Let's Do the Twist(s)

I really wanted to do mini twists for Little B's time with grandma and grandpa. Somehow, my mini twists are never really mini in the way I envision, maybe because I'm not that patient or because Little B has immensely thick hair. We'll call these little twists instead.

Her hair was pretty well stretched from bigger twists she wore the week before.  I wanted to deep condition, detangle, and restyle without losing a lot of that stretch. I knew the new twists would take more than one session to complete so I wanted to style in a way that would allow us to go out if we needed to between sessions without it being completely obvious her hair was only half done. Here's how I did it.

Her hair was in several large sections with big two strand twists. 

In preparation for deep conditioning, I untwisted each twist and put a band back on the bottom to hold the stretch.

I wet her hair thoroughly and smoothed the deep conditioner all through the sections. On the left side, you can see how the the individual twists swelled.

I put a heavy-duty shower cap on her and told her to practice her guitar for half and hour. She played This Land is Your Land and Blitzkrieg Bop again and again. After she finished, we rinsed the conditioner out and sat down to begin styling. 

I lined up all of my tools before beginning. I have a spray bottle with water, coconut oil, styling creme, a detangling comb, a rat tail comb, and a pin tail comb.

I started in the back on the left side. I put quick two strand back in all the other sections before I started my little twists. To make each little twist, I parted off a small box, added a generous amount  of coconut oil, detangled to remove shed hair, added styling creme and twisted. It was fun to see how long those little twists are when stretched out. 

As her damp hair dried, I spritzed with plain water before adding my coconut oil. 

On the first day, we needed to stop after I finished both back sections. I divided the little twists in two bunches and twisted them again to resemble the large two strand twists in the other sections. I figured that if we needed to head out the next morning, it wouldn't look awful - as long as nobody looked too hard. 

The next morning we got back to it and twisted the rest. When I'm almost at the crown of the head, I usually make a part to help me decide where to position myself so I'm always twisting down. I want those side twists to hang effortlessly to the sides, so I stand on the side and twist toward my body. 

I think the whole thing took about five hours. There are approximately one hundred and twenty twists and I'm hoping they last three to four weeks, but considering how much swimming she'll be doing in the next few weeks, I'm not so sure. 

Reader Question: Repairing Breakage

A good question about breakage appeared in my inbox last week. HGH reader Shemika has a young daughter who has experienced breakage along the crown of her head and hairline. Shemika asks,

My question is how can I repair this damaged hair and are there any products I can use (to help repair it)?

Breakage is something we are all too familiar with around here. Little R's hair can break along the hairline quite easily and then it takes ages to grow out, only to break again at some point. Breakage can be caused by many things such as

• Traction from styles that are too tight or gathering the hair into sections that are too big
• Some hair accessories, hair tools, and rubber bands
• Rough handling

A lot of breakage is avoidable, but not all. Sometimes breakage happens no matter what you do to guard against it. That's okay. It's just hair, it will grow back. Time and gentle handing will take care of breakage. There is nothing anyone can do to permanently repair breakage or split ends, despite what hair product commercials would have us believe. There are a few things that help ease the transition as the damaged hair grows out. 

• Trim the ends of the broken hair. If the splits ends are removed it will prevent them from traveling up the hair shaft and causing more damage.
• Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Keep that damaged hair in good condition and it is less likely to break off further. Adding a bit of coconut oil periodically will help improve elasticity. 
• Keep the damaged hair in a protective, but low-tension, hairstyle. For hairline breakage, we tuck the broken hair into a flat twist or loose cornrow to keep it from flapping around getting dried out and knotted. 

I try to keep Little R's broken hair on lock down by working it into a cornrow or flat twist whenever possible.

• Consider the use of a conditioner or leave-in that contains a non water soluble silicone, especially if trimming the ends isn't an option or can't be done immediately. This should help temporarily bind any split ends together. 

Instructions, and a Little Bit of Panic

We are just about to leave Little B and Little R in their grandparents' (Hi Mom!) care as Joyful Dad and I head to our first little trip sans girls. We will only be gone a few days, but hair care can't be neglected for even that short time, especially when those days include lots of swimming and nonstop play with their cousins. Little B will be in mini twists and Little R will have loose hair with a cornrow in front to contain the breakage that's growing out.

Here's what I'm setting aside for Mom to use:

• Empty spray bottle she can fill with tap water
• Oyin Handmade Juice and Berries
• A leave-in lotion
• Conditioner (may or not be used)
• Sleep caps
• A few ouchless bands for Little R
• An instruction sheet

In the days before we go, I plan to treat the girls' hair with extra care. I'll wash it well and deep condition for half an hour. After the wash, I'll add coconut oil. I usually do this before the wash but this time I'll use it to seal in some moisture. I'll style Little B's hair using a good amount of my moisturizing styling creme and add some to Little R's hair too. I'm hoping this will help keep their hair soft and well moisturized while I'm gone and reduce the amount of care their Grandma needs to do while I'm away.

I can't believe I'm leaving the girls, even for a few days. I haven't spent more than a school day away from them since they came home three and half years ago. They'll be fine. Although I'm looking forward to the little break, I suspect I might be a wreck that first night. I'm glad there are phones. And Skype.

Have you spent nights away from your kids? Was it harder or easier than you thought?




PS I just want to clarify that I'm not feeling panicked about hair, but the time away. I might have a little anxiety issue when it comes to leaving Little B &  Little R :)

Just for Fun Friday

My family and I were at the grocery store picking up an over-priced loaf of bread the other day. As I was feeling under-caffinated, I beelined to the strong drip coffee and got myself a cup. After I doctored it with just the right amount of sugar, milk and cinnamon, I looked around for Joyful Dad and the girls. When I gave the front of the store a casual glance and didn't see them, I assumed were hanging out by the free samples, which is where Joyful Dad likes to be.

I seized the moment and wandered over to the hair care aisle where they keep all my favorite stuff. I was blissfully looking over a few products and sipping my coffee when my whole family rounded the corner and I heard an exasperated, "Katie! We've been looking for you!"

I'm sure I looked guilty when I told him that I did look for them and couldn't find them. He assured me that they hadn't moved and were standing there exactly where I left them. Looking just about as mad as such a laid back guy can look, he added, "So when you couldn't find us you thought you'd just come to the hair section?"

Well, yeah, I did. I guessed that they would  know where to find me. And for once, I guessed right.

An Experiment with Anchored Bantu Knots

Bantu knots are such a cool style and they suit Little R's personality so well. Considering how easy they are, I'd do them more often but I hate the way they get loose and flop over at the base after just a little bit of energetic play. As I was thinking about this the other day, I wondered if I could anchor them more firmly if I skipped traditional elastic bands.

The Process:

I took an approximately 6 inch section of an old black stocking and cut it open.

I cut the stocking in several strips.

I parted the hair into largish sections. In this section, I twisted the hair and looped a strip of stocking at the base.

I tied the stocking strop around the base and then wrapped it around once more.

I took the length of stocking and wrapped it around the hair in the same direction I twisted.

I twisted the Bantu knot down into a coil. Near the end, I pulled the a bit of stocking free and tucked it off to the side.

As I finished the knot, I took the tail end of the stocking and wrapped it around the base of the knot. 

I slipped the very end of the stocking through another section of the stocking that formed part of the  knot. 

The stocking is barely visible in the finished Bantu knot.

The Style

The Test:

We did testing in extreme conditions to see how these would hold up. This thing spins at alarming speeds. It's fun for kids, but heart attack inducing for parents. Kids can hang from it or climb up and sit on the bars. It's so tall, I can barely reach it. The girls spent about half and hour jumping up on this, spinning, falling and jumping off.

The Result:

The largest Bantu knot came out completely. 
The others held up pretty well. 

Conclusion:

I think the Bantu knots survived better than traditional knots that are just banded at the base, and without that weird-looking flop. Last time she wore Bantu knots at this park they all came out in succession; as soon as I fixed one, the next came undone. The two smaller anchored knots faired better than the larger one. I think the larger knot would have done better with a longer section of stocking. When I did have to redo the knot, I liked the fact that the stocking was easy to remove and didn't cause any damage that I could see. It was much easier than removing a band.

I would like to experiment with this a little more and see if I can refine it. It has potential. I can feel it. 

Stretching Natural Hair without Heat

An afro with Little B's normal shrinkage. I'm including this as a reference point for the stretching photos. 

What is stretching?

Stretching is a technique used to elongate the curl pattern, usually in preparation for styling. The degree of elongation is dependent on the technique used.

Why is it done?

Stretching is done to ease styling. Once hair has been gently stretched, it becomes easier to gather it in large sections. This technique can be used as a preparation for dry braiding or twisting. For some, it makes parting the hair a more straightforward process. Stretching can be of particular use to people with tight coils and a high shrinkage rate. 

How is it done?

Heat-free stretching techniques produce good results when done on damp, detangled hair and are then aloud to dry. There are several ways to stretch the hair:

• Banding 
• Divide the hair into sections. Place ouchless band at the base of the section to create a little puff or pony tail. Stretch the puff out to its full length and place several more ouchless bands along the length of the hair. 

Banding to stretch. This time I used matching bands and planned the parts so this could be worn as a style until we had time to have a complete styling session. 

Hair released from the bands. 

• Threading 
• This video at the end of this post fully explains threading or the Ghana plait technique. You can learn a lot more about threading by visiting GirlsLoveYourCurls on You Tube. While you're there you can congratulate Nadine on the birth of her adorable new son.
• Twisting or braiding. 
• While twists and braids will stretch the hair, they will also leave a their own distinctive pattern in the hair when taken out, especially if the twists or braids are small and left in over a long period of time. Bigger twists or braids work well if the goal is to stretch before attempting another style.

 Big two strand twists  for overnight stretching.

Now matter which technique is used, the hair must be touched and stretched gently. Stretching is a great way to put the hair on hold if there is a lot of time between and wash and detangling session and actual styling. When stretching, I often just place my band sections or twists randomly, but if the parts are planned a bit, the stretching style can be worn as a regular style. I always feel so smug when I remember to do that and we can head out to breakfast on a weekend morning and think about styling later. 

To Stretch or Not to Stretch?

As with almost all things related to the care and styling, this is an individual choice. It might make styling easier, or it might feel like you are doing two styling sessions instead of one. The only way to tell if it is helpful to you  is to give it a try. 

Busy Week Style

I did this little style for Little B last weekend and I've been meaning to share it with you all week, but you know how a week can go. This week saw the end of 1st grade, final guitar lessons, the girls' first training run for a mini Triathlon we are going to do later this summer, the launch of my new running/cylcing/yoga Tubmlr, a dog with a tummy ache and a sick husband. It's been busy. Now that things have settled down a little, I can finally show you what I did. While this style isn't anything earth-shaking, I can tell you it is durable, which was perfect for this busy week. I called Little B into the bathroom each morning so I could touch it up, but each time I spritzed it with an Oyin Juice, looked it over and found that it didn't need anything else.

After I detangled Little B's damp hair, I put it in about 7 banded ponytails to lightly stretch it overnight. Stretching can make it easier to braid and to do styles that require larger sections. I stretch Little B's hair before styling about half of the time. 

This is what her curl pattern looks like after being stretched for approximately 15 hours after a wash.

To create her style, I parted her hair into four unequal sections. They look even in the photo, but the two sections in are parted off just a couple of inches from her hairline.

In each front section, I braided five cornrows. I made each section as I went, parting some with curving lines. I added styling creme to each section and made sure the hair was detangled and the styling product was evenly distributed before braiding. I was careful to keep my hands and the braids loose and left out the short hair along her hairline.

The dog sat at Little B's feet and only tried to eat one band the entire time we styled. Good boy, Wally!

I braided 5 cornrows on either side of the center part. I left the ends loose so I could work them into the rest of her style.

I took the loose braid ends and braided them into 5 strand braids. I then crossed the 5 strand braids over each other, making an X.

Close up of cornrows and 5 strand braids.

I divided each back section into three roughly equal areas. In the first, I gathered the hair in that section and the ends of the 5 strand braid and banded it all. I then had a bit of hair sticking out of the pony O like a little puff. I added some styling creme and twisted it around. Next, I took the hair from the section below, added creme, and twisted that in the same direction as the first section. I twisted them together in the opposite direction to form a standard rope twist. I banded that and repeated the process until I ran out of hair. 

Set for Summer

Between my recent Oyin Juices order, this order from Darcy's Botanicals and a recent trip to the store to get more Alaffia hair lotion, I'm set with products for the summer for both myself and the girls. At the store I was playing with the tester for another leave-in that is a bit heavier. It smelled good and felt good in my hair. I was touching my hair like mad and I may have been muttering as I considered buying it because an employee was watching me with in a half amused/half alarmed way they do when I've been talking to myself. I decided to go with the tried and true Alaffia and come back for the other one in winter months. I'm sure that lady was relieved to see me go.

Do you have a summer product line up, or do you buy whatever, whenever?

Goldilocks

Little R was Goldilocks for a reading class play. They made her some Goldilocks hair.

She thought it silly and kind of fancy. She was encouraged to bring some props home so she could perform the play with Little B and me. Soon, the cat will find this and the Goldilocks hair will be no more.

Buildup

This past weekend I had a little hair revelation. Little B can experience build up on her scalp quite easily. I try to stay on top of it by doing a shampoo wash about once a week but when it kept showing up in the same area, I realized I the washing was the problem.

Buildup can look a lot like dandruff. To tell the difference, gently scrap your nail against it or rub it with your fingertip. If it remains flaky it is probably dandruff. If it is waxy or sticky, it is likely product buildup.

Washing one's own hair is simple. Washing another person's hair is tricky. It's really a challenge when you have to wash a child's hair and the child doesn't really want her hair washed. I try to make it quick and easy for Little B but often the result is a less than thorough job. As I thought about the buildup concentrated along the front of Little B's head, it occurred to me that when I have her lean over the tub for that quick wash I can't wash the front of her scalp as well as the back. The persistent buildup was the result of inadequate washing in that section. I couldn't remove all of the old product and then layered on more product for the next styling session.

For the last wash, I cleared the kitchen counter and had her stretch out on her back with her head tilting back into the sink. That gave me excellent access to the problem area. I used our normal shampoo, washed with a little more pressure, for slightly longer, and the buildup was gone.

Build up gone!

Clarifying shampoos can work wonders, an apple cider vinegar rinse isn't a bad thing to try, but when washing another person's hair just a simple change of position might be all you need to to prevent or wash away buildup. I'll be switching up washing positions regularly from now on to ensure all sections of her head get equal attention.

Beautiful Curls Curl Defining Gel Review

I bought Beautiful Curls Defining Gel ages ago. I tried it a few times but put it away when other products came my way. I was running low on my usual curl definer a few weeks ago so I pulled this product out of the cupboard and gave it second chance.

Beautiful Curls Defining Gel is a styling product for waves and curls. I can use it on Little R but I bought it for, and used it on, my own 2b/3a curls. The gel shimmies and jiggles and is a bit thicker than a traditional hair gel, which is probably why it comes in a jar. The scent is a light blend of fruit and floral. It's available in an 8oz size for about $14 and can be purchased online or at health food stores. You can find a store locator here.

The Defining Gel contains chamomile extract (aqueous), yarrow extract (aqueous), certified fair trade shea butter, aloe vera leaf gel, agave nectar, panthenol, coconut extract, apricot fruit and ylang ylang flower extract, potassium sorbate, guar gum, xanthum gum, and citric acid.

The consistency is like a cross between pudding and jello. As you can see I've used most of the jar before offering my opinion. At least I'm thorough. 

Beautiful Curls is a line made by Alaffia, a company with a fair trade shea butter cooperative in Togo. Alaffia also supports community empowerment projects in Togo with the sales from their products. I always feel good about using Alaffia products and their regular hair lotion is my favorite leave-in. This is the third product I've tried from the Beautiful Curls line and the second I've reviewed here. You can find my first Beautiful Curls product review here.

I used Curl Defining Gel on damp hair, as per the instructions, and scrunched to encourage curls. As long as I didn't use too much, it worked like a charm. Almost every time I used it, my curls were bouncy, springy and so well defined. I saw my stylist late one afternoon after using the product much earlier in the day and she told me my hair looked great. And it did, thanks to the gel. Occasionally I did use too much, such as the day after a haircut when I had significantly less hair, and my curls were crunchy and stiff. Oops. I tried it dry hair too and it didn't work as well, but the results weren't bad.

I'm putting this one back in the cupboard for the next time I run low on other products. That may seem like a strangle choice for a product that works so well, but I've come to the conclusion that I'm a sucker for a pretty fragrance. The scent of this product just doesn't work for me. It's pleasant in the jar, but on me - bleecchhh. I can smell myself, and it's not good. When I have it in my hair it makes me feel less confident and slightly headachy. That is the reason this jar went to my product graveyard in the first place. I want to be fair and mention that I could have a product interaction issue; it might be that the scent just doesn't work over the AOHSR conditioner I use as a daily co-wash. I should also note that not one other person in my house thinks this smells bad in my hair. Scent is very personal and this could be an experience unique to me, so if you have type 2 or 3a curls don't let my feelings about the scent discourage you from trying this product.

I'm giving Beautiful Curls Curl Defining Gel five of five star beads. It does exactly what it promises to do and does it well, just don't use too much.



Have you tried this product? Give me your thoughts on it.