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.

 

Alopecia Update 26th November 2024

Yesterday, I removed the Flat-Twists at the front of my hair and detangle with a homemade conditioner. I cleansed my scalp with African Pride Black Castor Miracle Braid and Scalp Cleansing Rinse before washing the front of my hair with Hask Repairing Shampoo. The back of my hair was still in braids so I washed it with Better Braids liquid shampoo. I conditioned with Childs Farm Conditioner and Deep Conditioned with SheaMoisture's Manuka Honey and Marula Oil Intensive  Hydration Hair Masque. I used by Microfibre towel to absorb the excess water from hair, then I applied KeraCare Natural Textures Leave-In Conditioner to the front followed by Fantasia IC Brazilian Hair Oil Keratin Spray Treatment. I sprayed my scalp with Lavender Water and applied my homemade oil blend containing 3% Lavender Oil. I sprayed the braids at the back with Africa's Best Braid Sheen Spray and sealed in the moisture with my hair oil blend.

 I Flat-Twisted the front of my hair with Cantu Grow Strong Strengthening Treatment before unravelling the braids and doing Two-Strand Twists with the same product. I used Taliah Waajid's Style & Shine for the ends of my Twists and my edges. I wrapped my hair with a scarf and covered the scarf with a satin bonnet before going to sleep, which helped my edges to lay flat. I'm noticing a lot of new growth, so I want to retain the length that I'm growing. I'm planning on washing my hair once a week from now on. My Lavender Cream separated due to the emulsifuer, so I need to adjust the formula. For the time being I'll be using Lavender Water and my oil blend, which contains 3% Lavender Oil diluted in Sesame Seed Oil and Castor Oil with Vitamin E.

This is what my hair looked like after I used Taliah Waajid's Style & Shine on the ends of my Twists. I recently came across a post on Instagram by a user who goes by the name of @indigenous_strands. Her hair reaches down past her knees and she hasn't trimmed it in 11 years. She said that she retains her length by using Flaxseed Gel to clump her ends. I've watched some of her YouTube videos and she spoke about wearing Two-Strand Twists and head wraps as protective styles.

Alopecia Update 22th November 2014

Yesterday, I washed and Deep Conditioned the front section of my hair. The weather is very cold so I had an electric heater on in my room after I had finished in the shower. To my surprise, my hair dried very quickly so I didn't need to use a blow dryer. I applied KeraCare Natural Textures Leave-In Conditioner followed by an oil blend containing Sesame Seed Oil, Jojoba Oil Castor Oils, Vitamin E and various essential oils for fragrance. I used a separate oil blend on my scalp which contains Sesame Seed Oil, Castor Oil, 3% Lavender Oil and Vitamin E. I moisturised my hair with Cantu Shea Butter Grow Strong Strengthening Treatment and placed it large Twists until I was ready to go to bed. Before going to bed, I Flat-Twisted the front of my hair using Taliah Waajid's Style & Shine cream. I created a scalp cream, which contains 3% Lavender Oil and I'm hoping that it will reduce the chances of build-up between washes. I used Olive M as the emulsifier, but it often separates, so I might need to adjust the formula.

I've had a small bald spot in this area since June 2019, when my son pulled my hair while I was wearing braids. This type of hair loss is known as Scarring Alopecia. I've done some research and there doesn't seem to be any studies showing effective remedies for Scarring Alopecia. Thankfully, this bald spot is quite easy to hide when I wear my hair in loose styles. 

Alopecia Update 17th November 2024

This picture was taken after I blow dried my hair today. Prior to washing my hair, I detangled it with a homemade conditioner and placed it in Twists. I used As I Am Jamaican Black Castor Oil Water to pre-cleanse my scalp before cleansing it with African Pride Black Castor Miracle Braid and Scalp Cleansing Rinse. I washed my with Hask Argan Oil Repairing Shampoo. The As I Am Castor Oil Water helps to emulsify the oils on my scalp, but it runs down into my eyes and makes them sting. After rinsing off the shampoo, I conditioned my hair with SheaMoisture's Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Hair Mask. I like the fact that this Mask contains Hydrolyzed Rice Protein and Coconut Oil, but it doesn't help with detangling. 

I used a microfibre towel to absorb the excess water, then I applied KeraCare Natural Textures Leave-In Conditioner. This Leave-In Conditioner has wonderful slip, so it's an excellent detangler. Unfortunately, it doesn't contain much humectants, so it doesn't provide lasting hydration. I used John Frieda's Daily Miracle Leave In Conditioner contains heat protection and it has glycerin as the second ingredient  so I used it on top of the KeraCare Leave-In. I was shocked by the results. It felt like I was spraying styling spritz on my hair. There was no slip, and it made my hair tangle up. I sprayed my hair with Fantasia IC Brazilian Hair Oil Keratin Spray Treatment. It's a silicone based product, and Keratin is water soluble, so I doubt that there's much Keratin in the product. I used a diffuser attachment to blow dry my hair on low to medium heat.

When I had finished blow drying, I placed my hair in sections and applied my oil blend to my scalp. I hydrated my hair with S-Curl "No Drip" Curl Activator Moisturizer before moisturising it with Cantu Shea Butter Grow Strong Strengthening Treatment and my Conditioning Balm. I placed the back of my hair in braids and Flat Twisted the front. Androgenetic alopecia doesn't cause hair loss at the back, so there's no need for me to oil the scalp at the back of my head on a regular basis. I want the back of my hair to be long enough to pull up into a high ponytail, so I'm planning to wash it less frequently than the front of my hair. 

Alopecia Update 15th November 2024

  I've noticed lots of new hairs sprouting up, but I've also noticed shedding of the fine velus hairs that grew this year. Thankfully, my new hairs look normal, so they're not impacted by androgenetic alopecia. Pumpkin Seed Oil made me break out in a spot, so I won't be using it on my scalp. My mum has androgenetic alopecia, so I gave my Pumpkin Seed Oil to her to use. She rarely breaks out in spots after using comedogenic products.

I clarified my scalp with Better Braids liquid shampoo and washed my hair with Hask Argan Oil Repairing Shampoo. The shampoo contains film forming ingredients, so I don't use it on my scalp. I conditioned my hair with a homemade protein conditioner and followed up with a moisturising conditioner.

I applied KeraCare Natural Textures Leave-In Conditioner to my freshly washed hair, followed by Cantu Shea Butter Grow Strong Strengthening Treatment. I followed up with L'Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Super Blowdry Cream, before placing my hair in Twists. I blow dried my hair on medium to low heat using a diffuser until my hair was semi-dry, then I allowed my hair to air dry over-night. When I woke up in the morning, my hair felt quite dry so I applied the Cantu Avocado Hydrating Curl Activator blend that I made a few days ago. I Flat-Twisted the front of my hair and pulled the rest into a low ponytail, covered my hair with a scarf and allowed it to dry.

When I unravelled the Flat Twists and took out the ponytail my hair was covered in flakes. I think the Cantu Avocado Hydrating Curl Activator is incompatible with the L'Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Super Blowdry Cream. I massaged my scalp with my oil blend and sprayed my hair with Cantu Shea Butter Hydrating Leave-In Conditioning Mist before placing my hair in two cornrows (see top picture).

Afro Textured Bob

On Monday, I washed my hair with Johnson's Top-to-toe wash and conditioned with my homemade conditioner. I used a cotton T-Shirt to soak up the excess water. When my hair was no longer dripping wet, I applied KeraCare Natural Textures Leave-In Conditioner followed by my homemade Conditioning Balm. In a previous post I mentioned that the curls at the back of my head are larger than the rest of my coils and they hang down more, so I thought I'd take a picture. I haven't flat ironed my hair and I rarely use heat on it, so my looser curl pattern isn't due to heat damage. The follicles at my nape produce more sebum than the reat of my follicles, which leads me to believe that the follicle structure is different.

On Tuesday, I twisted the front of my hair with Cantu Shea Butter Grow Strong Strengthening Treatment, followed by my Conditioning Balm. I wanted to try Cantu Avocado Hydrating Curl Activator again, but I didn't want to use it on the front of my hair, for fear of breakage. I got an empty container and added 5.5 grams of Strawberry Seed Oil, 0.3 grams of blended Melissa Essential Oil and 0.3 grams of Vitamin E along with 94 grams of Cantu Avocado Hydrating Curl Activator. I mixed it together and applied it to my hair (apart from the front). I stretched my hair using large braids and twists and allowed it to dry overnight. When I unravelled the Twists on Wednesday morning, the back was still slightly damp, so my natural coil pattern was visible. 

Last night, I placed my hair in large Twists with braided roots and covered my head with a satin scarf and bonnet before going to bed. If I leave my hair out without twisting it, I would wake up to knots and tangles. When I unravelled my hair in the morning, it felt soft and moisturised. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and covered it with a satin scarf and cap before dropping my son to school (it's very cold outside, so I keep my head covered when I go out). When I took my hair out of the ponytail, I had this cute afro textured bob style. 

Pumpkin Seed Oil

A study found that Pumpkin Seed Oil was effective in treating androgenetic alopecia in women, so I applied some to my scalp before going to bed last night. I'm planning to wash my hair in these Twists this morning. Pumpkin Seed Oil is heavier than my usual scalp oil, so I'm only going to use it the day before I wash my hair.

 I've been doing more research into androgenetic alopecia, and it's important to start treating it early. Once it gets more serious, it becomes harder to regrow hair. As I'm going to be washing my hair more regularly, I may experience some breakage. My focus is on getting thicker roots, so, I'm willing to sacrifice my length in pursuit of thickness.

Day 4 of My Modified Wash and Go

 

My hair was feeling dry at the end of Day 2, so I applied my peppermint water and Cantu Shea Butter Grow Strong Strengthening Treatment before Flat Twisting it back. I changed my parts to avoid causing tension in the same areas. I sprayed the Flat Twists with my Peppermint water and used my hair and scalp oil on Day 3 and 4. I removed my Flat Twists at the end of Day 4 and my hair felt soft and moisturised. I'm planning to wash my hair tomorrow morning, so I placed my hair in large Two-Strand Twists in preparation for Wash Day. 

Afro Wig

This evening, I went out for my cousin's birthday dinner, and I wore this afro wig. My seven year old son loved it! He kept saying that he wanted his hair to be like mine. This wig reminds me of how thick my hair used to be when I was in my 20's. I remember wearing my hair in a combed out afro for my friend's birthday dinner and people told me that they thought my hair was a wig. My prayer is for God to return my hair back to the way that it used to be. 

Modified Wash and Go - 2nd Day Hair

 

Yesterday, I did a modified Wash and Go with Cantu Avocado Hydrating Curling Cream (see previous post). My hair took a long time to dry and it was still a bit damp by the time I was ready to go to bed. I placed my hair in Two-Strand Twists and covered my head with a satin bonnet before I went to sleep. The above photo was taken this morning. My hair is finally dry.

I placed some oil in my hands before unravelling the Twists. I separated my hair with my fingers for volume. My hair feels moisturised, but it's not as soft as usual. I usually use an oil or pomade on top of the Leave-In Conditioner, but I was concerned that it would reduce the holding effects of the Cantu Avocado Hydrating Curling Cream. The product contains a holding agent, so that's probably why my hair doesn't feel as soft as it usually does. Nonetheless, I'm happy with the results. I'm so glad that I cut my hair! When my hair was longer, I didn't have enough time to style it on a daily basis, so I would usually wear it in protective styles. Now that my hair is shorter, I have more time to have fun with it🙌🏾. 

Cantu Avocado Hydrating Curling Cream - Modified Wash and Go

 

I bought Cantu Avocado Hydrating Curling Cream on Monday and I was eager to try it for a Wash and Go. I don't like the smell, so I placed 100g of the products into a container and added 0.5 grams of blended Melissa essential oil, along with 0.25 grams of Vitamin E to prevent oxidation. 

I applied KeraCare Natural Textures Leave-In Conditioner to my freshly washed and conditioned hair followed by Cantu Avocado Hydrating Curling Cream. I placed my hair in loose twists to minimise knots and tangles. Now that my hair is shorter, it takes a lot less time to twist my hair, which is great.

I unravelled the Twists after 4 hours and my hair was still quite damp. The curls at the back of my head are larger, and they hang down more, so they looked odd with the rest of my tiny coils. I tucked the back of my hair up to create the illusion of an ear length bob. Cantu Avocado Hydrating Curling Cream has a light hold with lots of hydration, so I'll probably use it for Twists in the future. Wash and Go's take too long to dry and I don't like to use heat on my hair. Heat works well for some people, but I have fine hair, which is more susceptible to damage. 

Alopecia Update 6th November 2024

This picture was taken today. There are a number of new grey hairs that weren't there before. I was confused as to why the new hairs were grey, so I did some research. According to this article: "When hair regrows after alopecia areata, it may appear white due to a lack of pigment-producing cells called ‘melanocytes’." This article refers to alopecia areata, but the same thing might apply to androgenetic alopecia. I noticed that my grey hairs were growing at a faster rate, so I did some investigating. According to this study, grey hair grows faster than Black hair.

This is what my hair looked like after I removed the Flat Twists. I used an afro pick to disguise the parts of the Flat-Twists. My hair felt nice and soft thanks to Cantu Grow Strong Strengthening Treatment and my homemade Conditioning Balm. Now that my hair is shorter, I plan to wear it out more often.

This picture was taken 4 hours after I removed the Flat Twists. It was raining today, so my hair started to shrink up because of the moisture in the air. It felt very moisturised. I've been considering using Minoxidil, but I read that people often experience increased shedding before they start to grow new hair. I also read that Minoxidil only works as long as the user uses it. If the user stops using Minoxidil, all of the  hair that grew due to Minoxidil will fall out because the follicles aren't being stimulated. Scary stuff.

I trimmed my hair again

Superdrug were doing an offer on Cantu products, so I bought Cantu Avocado Hydrating Curl Activator, Cantu Avocado Hydrating   Cantu Avocado Hydrating Curling Cream. I used the Mousse on my freshly washed hair, because I had heard that mousse helps the hair to dry faster. I didn't want to go to bed with wet hair, and I didn't want to use heat, so I followed the instructions of the Mousse and used it on my hair. Big mistake. The Mousse dried out my hair so much that it started snapping off at the ends. It's possible that the Mousse is incompatible with my Henna treated hair. As mentioned previously, I'm currently growing out my Henna coloured hair, so I placed my hair in Twists and trimmed the ends. 

After trimming, I moisturised my hair with KeraCare's Natural Textures Leave-In Conditioner, before applying my oil blend to my hair and scalp. I placed my hair in large twists to prevent tangles. This morning, I removed the twists and moisturised my hair Cantu Hydrating Curl Activator. The Activator has wonderful slip and it made my hair feel hydrated. I placed my hair into a ponytail and covered it with a scarf. The above picture was taken after I took my hair down from the ponytail.

My hair started to feel dry after an hour of wearing it out, so I Flat Twisted it with Cantu Grow Strong Strengthening Treatment, followed by my homemad Conditioning Balm. I've been following a new growth routine and I've noticed lots of new hairs coming through🙌🏾. I'll discuss my growth routine in a separate post about alopecia.

Four and a Half Years Post Shave

It's been four and a half years since I shaved off my hair and the above picture was taken today. I used Henna to dye my hair back in March because I wanted to cover my grey hair. I was initially happy with the results, but I soon noticed that the Henna made my hair feel drier and more brittle. The Henna turned my Black hair into a dark brown colour, which made it look dull. A few weeks after using the Henna, I used Adore Plus semi-permanent Jet Black dye on my hair. The semi-permanent dye doesn't last long, so I used it at the front of my hair a few more times. On the last occasion, my ends started snapping off after I rinsed out the dye. I've used Adore Plus semi-permanent dye for years with good results, so I suspect that the Hydrolyzed Collagen in the dye is incompatible with the Henna. 

This picture was taken in August after I installed crochet twists with afro kinky human hair. I had noticed that the top of my hair was becoming finer and thinner so I did some research and realised that my hair was showing signs of androgenetic alopecia. Earlier this year, I increased my weightlifting and I began building upper body muscle in addition to lower body muscle. After noticing the signs of androgenetic alopecia, I cut back on the weightlifting. I suspected that the weightlifting was leading to increased levels of testosterone, which can cause higher levels of Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Androgenetic alopecia is caused by increased levels of DHT. I read that Evening Primrose Oil can help women to balance their hormones, so I began to take it on a regular basis along with a Multivitamin, a Vitamin D supplement, a Vitamin C supplement, a Magnesium supplement, Marine Collagen and an Omega-3 supplement.

This picture was taken today. I decided to make a hair and scalp oil, to massage into my scalp. Many of the growth oils on the market contain Rosemary oil, but I get a headache when I use it a lot. Lavender Oil helps to reduce stress and it may help with hair growth, so I created an oil blend containing Organic Sesame Oil, Organic Castor Oil, Organic Lavender Oil and Vitamin E. I'm going to massage the mixture into my scalp a few times a week and wash my hair twice a week to prevent build-up. 

This picture was taken after I removed the Flat Twists. Last week I noticed a few split ends, so I used the search and destroy method to cut them off. I'm now on a mission to grow out my Henna coloured hair and reverse my androgenetic alopecia symptoms.