Just for Fun Friday

Why is there always one kid at the playground who thinks throwing bark chips is hilarious? And why are my girls always drawn to that kid?




PS Don't worry, these are not her current twists.

Oyin Honey Hemp Conditioner Review

Oyin Handmade Honey Hemp Conditioner was voted our third favorite conditioner in The Happy Girl Hair Great Conditioner Poll of 2010. Based on many reader recommendations, I bought some way back at the end of November. The almost empty bottle is sitting next to me as I type, and it's been nearly empty about two months. For those keeping track at home, that's three months to test it out and two months to make a decision about it and write the review. This conditioner has me a little puzzled.

Honey Hemp conditioner contains purified water, organic aloe vera gel, behentrimonium methosulfate, raw honey, hemp and coconut oils, vegetable glycerine, silk amino acids, citrus essential oils, fragrance, and optiphen. It is available in an 8oz size for $11, a 16oz size for $18, or a 32oz size for $32, and can be purchased at the Oyin Handmade website, in their Baltimore shop (Saturdays only) and through CurlMart.

Honey Hemp is a light conditioner that can be used as a rinse out or a leave-in. It has a lotion consistency and a bit of slip. As with all Oyin products, the scent is delectable. It's fruity and sweet; it just smells like the best of summer. I find I have to really think and work to separate how the scent of a product makes me feel from how the product actually works. Maybe that's why I been hanging on bottle that should have been recycled long ago. Maybe that's why it took so long to write this review. This conditioner just smells so good.

Over the three months we tested this, I used it as both a regular rinse out conditioner and a leave-in on all three of us. I found it worked adequately on Little R's hair. It seemed to moisturize it well and as a leave-in it wasn't too heavy for her curls. Unfortunately, it just didn't provide enough moisture for me or Little B no matter how, or how much, we used it.

The thing that perplexes me a little is that the ingredients in Honey Hemp usually work well for us. Just going by the ingredient listing, I really expected this to be a good choice for all of us- at least as a leave-in. I think Little B's hair and my own require some fatty alcohols or a little shea for an effective rinse out conditioner. I might have just chosen the wrong time of year to try Honey Hemp conditioner, which is rich in humectants. I may try this again in summer, especially as a leave-in on the days the girls will be running through the sprinkler or splashing in their kiddie pool. If I do, I'll update this and give it a star bead rating then.

Have you tried Oyin Handmade's Honey Hemp Conditioner? What are your thoughts?

Tiny Two Strand Twists

Normally, when it's hair time, I do a whole pre-poo, wash, condition, and detangle routine before I even get to the styling. This week, I looked at the big twists Little B had and decided to divide them up into little twists, which was the style I intended originally but couldn't complete last time. Her hair was really clean and I knew if I started from square one we'd never get those twists done, so I did without the routine and did this instead:

These are the original rope twists in sections that were up to an inch and a half square.

Using coconut oil for a little slip, I untwisted them, working on only one at a time.

In each section, I took a small bit of hair, spritzed with water, added a styling cream, and
gently combed through.The hair was still pretty well detangled since it was in twists all week,
but I wanted to remove shed hair before retwisting. 

I replaced each large twist with anywhere from 2 to 10 little twists. These are regular
 two strand twists,  not rope twists. If you need a tutorial on the difference, click here. 

Placing Little B on her side with her head in my lap made it easy to work on these in comfort.
It also allowed me to put my legs up, which was much more comfy for my sad shins.
Many thanks to Natasha for reminding me that this styling position is a great option.

I'm not sure how long this took, but I think it was hours and hours. We were both
pretty cozy,so it wasn't a problem to get them all done. I'm working from the middle of
her head to the front here. The twists near her face haven't been done yet.
Those smaller sections along her hairline were divided into 2-4 new twists.

Even though I was working with coconut oil and a rich styling cream, I never thought to put a
little towel over the pillow she was resting her head on. That proved to be a problem when we
switched sides and her new twists were resting against the pillow. Oh well, that's why they
invented those stain resistant, washable, micro fabrics.

Later in the day, we rinsed the twists to help them hang a bit because some
had been squished by the pillow. This also helped rinse off any excess product.

We'll dress these babies up with flowers, barrettes and anything else we can think of. The plan is to try to get them to last until her trim in about three weeks. I don't though, while I do love these on her, I can't help thinking about how good the twist out will look.

Hair Loss, Hair Growth: The Baby Addition

It's a little strange. It's often patchy. It can fall out without warning and at an alarming rate. It can be thick and curly on top and barely there on the sides and back. It can have bizarre patterns. In new moms, it can cause a little anxiety or full on panic. What is it?

It's baby hair. And it's normal. I've been getting a few questions about newborn and baby hair lately. A lot of moms are concerned about hair loss, baldness, as well as seemingly slow and uneven growth. Some moms feel they are doing something wrong when these things occur despite their best efforts. I'd like to try to clear up a few misconceptions and set a few minds at ease.

Some babies are born with a full head of hair, some are born with those funny little infant mohawks, some are bald as can be. Even those born with a full head of hair may, and often do, lose it all within the first six months or so. Not every infant losses hair after birth, but rest assured that infant hair loss is hormonal and not caused by poor hair care. As maternal hormones ebb in the infant, they lose that first bunch of hair. The second crop of hair can begin to come in while the first is still shedding, or it can come in after complete hair loss. Some even lose their first hair in the womb. As every parent knows, babies have their own schedules and agendas and their hair growth is no exception. It can take quite some time before their new hair really fills in, even into the toddler years. You can learn more about infant hair loss and hair care here.

In a perfect world, when that hair came in, it would be even, thick, and beautiful in every way. I guess for some it is, but for the rest of us, that hair can look patchy, uneven, and not all that pleasing to the eye. There are really good reasons for that. Babies spend a ton of time sleeping on their backs and sides. They spend a lot of time in car seats and in highchairs. They rest in slings, strollers, and in their caregiver's arms. They wear a lot of hats. The backs and sides of their heads are constantly rubbing against cloth. Is it any wonder the hair on the back and sides of their heads can be patchy, extremely fuzzy, or even non existent? That isn't necessarily about slow or uneven growth, it's so often due to the inability to retain length in the areas that are constantly in contact with fabric. Sometimes the pattern of sparse patches doesn't make a ton of sense. That's okay too. Each child is unique.

New moms have enough to worry about without stressing about uneven baby hair.
(Give yourself 10 points if you recognize that gold chair.)

I don't think the inability to retain length in these areas a problem to be solved in infants. Most of us live in cultures where babies are not carried upright for large amounts of time, our babies recline often. The result is sometimes visible in their hair, and that's okay. As babies become more mobile and independent, their hair continues to mature and fill in. Length is retained with greater ease in the back and on the sides. It may take a long time, it might even take until the preschool years, but that hair will fill in. Once babies are beyond infancy, there are few things that can help reduce friction and keep the hair in good condition. You'll find my tips for toddler hair here.

Patchy hair on an infant is not a indictment of the care the baby receives. Truly. If you do have concerns about hair loss or growth, if your child has cradle cap, or has been exposed to ringworm, don't hesitate to talk to your child's pediatrician. Rest assured, your sweetie probably won't be toddling off to kindergarten with major bald patches in the back.

Just for Fun Friday: The Thirsty Dog

Our dog has a strange and yucky habit. Every time the girls get their hair washed, he waits nearby until we are done and then he does this:

I don't know what it is so appealing about licking the water off the edge of the tub, but if we keep him out of the bathroom, the cat just takes his place and does the same thing. It's not as though we deny them fresh water; they have plenty. I'll bet there's a little hair product residue in little leftover splashes making the water taste extra delicious.

Wally had better be careful, one of these days I might just scoop him up as he's doing this and pop him in the tub for an unscheduled wash. 

Read. Watch. Enjoy! Our Natural Kids

We are doing something little different to wrap up the Read. Watch. Enjoy! series. I've been featuring some great individual bloggers and vloggers, but today I'd like to introduce you to a whole social network devoted to natural hair for kids. The Our Natural Kids mission is

To share ideas and resources while promoting healthy hair care and maintenance for children with kinky, curly, nappy or multi textured hair.

Our Natural Kids is an online community of over 500 women caring for kids' natural hair. It was started by The SistahChick, who cares for her Little Chick's beautiful hair. Our Natural Kids community members can use the network in so many ways. They can share their hair photos, videos, and tell other about upcoming events. There is an active forum for both asking questions and sharing knowledge. The network also has a chat feature and allows members to add blog posts, connect with friends, and join sub groups. Our Natural Kids even has a resident specialist in children's natural hair. Professional stylist, Jamesha Brazemore is available to answer community member questions.

Our Natural Kids is a place to get inspired and find support. The collective experience and knowledge, along with the great way the network is organized makes it a valuable resource. Each member gets to customize her own profile page too. I just did mine! If you would like to join this vibrant and growing community, click here. I think you'll be glad you did.

Short and Sweet Styling Session

Remember when I mentioned the shin pain that was making running difficult? It's still around and it's making a lot of things trickier, including hair styling. Sitting with my legs bent for any period of time is a test of endurance and Little B, bless her heart, has a knack for putting lots of pressure on my legs just where they hurt. 

As the result, the styling sessions are being kept short and sweet. I really wanted to do tons of little twists for Little B. I was hoping for something that would last a few weeks, but I just couldn't manage it. Instead, she got fairly large rope twists with a literal side of cornrows.

When I took Little B's last style out,  her hair was very stretched. I was surprised to see how long it is.

Keeping it easy with large box twists. 

I did this style on freshly washed and detangled hair.
I used a lot of moisturizing hair lotion to detangle and then a
moisturizing styling cream to twist.

On one side, I sectioned off small areas for cornrows. I kept braiding at the ends
and noticed I had 5 braids. I wove them into a 5 strand braid and
then twisted them down into a braid knot.  

Little R and I would have been content to put her hair in a pony tail or a bun, but she has breakage along the front that is growing out. I keep smoothing it back, it keeps escaping. I smooth it back, it works its way out and stands straight up. I decided to capture it well and truly by cornrowing the front of her hair. We used to call this hair headband Queen style because when we did it on Little B, it always looked so regal. On Little R it looks less regal and more little girl, more so because I didn't band the end at all I just secured it with a little barrette.

I want to mention that a few bloggers are experiencing breakage with the Tangle Teezer. I know many of you have one and many were purchased based on my review. While I am not seeing broken hair with the TT, I am using it with greater caution because of the breakage reports. I use it only after finger detangling and only on damp hair. I have noticed that while a lot of hair came out during initial uses, far less hair is on the brush now.  If you see small bits of hair when you remove the hair from the TT or hear a crackling sound when using it, you are likely experiencing breakage. You can read the Beads, Braids & Beyond update, or head over to The Natural Haven to participate in a Tangle Teezer breakage poll. And, as always, feel free to share your thoughts here.

Darcy's Botanicals Deep Conditioning Mask Review

This is a review that probably would have been most helpful at the beginning of winter, but you know I like to use a product for long time before I review it for you. Now that Spring is here and the conditioner jar is empty, I'm ready to tell you all about it.

Darcy's Botanicals Deep Conditioning Mask contains distilled water, lavender water, vegetable glycerin, BTMS and cetearyl alcohol, *organic virgin coconut oil, sweet almond oil, shea butter fruit, cocoa seed butter, marula seed oil, panthenol, yarrow leaf extract, sage leaf extract, horsetail extract, nettle leaf extract, lavender flower extract, bentinite clay, hydrolyzed oats, guar gum, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexyglycerin, ylang ylang, lemon peel oil, litsea cubeba essential oil, and organic sea kelp.

It's available through the Darcy's Botanicals web site, comes in an 8oz jar and costs $20. I bought mine during the Black Friday sale, so I didn't have to pay full price for this jar. The scent is citrusy and I can smell I a bit of lavender underneath. My husband said it smells like Pledge, and I can't disagree. I like Pledge though - it's the scent of clean! It feels thick and very creamy, it's about the texture of a skin cream like Eucerin. The instructions indicate this should be applied to clean hair and left on for 20-30 minutes.

I used this on both girls and on myself. Sometimes I followed the directions to leave it on for 20-30 minutes and sometimes we left it on for 5 or 10 minutes. When we did leave it on, I used an old shower cap to cover the hair. The girl appreciated that this didn't drip at all while they were waiting.

When applying this product, I found I really had to be mindful of coating the hair evenly. It helped to think of it as a mask and apply it as I would a face mask, smoothing it thickly over every surface. Even with the thick applications, I found it rinsed easily.

I made sure I got this all the way down to the roots.

Each time we used it the result was very soft, well moisturized hair. We've been using this periodically since December and I don't think dry hair was much of an issue this winer. I feel that using this conditioner as an occasional treatment was a part of keeping everyone's hair in better shape. The dry ever-present dry sections in my own hair looked and felt a lot better each time I used this.

At $20 a jar, this is a splurge and I was a little alarmed by how much I had to use to get decent coverage in the girls' hair - especially Little B's. It was also hard to get the girls to agree to waiting 20 minutes before rinsing, but I have to say I didn't notice a difference in the results if we kept in in for only 5-10 minutes.

I'd rank this in my top three conditioners. I'd like to use it consistently once a month for the girls and once every week or two for myself (I'm a daily co-washer.) so I will buy another jar very soon. I am interested to if it impacts how our hair feels and looks during swim season.

I give Darcy's Botanicals Deep Conditioning Mask five out of five star beads.




*To save a little time, I'm giving just giving the common names of these ingredients. One of these days I should learn to type with more than 2 fingers.

Saturday Spotlight: Baby Style

Happy weekend everyone! Today we are checking in with Mama M and her one year Little J. Mama M is sharing her routine for caring for and styling her Little J's hair.

I have a one year old baby girl. On her hair, I use Organics for Kids shampoo and leave in conditioner. I started doing Jaelynn's hair at three months, using the same products. Her hair is so long. I mean long. I shampoo and deep condition her hair every two weeks and we fight the following day to do it. But she has learned to sit there and let me finish as long as she has some snacks to munch on. Her hair is so soft, very curly and holds moisture. On a weekly basis, I would grease her scalp maybe two to three times, depending on the stlye and how dry it is.

Isn't Little J a cutie-pie? As I was getting this ready to publish, both of my girls came over and said, "Oh! Who is that baby? She's cute!" Thank you Mama J for sharing your routine and your sweet Little J. 

If you'd like to see your little ones on a future Saturday Spotlight, please follow these guidelines for submissions.

Just for Fun Friday: A Suave Man

I stepped out onto my front porch the other day to find this box tucked discreetly behind my potted cypress. I sighed and thought UPS must have delivered to the wrong house. As I picked it up, I saw that the address was right - and what's more, it was intended for my husband. Nonplussed, I walked into the house wondering what on earth needs with six, twenty-two and a half ounce bottle of Suave Naturals shampoo. Sure, he cares about the way his hair looks and he is somewhat particular about shampoo. But six bottles? Of Suave?

I was so perplexed, I left the box in the foyer and shot suspicious glances at it all afternoon. When he got home, I think I might have yelled a casual "UPS delivered something for you!" over my shoulder as I headed toward it with a pair of scissors. I opened it up (that's right, I routinely open his mail) and found, not the expected bottles of shampoo, but this:

I knew what it was immediately, but only because he mentioned he was ordering it and I've seen one before. Now I want you to guess what this is. You have until tomorrow morning to vote and then I'll reveal the correct answer. (poll now closed)

And the results are...

Here are the results of our little poll. For the most part, write-in answers fell into three categories. Some thought it was a medical device of some sort, some thought is was a hair dryer or steamer part, and many thought it was for making beer (mmm, beer). Those are some very good guesses.

If you guessed that it's for changing the oil on a boat OR you thought it was something automotive, you are correct! It's the tube assembly for a motor oil extractor. It's intended for changing the oil on a boat, but is also used to change the oil on some cars. It allows for an oil change without having to get underneath the car. Joyful Dad tells me he'll be changing the oil after lunch today. 

Here is the receptacle part of the oil extractor and the happy car who will
get her oil changed today. 

Little B's Spiral Style

This Little B style was inspired by a gorgeous cornrow style I saw over a week ago. The inspiration style had small, beautifully braided cornrows wrapping around the wearer's head to a lovely side braid. While it would have been nice to attempt to replicate it exactly, we had neither the time nor the patience. And I'm pretty sure I don't have the skill anyway. I went with big rows that spiraled. Big, chunky braids are more my style anyway, right? Right.

We began with washed, moisturized, detangled and slightly stretched hair. I banded it over night for a slight stretch. When I went to style the next morning, I did have to spritz her hair a bit because the bases of the banded sections had become a bit compacted and tangled. I lost some of the advantage of stretching, but it all worked out in the end.

I like banding because it can work as an stretching method or a stand alone style.

I started by making a C part from the right side of her forehead to the far right
top of her head. I cornrowed that section and secured it with a band.

I parted of the next section using my original part as a guide.
Each C part I made used up more of the hair on the left, until it was all used.
I braided each section as I went. 

I made sure I ended each braid just to the right of the center of her head.
I left a bit of loose hair at the end of each braid and in an adjacent small vertical section
where I planned a to cornrow up. On the right side of her head, I cornrowed straight back.

This is where I should show you how I braided up all those loose bits, but I forgot
to take a photo. I have lots of photos of this style and not one shows that cornrow.
Instead, here's a picture of the dog eyeing up the hair day
stuff. What do you think he's licking his lips over? A tasty pony O? Another
orange comb? He looks intent of getting it, whatever it is.

At the top of the cornrow I made to catch all the loose braids ends, I made a big puff.

This was a fun style that still left us with enough time to go out and enjoy the day. Okay, I took a three hour nap and the girls and their dad went out. 

Read. Watch. Enjoy! Keep Me Curly

Katie, of Keep Me Curly, and her lovely family.

I have another great hair blog and interview to share with you today. Keep Me Curly is special in a few ways. It's co-authored by Katie, who has taught thousands of us through her Katelynlyn You Tube channel, and Stephanie of Snapaholics, who has kept many of us supplied with beads and snaps for a good while now. Between them, they have five beautiful kids. As Katie explains, Keep Me Curly is special in other ways too.

Our site is unique in that we feature many different hair categories. I believe we are the only blog out there right now that features little girls with locs, and Steph and I each have a daughter with lovely locs. We like to call them mommylocs since we put them in ourselves! Also, I have another curly haired daughter whose hair I style in all different types of natural styles. We also occasionally have a post about my curly haired son, and I don't think there are many blogs about boy hair out there. Lastly, my straight blond haired little one also gets a hair post here in there! 

                                           -Katie, co-author of Keep Me Curly

What is your favorite Keep Me Curly post?
Stephanie: I think my favorite posts are those where the kids are most involved. G has done a few videos and there are a few where Katie's kids have had input. Any post where maybe our kids can pique the interest of our readers' kids is neat!

Katie: I don't know if I have a favorite post, but my favorite thing is when any post gets a lot of comments or questions. I love to know that people are helped or inspired by what we are doing, and I love the opportunity to answer additional questions. I also have to admit that it feels great to have others get as excited about my new hairstyles as my daughters and I do! When the girls go off to school with a new 'do I don't really hear any of the compliments that they get. So getting compliments on the blog is a fun way for me to experience the positive reaction that they are used to getting.

Tell us about the moment you decided to blog about caring for your kids' hair.
Stephanie: Katie was well known on YouTube, with her "Katelynylyn" channel, long before I thought about doing a hair blog! She and her talent with hair are the heart of Keep Me Curly. So I consider her channel the original blog! I have always been vocal about my love for caring for G's hair, and tell it to anyone who wants to listen. As for the Keep Me Curly blog itself, well it was just a natural next step to offer to all of Katie's YouTube followers and my Snapaholics customers!

Katie: Steph was the motivation behind the blog! I had been making youtube videos for a very long time and Steph really thought that there was a need for more hair blogs for natural kids styles. She pushed and pushed until I gave in! It has been a fun partnership between the two of us and our daughters have gotten so much out of the experience too!

Are there additional places readers can find you?
Katie: We have a facebook page. My youtube channel is Katelynylyn and you can find a few of Steph's videos at our Keep Me Curly youtube channel.

What is the hair care routine like at each of your houses?
Stephanie: We are very casual with hair here at Miss G's house. Whenever G showers we always at least dump a couple small buckets full of water with several squirts of conditioner in it on top of her head. We wash with a loc shampoo maybe once every couple weeks or as needed. We have just started using a homemade concoction of Castille soap, olive and jojoba oils, and water in a foaming dispenser. Works great on the body and I have high hopes for it in the hair as well. I also apply jojoba oil and/or coconut oil to her scalp and locs once in a while, or spritz with Taliah Waajid Mist Bodifier when things are looking a little dry.

Katie: That is hard since it is different for each of my kids! But my rule of thumb is to keep it simple! I don't use tons of different products and once I found the products that worked well for them, I stuck with it! (Taliah Waajid) We generally use conditioner to wash hair. B washes her locs about 3 times a week, or basically any time she needs a shower. V's hair only gets washed about once every 1 to 4 weeks when she gets a new style put in. They both spray their hair with an oil moisturizing spray every morning. B's locs get tightened every 6-12 weeks depending on the need and our time constraints.

What has been the most challenging aspect of caring for your children's hair?
Katie: The incredibly challenging thing about learning to care for my girls hair is the time commitment. It wasn't anything I had ever encountered before. I pretty much only knew people with straight or straightish hair, and had no idea how different caring for tightly curly hair would be. I absolutely love styling their hair and the creativity that goes into each new 'do. I love decorating their hair with beads and barrettes or leaving it in it's own unadorned beauty. I enjoy the bonding that goes into doing their hair and blogging about it. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE everything about their hair. But it would be AWESOME if I could snap my fingers at hair time and have it take a fraction of the time!

Stephanie: As Katie said, the time commitment. It has been easier and much more flexible since we installed the locs, which helps a lot as a single parent. I would say that G would probably say the most challenging aspect is having a Mom who won't stop fussing, picking, de-linting, fluffing, spritzing, and examining her fabulous hair!

Stephanie's cutie-pie daughter, G!

What has come most easily?
Stephanie: The love and the interest in doing her hair. No question about that. I will do her hair with joy until I keel over one of these days, if she'll have me. She says now I will always do her hair. I probably ought to take that with a grain of salt. She's only 8.  ;-)

Katie: Learning to braid has come very naturally to me. My best friend and I used to sit and braid each others hair for hours when we were girls and I have always been fascinated with creative styles. Even with my straight boring hair I was always trying to style it differently every day in high school! Once I figured out how to cornrow things just really took off!

Do either of you have a favorite, or signature, hair style?
Katie: Sheeesh!  Another tough question. I so rarely repeat any styles that I don't think I really have a signature style. But I do always love the way that V's yarn braids turn out. Here is a post that explains yarn braids and our latest yarn braids were from this past fall.

Stephanie: I was always a big lover of the puff. Since we have locs now, I still enjoy ponytails, especially since the locs are getting so long. It's fun to see them hang way down and point all different ways after she has slept on them.

Finish this sentence. When I'm not doing hair or blogging about it, I'm usually....
Katie: Doing one of 5,000 other things! Teaching Baby Sign Language classes is my other job, but of course the biggest job of all is being a mom, wife and homemaker!

Stephanie: Scrambling to pack snapaholics orders or make some semblance of dinner! I also have a full time job outside the home. It's definitely crazy.



All photos and video copyright 2011 Keep Me Curly, used by permission. 

Spring is in Her Hair

Little R hasn't been too into hair styling lately, but this week she agreed to let me give a quick style a whirl. I thought it would be fun to do something springy and fun to help get her excited about styling again. Every time I do a novelty style with a shaped parting pattern, I make it so big it's unrecognizable. This time I tried hard to keep my little flower cluster pattern under control as I worked. 

I started with clean, conditioned, detangled hair. I added leave-in and let her hair dry slightly. I put a short off center part in front. 

Next, I made a rough circle in the back where I wanted my flowers to go. I used both ends of my pin tail comb to refine the circles into little flowers one by one. I made them less like realistic flowers and more like a child's drawing of flowers. After finishing each, I gathered up the hair inside the flower and formed a traditional Bantu knot.

Working with slightly damp hair made it easier for me to part and control exactly where the parts went. On the last flower shape, I spritzed her hair a bit too much and it became a little too slick, making her very fine hair much harder to part. 

Along the outside of the flowers, I did a simple flat twist on either side of the off center part I placed at the front of her hairline. Where the two flat twists met in the back, I gathered them together and banded them with green ouchless bands to suggest flower stems. 

This whole style took about half an hour to complete and so far, it has held up pretty well. Freshening it up will just be a matter of quickly re-doing the Bantu knots or re-twisting the flat twists. The parts should hold until the next time we wash. 

Monday Note: When I went to redo the flat twists today, I noticed they weren't flat twists at all. I cornrowed the sides that I meant to twist. It's funny how my brain intended one thing and my hands did another - and my brain didn't notice for 3 whole days. I did change the cornrows to flat twists this morning.