lot to work with.
Here's a preview.....

This was my hair 5.28.2011



Braids- Week 4

I am feeling sooooo lazy! I don't know if it's the braids or because of the weather, but I am really liking the idea of not styling MY hair daily. I still didn't re-do the front of my braids..lol..I don't know when I'll actually get to that.


On Friday(had the day off) I washed and conditioned my braids with diluted shampoo and conditioner. When it was about 90% dry, I squeezed in leave-in conditioner through out the length of the braids.
Then I put the braids in  8 large braids, applied Aloe Vera Gel to the length. and when I took the braids out it looked like this...

 Wrapping the front of my hair is really concealing the true state of my braids.

This picture is at the end of the night, but it looked like a loose braid-out which was different then the straight braids I usually wear.


I hope everyone has a blessed week!

3 Weeks in Braids

Braids after having them for 2 weeks

So I  had these braids in my hair for almost 3.5 weeks and I have no desire to take them out anytime soon.

I didn't re-do the front as planned this past weekend...but I really don't need to because the braids aren't causing much friction on my edges and I am able to cover it up with a headband easily!

*these pics are my braids at 3 weeks

I will DEF re-do the front this weekend though. I plan on keeping these braids in for 6-8 weeks now...so I will either remove them the 12th or 26th. I have a trip planned for the 19th, so I am contemplating just re-doing the front again the 12th if it gets messy. I love the ease of having braids ...and I know I will be retaining most of my length wearing these.

Beware!!!!! You are about to see some jacked up pictures!!!

Braids Regimen

I like to document my regimen each time I have braids, so if my hair feels any differently when removing them, I know why.

So far I had these braids in for 2 weeks. The front is getting a little messy so I will re-do that this weekend. I am also 10 weeks post relaxer.

Every Morning I:
Spray my scalp with my Aloe Vera Mix
Spray the length of my braid with African Pride Braid Spray
Spray the length of my braids with Hot Six Oil (I found one that is sprayable.. if that's even a word)
Slick down edges with Eco Styler Gel

Every Night I:
spray the length of my hair with African Pride Braid Spray
Put the braids in 2 big cornrows
Then Wrap my hair like the below or do the baggy method

I was originally going to wash my hair every 2 weeks, but wasn't able to do so this past weekend, so I will wash my hair this weekend. Honestly, my scalp & hair really is not that bad which I believe is due to the Aloe Vera Mix(Aloe Vera Juice &Gel mixed with Castor Oil, Eucalyptus Oil and Peppermint Oil) I use. But I will be able to see the true state of my hair and scalp once I re-do the front.