Side Sweep Cornrows and Cornrow Crown with a Puff

I was just itching to try something new this week and while browsing through Chris-Tia Donaldson's Thank God I'm Natural--The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair I found what I thought would be the perfect style to try. In the book, China bumps are featured as a sort of braided Bantu knot. I searched around and found that some people refer to regular Bantu knots as China bumps. To simplify, I decided to call the style braided knots.

We were pressed for time this hair day so yesterday I did our normal co-wash and detangle for both girls. I was planning an olive oil and coconut oil hair treatment before co-washing, but their hair was so soft and moisturized from the shea product we've been using all week, they didn't need it. Instead, I just gave them each a nice pre-poo scalp massage with a little olive oil because I know they enjoy it.

 Isn't that the cutest little pan ever? (Thanks mom!)

After detangling and adding a leave-in, I parted Little B's hair in a zigzag down the center and then did big, random braids for the night. I put Little R's hair in two big braids. We picked a style for Little R out of Thank God I'm Natural too because you know, twins. We picked a style where the hair is gathered on one side and left loose everywhere else. I gave her the choice of tiny box braids or cornrows and she chose cornrows. The goal was to make it a bit like the style Jill Scott recently worn the the premiere of Why Did I Get Married, Too? See a photo of the style here on Afrobella.

To do Little R's style, I clipped the part of her hair that was not going to be cornrowed out of the way. I put a pillow in lap and had her lay down on her side. It was easy to make the parting pattern from there and braid. I was careful to go far enough toward the center of her head to keep her curls from flopping down over the cornrows and completely obscuring them.

I had Little R put her head in my lap so I could make the parts.

I then rotated so I was cornrowing toward myself.

 Each cornrow was banded at the end to keep it together.

Cornrows don't stay by themselves in Little R's hair.

 A few braid stitches keep the hair from flopping

over and covering the cornrows.

This morning, I parted Little B's hair by making parts off the center zigzag and then crossing them with more parts to make little diamond shapes. However, the combination of only three hours of poor quality sleep for mama and one tired kid made for some wacky parts. Yeah, I screwed up what was essentially a grid pattern. A grid! Our braided knots were not happening. Maybe next time.

 It should have been so easy from here. So easy...

We  gave up. We took a nap. A couple hours later and feeling a bit refreshed, we tried again. I parted a somewhat even section all the way around her head and cornrowed, starting in the back and wrapping all the way around. I put the middle section into one loose puff. It's held with a pony O that only goes around once. The puff covers the pony O. I really like this style on Little B. I wish my parts were a little better, but it's not too bad for someone working on so little sleep. It's a cute style on Little B, it shows off her sweet face really well.

This is what the back looks like at kid level. I banded the 

end of the cornrow and then just brought the hair into 

the puff.

How about you? What styles are your daughter's wearing this week?

Saturday Spotlight

Hooray for the weekend! Hooray for Saturday Spotlight! Today we are visiting with Mommy J and  Little A. Mommy J shared a bit about how hair time has helped her family,

When I adopted Little A she was nine months old and had just a few soft curls peeking through where they had recently shaved her head. I was so eager to get started with fun hairstyles that I would twirl her curls or brush them with a baby brush while she was eating Cheerios in the highchair. For us, hair has truly been a path to attachment.

I learned how to take care of her hair and she learned how to let me take care of her. Little A just recently turned three and she will sit for hours letting me do her hair. She will actually run and grab the water bottle and combs when I tell her it's hair time. At no other time does she have my 100% undivided attention, and for a girl that hated to snuggle and cuddle, we found our attachment avenues simply through the hair. It's one of my favorite parts of the day.

Mommy J has some favorite styles to show us today:

Cornrows meeting in the middle: I find these parts are a lot easier to make if you start in the middle of the head and part outwards, like spokes on a wheel.  Still have a hard time with the bottom rows going up - feel like I have to stand on my head to get them.

The front braid: This is a new one for us inspired by a happygirlhair style I liked. I love that it gives us the freedom to leave the back natural or in puffs but keeps the front well-tamed.

The ringlets, or finger curls: These are fabulous. So cute and they will last a couple days even with naps and bed!

The twirls: These are some of my favorites because it is so easy to mix the style up after you've got the basic style done.  The next day you can braid the small sections and pull it into one.  You can puff the middle, you can braid the middle, put it in a Bantu knot.  Love love love this style...it's so versatile but quick because you don't have to redo the whole thing daily.

The twirls style is really fun, and I don't think I've seen it before. I want readers to note that the sectioned hair isn't in flat twists, the hair is gathered and banded in the section, then twisted, or twirled, and then brought toward the center of the head. All the twirls meet in the center and can then styled as a bun, braid puff or Bantu knot. 

Veil style: This is my absolute favorite but, unfortunately, is the hardest on the scalp.  We only use it for special occasions and only for a couple days instead of a week like other styles. I love using the little pinch clips to decorate it!

Thanks for sharing your skill and your daughter, J! It's great that hair has been part of the path to attachment and that you have taken the time to document that with photos of the two of you during hair time. You'll treasure those photos through the years!

Style Update and a Wide Afro Puff

I can't believe how long the girls' styles lasted this week. I thought they would last a day or two at most, especially since they were headed out the door for birthday party jumping fun right after we did hair. Little B was wearing a modified pompadour with a french braid in the back and Little R is sporting a faux hawk.

I finally took Little B's style down last night before bed. The pompadour was losing its shape and the french braid was getting fuzzy. We did a quick co-wash, followed up with some Twist of Fate* and  put her hair in a large afro puff. I love Little B's hair in one single puff, but it is just way too hard on her hairline at this point. Instead of gathering it into a high puff, I used a headband to bring it back just a couple of inches from her hairline. It looks cute and is a nice variation on regular headband styles.

Little B really enjoyed her pompadour and got lots of questions about it. A few schoolmates' moms, some teachers, and coaches are starting to realize that styles have names and they seem to enjoy asking what each new one is called. Little B was quite pleased to tell people she had a pompadour.

After wearing a Lycra swim cap as her sleep cap,

the pompadour section of the hair was compacted a bit 

and that gave the style a less dramatic look that was pretty.

I tinkered a little bit with Little R's faux hawk to get it to cascade better. Instead of gathering all three flat twist from each side in one band, I banded the first twist from both side together, then the second from both sides, then the third. It made for a much nicer flow of curls and made the width of the faux hawk easier to control. I also added a barrette in front to align those curls with the rest.

 The new method of connecting the flat twists works much better.

It's been a fun hair week. How was yours?


*Twist of Fate, by Give All For Love is not shipping again until September due to the potential for melting in transit during the heat of summer. Give All for Love has expanded their product range though and is offering a leave-in called Summer Love, which might be a nice option for those wanting to try these products before Fall. I'll review Twist of Fate when it is available again.

Good to Know: When Good Oils Go Bad

About a week ago, I tried a little Kukui nut oil on the girls' hair. I used it to make a homemade body butter a few months ago and had a nearly full bottle kicking around, so I decided to put it to use. I couldn't remember what the oil smelled like when the bottle was fresh and when I gave it a sniff this time, it had no particular scent. Within minutes of application the girls' hair smelled absolutely awful.

 
That experience and a couple of recent emails I received asking how oils are supposed to smell has prompted today's Good to Know. In this post, we'll take a look at the shelf life of a few oils and butters commonly used on hair. Knowing what the product should smell like, look like, and feel like will help us avoid using an oil that's past its prime.


Coconut Oil- Unrefined

• Shelf Life: about 2 years
• Scent: light to deep coconut
• Appearance and Feel: white and creamy
• Melting Point: 76°
• Good to Know: Can be gritty, even in new jars.
• Time to Buy a Fresh Tub: when the scent doesn't remind you of tropical islands, or the gritty bits don't melt easily.

Shea Butter- Unrefined

• Shelf Life: about 1 year
• Scent: nutty to shortening-like, can have a distinctive aroma
• Appearance and feel: yellowish and creamy
• Melting Point: 89-95°
• Good to Know: shea butter can have a really strong smell, while you may not find it pleasing, it doesn't necessarily mean the butter is rancid 
• Time to Buy a Fresh Tub: when the product loses it's distinctive smell or smells off.

Jojoba Oil

• Shelf Life: about 2-3 years
• Scent: very little noticeable scent
• Appearance and Feel: golden liquid oil
• Melting Point: it is a liquid wax that can become cloudy or solidify in very cold temperatures
• Good to Know: jojoba is pronounced ho-ho-ba
• Time to Buy a Fresh Bottle: this is very stable and does not become rancid for a long time, buy a new one if the scent changes or seems off.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Shelf Life: about 10-12 months
• Scent: can be complex and varies depending on olives used and brand
• Appearance and Feel: deep golden to green liquid oil
• Melting Point: n/a
• Good to Know: you can use the same type of olive oil you cook with for your hair
  
• Time to Buy a Fresh Bottle: when it smells slightly off, or rancid. Taste is a good indicator too.

It's easy to tell if an oil is truly rancid, that smell is like no other. Exposure to oxygen, light, and heat can cause an oil to become rancid prematurely. Store your oils in a cool, dark place and keep them tightly capped to prolong their life. I recently ruined half a jar of otherwise perfectly good coconut oil by failing to screw the lid on tightly for a few weeks. : (

If you have a refined and deodorized butter that you haven't tried before, have an oil or butter that has no scent but should, or have an oil or butter that doesn't smell exactly right but doesn't smell rancid, proceed with caution. Do a patch test on an easily washed part of the hair, or on the skin, first. Just a little bit of information and testing may keep you from using a whole lot of time, shampoo, and conditioner to remove the smell of oil that is going bad.


Shelf life and melting point information from Mountain Rose Herbs and other sellers of natural oils and butters.

Hello Dolly! Dolls for Play and Styling

Lately, my sweet girls have been just aching to play with doll hair. They would also like what Little B charmingly refers to as "lady dolls", not baby dolls. They have Groovy Girls, and while the somewhat curly yarn hair can be put up, anything else leads to unfortunate hair loss. It delights the cat - but no one else.

I've been looking around for some appropriate lady dolls that sell for under $20, since I know that eventually they will be left on the floor and chewed by the dog. The obvious choice is Barbie and she is definitely in the running, but her unrealistic proportions don't thrill me. There aren't many curly haired models, which I feel is a must for their first lady doll. I do like the Barbie Basics doll who sports a TWA. She's beautiful and stylish, but is intended for collectors rather than for young children. The Barbie So In Style Trichelle and Janessa Dolls doll has longer curls and is meant for play, so she might be an option if I can get past the 39-18-33 measurements that Barbie would have were she real. I once tried to have a really earnest conversation with the girls explaining my reservations about Barbie and all I got was an adamant "Well, I like her!" It's hard to argue with that. Update 7/2011: Check out this great tutorial at Beads, Braid & Beyond on giving straight hair Barbies a natural hair makeover.

I found these two alternatives which we might try out too. The first is the interestingly named, God's Girlz. They are modestly dressed, realistically proportioned dolls. If the religious aspect is not appealing, the T-shirt could probably be swapped out. The Imani doll is black and has very pretty curls that look long enough to be styled and played with. At $12.99, these dolls seem like a good value.

Another option is the Only Hearts Club dolls. They dolls are obviously not adults, but each comes with a pet and my girls might really identify with them. They lack the sophistication that Barbie can have, but are still pretty cute. I kind of like the Briana Joy  doll. At $11.50 each, I wouldn't be too upset if this one got eaten up by Mr. Chewsalot.

Update: a reader (Hi Sarah!) just let me know that Only Hearts Club dolls have accessories sewn into the hair and the hair can shed, making these a poor choice for hair play. Another reader has mentioned that her eyes are kind of creepy. So much for Briana Joy.

Update: Happy Girl readers are the best! Courtney has pointed out that Corolle makes a lovely 13 inch doll with beautiful hair. She is not under my $20 limit, but she's not a Barbie-type doll either. Les Cheries Doll Cécile would be a great doll for girls to play with during hair time. I would love to add one or two to my girls' family of dolls.

Update: I feel like this post is taking on a life of its own, and I love it! HGH reader, Jenny, has pointed us in the direction of yet another doll with curly hair. The Snap 'n Style dolls aren't lady dolls, but little girl dolls. She has great hair though and would be perfect for the smaller tots. A few readers have mentioned that her hair isn't easy to play with, but she is a cutie. Fisher-price recommends them for age two and up. These dolls are available at Amazon, but the Fisher-Price website sells her for a bit less, even with shipping. This is Themina.

Here's another update: This doll is really over our price limit, but in terms of hair, she is like no other doll I've seen. She is Karito Kids Lulu From Kenya. She has twists and loves soccer - just like my girls!

There's a soft version of Lulu too. She's comes in two world traveler versions, one dressed for a trip to Madagascar, one for a trip to Egypt. The soft version is much less expensive than the version pictured above. 

Can't Stop Updating....

I found the large version of this one in a store, and while I found that a little odd-looking, I loved the small version. We did end up buying this one and really like here. She the BFC, Ink Fashion Dollpack - Calista. I love those glasses!

And here's another: Heart 4 Hearts Rahel from Ethiopia. Isn't she pretty? Update Oct 2011: Rahel is now available in some Target stores and Target.com. She's also available at Toys R Us online and in stores. 

Do lady dolls grace the play areas of your home? Which are played with most?

Pompadours and Faux Hawks, Modified for Tots

All week I have been just waiting to take Little B's cornrows out so I could try a pompadour like the one worn by the exquisitely talented Janelle Monáe. Little B's hair not only lends itself well to this type of style, but it suits her face too. I modified it because didn't want to have a lot of pins in her hair or style it in too extreme a way; Little B isn't making high concept music videos or performing, she's too busy going to kindergarten.

I started out by taking the beads off the ends on Little B's stacked cornrows and co-washing her hair while it was still braided. This allowed me to use the stretched hair to make the style workable. This morning, I took the cornrows out, using a pin tail comb, a spritz of water, and a little leave-in. I combed out each section to remove any shed hair and clipped them as I went so they didn't shrink too much.

I took the front section that would form the pompadour and clipped it out of the way. Instead of a french twist for the back, I did a french braid. I used styling creme and a natural bristle brush to smooth the hair back and out to form the french braid. Rather than lifting the front hair that forms the pompadour, rolling it over and pinning it, I just spritzed it with water to encourage a little shrinkage and gently shaped it with my hands and a little styling creme.

Check out the video for Tightrope, which inspired today's style. The song is from Janelle Monáe's new album The ArchAndroid. The video is the coolest thing I have seen in very long time and the song is great. The whole album is great. This video may not be appropriate for really little kids, the faceless figures in robes could be scary though my girls loved it.



Just for fun, I gave Little R a modified faux hawk. I washed and conditioned her hair last night, added a leave-in and a little jojoba oil. Her hair air dried with lots of great shrinkage. Today, I took a front bang-like section aside and clipped it. I then sectioned the sides and put three big loose flat twists on each side ending them about an inch and half apart, on top of her head. On each side, I gathered the ends of the twists and banded them together.

 The three flat twists banded together at the ends.

The ends of the flat twists braided together for a few stitches 

with hair from the center, and then banded loosely.

At that point, I had two large bunches of hair meeting almost at the top of her head. I lifted the hair in between and braided it with the banded sections just enough to give that center top section some lift and keep all the hair together. I secured that with a loose band a few stitches into the braid. I unclipped the bang section and brought it back toward the center braid. I used bobbie pins to hold it to the braid and let the curls flop up and over. I finger-combed the curls that now cascaded down the middle, undoing just a little more of that center braid so it didn't show.

The view from the top front. If you look carefully, you can 
see the bobbie pin holding the bang section back.

The result is a modified faux hawk. It is modified because the hair that sticks up in the center starts much father back on the head that a traditional mohawk or faux hawk, which generally starts defying gravity right at the hairline. The big, loose fat twists also soften the look considerably. I like this look because it is less extreme, on Little R it is more curly sweetheart than punk rock girl.

I'm not sure how long either of these styles will last because the girls are headed to a birthday party at one of those inflatable bouncy structure places. That should be interesting!


Anybody staying up to watch the end of Lost?  I am and 11:30 is way past my bedtime, tomorrow ought to be fun.

Saturday Spotlight

Happy Saturday! This week we are featuring Mommy A and her darling Little E. They have done a style with an X part. I think that's what I'm going to call styles that have this parting pattern from now on. Thanks Mommy A! Here is what she has to say about this style:

With this one, I started out planning on doing 5 sections, like a star pattern. When I got down to the last 1-2 parts, I realized I didn't really have enough hair or space to do 5 parts, so I moved some parts around a bit and stuck with 4 sections and love how it came out. I try and get out of the habit of a center part and this fit that bill too. Super simple, just an "X", and then banded the 4 sections. I did a single braid on all but the top section - there was more hair in that section than the others and so I put 2 braids in it. I changed the ballies and barrettes on the end everyday to match her clothes and I was just really happy with how it looked.

For some reason, the parts and hair around the bands seemed to hold up better and not frizz out as quickly as usual. I don't know if it was my imagination or if the parts going a different way than usual helped or what. I redid the braids after about 3 days and regathered the sections after about 5 days - a pretty normal run for us.

If memory serves, we just did a usual wash and condition with Aubrey Organics the night before. The next morning I spritzed it with water and worked in some Darcy's Botanicals Coconut and Hibiscus conditioning oil. Once I had the sections ready to braid, I applied Darcy's Botanicals Madagascar Vanilla styling creme and braided her up. (On a side note, I am LOVING that styling creme with braids, twists and cornrows! I notice they don't frizz out as quickly and her hair feels so soft when I take the braids out.

Thank you for sharing your styling skills and you Little E with us! She is such a cutie!

Hair Growth Claims,The First 5, and Extensions for Tots

I've had the pleasure of reading some excellent blog posts and comments over the last week or so and I don't want you to miss them. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in to do some reading.

At Nu Kynk:
Growth Aides: Don't Believe the Hype

At The Natural Haven:
Why Do the First Five Ingredients on a Hair Product Matter?
and the follow-up The First Five Ingredients Q&A

At Beads, Braids, and Beyond:
Q.O.T.W. How Do You Feel About Hair Extensions/Weaves Being Used on Children?
In this feature, the question is posed and the readers offer their thoughts. The comments cover a wide range of opinions and perspectives. It's good reading.

And now for a gratuitous cute picture of my girls as they appeared for breakfast last Sunday morning. They feel that wearing PJs, sleep caps, blankets as skirts, and all the plastic jewelry they own is the key to looking their best.

You can't tell from the photo, but Little B's 
ring is a Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer ring.

Have a great weekend!

Style Update: Big Triangle Sectionsand Stacked Cornrows

I'm going to keep this short and sweet because I'm on day two of a crushing headache. I took Little R's Bantu knots out and exchanged them for big rope twists, just to add a little variety to our week. I really like the rope twists and they are staying in well with the help of lots of Darcy's Vanilla Styling Creme.

Little B's stacked cornrows aren't easily restyled, or at least I couldn't think of a variation. They are doing just fine and there isn't any sign of scalp stress. I have been melting a new product called Twist of Fate in my hands and then applying it to her braids. I've also been massaging it along her hairline and applying it to her parts to keep her exposed scalp moisturized. I think her hair is going to feel really soft when I take these out.

What styles did you do this week?