No More Mini Braids/Twists

I took my Mini Braids/Twists out in February, but I haven't had time to post about it. I kept my Mini Braids/Twists in for a month before I gradually started taking them out. I took the Mini Twists out first, and I kept the front section in Flat-Twists. The Mini Braids took a very long time to remove. When I finally finished removing the Mini Braids, my scalp felt sore, so I'm never going to do that style again. Since removing the Mini Braids, I've been wearing my hair back in a bun. I wash and Deep Condition my hair on a weekly basis, and I oil my scalp after I've washed my hair. I've been using different products to moisturise my hair, but my current favourite is Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Cream for Natural Hair. I seal in the moisture with a homemade hair oil. 

I don't normally use gel on my hair, but I decided to use some homemade gel to slick back my edges for the above picture. I created the gel this morning using spring water, fruit syrup (apple, grape and carob extracts) and Xanthan Gum. I didn't want to use a preservative, so I froze the gel that I didn't use. I applied a homemade hair pomade on top of the gel and wrapped my hair with a satin headscarf. I left the scarf on my head for an hour before removing it for the picture. I don't use gel too often because I wear my hair in a high ponytail at night. I sleep on my back, so I don't like to sleep with my hair in a low bun, because it hurts my neck. Pulling my hair up into a ponytail disrupts the gel cast, so the gel is no longer able to hold my hair. 

I Washed My Mini Braids/Twists again

Yesterday evening, I placed my hair in large braids with loose ends. I washed my hair and scalp with Better Braids liquid shampoo before conditioning with Coconut Water. After rinsing out the Coconut Water, I used a Microfibre towel to absorb the excess water. I sprayed my scalp with my Caffeine and Lavender Water spray, then I moisturised my scalp with Parnevu T-Tree Cooling Relief Braid Sheen Spray before oiling my scalp with my scalp oil. I moisturised my hair using the LCO (Liquid, Cream and Oil) method. S-Curl "No Drip" Curl Activator Moisturizer was my Liquid, Cantu Leave-In Conditioner for Natural hair was my cream and I used a homemade oil blend for my oil. I applied some Cantu Grow Strong Strengthening Treatment to my ends and Flat-Twisted my hair to prevent it from tangling. I noticed one piece of broken off hair, so I'm going to band my ends the next time I wash my hair. 

Tempted to Loc

The above image is from the online bookazine that I published for Afro Embrace. The full bookazine can be read here. Writing about my Micro Locs, reminded me of how much I loved them. I'm tempted to Loc my hair again but I'm concerned about the androgenetic alopecia at the front of my hair. If I do decide to Loc my hair, I would keep my hairline loose to avoid tension to my follicles. I would also leave the ends loose so I could wear an afro puff. I'm going to pray about it and decide what to do.

Twist and Band Cleansing Routine

 

Now that I'm oiling my scalp more often, I will need to wash it twice a week. Frequent washes tend to make my ends snap off, so I've decided to band my ends to prevent breakage. I placed my hair in large twists, and then I folded the ends over and wrapped the ends with a rubber band. I made a peppermint tea rinse by placing a bag of peppermint tea in a cup of boiling water. I placed some foil over the cup to prevent the steam from evaporating. After the tea had cooled slightly, I placed it in a plastic bottle and put the bottle in a jug of cold water to let it cool down further. I cleansed my scalp with African Pride Black Castor Miracle Braid and Scalp Cleansing Rinse before washing it with Better Braids liquid shampoo. I applied the peppermint tea rinse to my hair and scalp before rinsing my hair thoroughly. I applied Cantu Shea Butter Hydrating Leave-In Conditioning Mist to my hair and left covered it with a shower cap. I left it on for a few minutes before rinsing. 

 I used a Microfibre towel to absorb the excess water. I noticed some creamy residue after I removed the bands and it seems that Taliah Waajid's Style and Shine hadn't washed out properly. I used a kitchen towel towel to remove the residue. On my next wash, I'll keep my ends unbanded to ensure that I wash all of the product out. I applied my homemade Lavender water and caffeine spray to my scalp followed by my scalp oil. I sprayed my hair with Africa's Best Braid Sheen Spray, before applying Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Cream for Natural Hair. I sealed in the moisture with a hair oil then I Flat-Twisted the front. I placed the rest of my hair into a bun and secured the front section with a hair clip. As I was going to church, I placed a satin band around my head and covered my head with a light head covering.

 I had some activities to do after church, so I kept the head covering on for about 4 hours and 20 minutes. My hair was still quite damp when I got home, so I unravelled the Flat-Twists and removed the bun to allow my hair to air-dry. I applied Taliah Waajid's Style and Shine to keep my ends moisturised.

Mini Twists vs Mini Braids

Today, I moisturised my hair with S-Curl "No Drip" Curl Activator Moisturizer liquid moisturiser and sealed in the moisture with an oil. I used Taliah Waajid's Style and Shine to clump the coils at the ends of my Twists and Braids. As I currently have both Mini Twists and Mini Braids in my hair, I'm able to compare the pros and cons of each style.

Mini Twist Pros

• They make my hair look fuller
• They cover my scalp
• They're quick to install
• They can be unravelled without a comb
• They're low maintenance
• They're easy to style

Mini Twist Cons

• They shrink when I wet my hair which can lead to knots and tangles
• I need to stretch them after I moisturise my hair
• They unravel at the roots and ends when washed
• They start to turn into Locs if left in for long periods of time
• They don't hold onto moisture for as long as braids
• They need to be re-done more frequently than braids 

Mini Braid Pros

• They can be washed frequently without shrinking up and tangling
• They're low maintenance
• They hold onto moisture longer than Twists
• They can be worn for long periods of time without turning into Locs

Mini Braid Cons

• They make my hair look thinner
• They expose my scalp
• They don't hold a style well
• They take long to install
• They need to be unravelled with a comb

Mini Twists and Mini Braids both have pros and cons, but if I had to choose a style, I would go with Mini Twists. I prefer the way that Mini Twists look and they can be unravelled easily. When I undo these braids, I plan to place my hair in Mini Twists with braided roots.

New Year - New Hair Journey

 

Last year I damaged the front of my hair by using a semi-permanent Black hair dye on top of my Henna coloured hair. I also experienced some thinning due to androgenetic alopecia. I've been using my scalp oil on the top of my head and it's helped to thicken up my roots. Now, I want to thicken up the rest of my hair, so I plan to use my scalp oil all over my head. I placed the top front section of my hair in Two-Strand Twists and I placed the rest in Mini Braids with Twisted ends. I decided to do a Bantu Knot-Out to give my braids some volume. I used a homemade moisturising gel, before sealing in the moisture with one of my homemade hair oils.

I kept the Bantu Knots in for about 8 hours before I unravelled them and put my hair into a low ponytail. The ends of my braids rub against my clothes, so I'll need to place my hair in a bun or high ponytail to prevent breakage.

Afro Embrace Bookazine

Happy New Year!

Click here to read my free online bookazine dedicated to afro textured hair.