Senegalese Twists: My Summer Protective Style

     Summertime is here and so is the unbearable heat and humidity. Instead of fighting with my hair to keep it moisturized and stretched this summer, I've decided to wear SENEGALESE TWISTS for the next few weeks. In the past, I went to a braiding salon to get my twists installed, but I figure I've seen enough Youtube videos to install my own. I used about 5 packs of KANEKALON braiding hair, a leave in conditioner by Beautiful Textures and COCONUT OIL to moisturize my own hair. I used the basic method of braiding at the root and two-strand twisting the remaining length. To finish and seal the ends, I bonded the hair with a lighter and dipped the ends in boiling water. I wanted them to be long and full which is why it took more than the standard three packs of hair. The total cost of this style was about $15, and the twisting took about 10 hours total, spread out over two days. Here are the results!

I'm ready for the beach!

What protective styles are you rocking this summer?

PEACE,

AphroKiKi

AphroKiKi Update!

I've been away from this blog for a while...my apologies for the absence. I've been very busy sorting out my life and as it turns out, my hair! After a mere two weeks after I took down my twists, I re-installed them. I just wasn't ready to deal with my weekly hair routine. My current twists have been in about two weeks now, only they're not twists anymore-- it's a twist out! I copied The Damn Salon's concept of Urban Twists and made it my own. However instead of paying $200, I did these at home for about $20 (and there are equally if not more FIERCE). I used a little more than two packs of Kanekalon and Toyokalon hair.Check 'em out and tell me what you think!

Until next time loves!

Marley Twists: My Winter Protective Style

Havana Marley Afro Puffy Kinky Twists. 

     I spent the last five hours of my young adult life engaging in what felt like a rite of passage: braiding my hair. YAY! For my first time braiding and twisting with extensions ever, it really wasn't as terrifying and awful as I thought it would be. I'm not exactly sure what to call the finished result-- it's a combination of Marley Twists, Afro puffy twists, and kinky twists. Regardless, they're on my head for the next month or so and I'm pretty pleased with them. Not gonna lie, when I started I was intimidated by the amount of the natural hair on my head (especially because it's so thick) and figuring out the proper technique for installing the twists, but after watching a few excellent YouTube tutorials I felt emboldened enough to navigate the treacherous waters of Hair Braiding 101.  I used Prism's 100% Kanekalon and Toyokalon hair which cost about $6 a pack. I only used 2 and half packs so I have plenty left over for touch ups. Because I installed this style  myself I saved  a ton of money-- you cannot beat a $20 protective style that will last you 2-3 months.

Quick Messy Updo.

I tried to make them shorter at the top and near the back.

  I learned more than a few things about braiding with extensions. Number one: make sure your real hair is detangled, conditioned, and that the moisture in your hair is sealed. When other people braided my hair, they didn't know the first thing about detangling my 4c hair which made for a very uncomfortable experience for me. On the contrary, I know exactly how to detangle my kinky hair so I had no issues in that department.Number two: Section your hair for manageability and accessibility. I sectioned my hair off (about 5 total) and two strand twisted the sections I wasn't braiding and clipped them out of the way. Number three: Pick a method of installation and stick with it. The method I used was pretty basic; I attached the extensions to my hair with a braid and then twisted the remainder of the hair. The beginning is honestly the trickiest part of the whole braiding situation, but once you get past that, it's pretty much smooth sailing. Next time around, I want to improve the way I part my hair (I got pretty lazy about it in the back) and use smaller parts in the front. All in all, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I've tried to install twists and braids in my hair before, and needless to say I was in the dark. Just ask my college roommate. We've had plenty of laughs over my hair braiding attempts. For example, I once went to a bar with half my hair in raggedy kinky twists and the other half fro'd out! I unsuccessfully disguised my hair with a beanie. It was all in good fun I guess, but I will never have to do that again! What was your first successful hair braiding/twisting experience like? I would love to hear about it!

AphroKiKi

Happy New Year! And the Co-Wash Challenge

     As the Winter weather is beginning to set in, I've been examining my hair regimen and preparing to make the necessary adjustments to accommodate the cooler temperatures and combat the dryness to come-- that is if I don't succeed in treating my hair properly. Alas, I've decided to abandon shampoo for the next two months and sort of undergo a Co-Wash Challenge. I noticed that many shampoos have a deadly combination of alcohols and sulfates that strip the hair of natural oils thereby depleting my hair of the thing it needs most: MOISTURE.

       With that said I've purchased a new conditioner, Organix Repairing Awapuhi Ginger Conditioner, which has alcohol (bad!!) but its sulfate free (awesome!!) I thought it was a good compromise as it fits into my budget-- it was about $6 at Walmart-- and it has some great natural ingredients like Cocoa Seed Butter, Coconut Oil, and Avocado Oil. I didn't want to compromise much on the quality of product and I definitely don't want to spend an exorbitant amount of money on conditioner that I'm just going to rinse out of my hair-- literally, that's money down the drain. I think this product has the best of both worlds-- cheap and good for my hair! Anyhow I will be sure to post how using this conditioner as opposed to shampoo every week is beneficial or disadvantageous to my hair care regimen.

      A second change I am making as of tomorrow is adding hot oil treatments to my regimen. I've been deep conditioning with a homemade concoction pretty consistently for about 3 weeks, and I've had great results (I'll be sure to post my recipe soon!). I think as it gets colder outside my hair will need more nourishment in the oil department, so I purchased a giant bottle of Extra Virgin Olive oil and will be alternating hot oil treatments with deep conditioning treatments once a week. I'm serious about this hair growth/health thang ya'll. The struggle is real!!
     In addition to no shampoo and implementing regular hot oil treatments, I will also follow up with a leave-in conditioner that I love -- Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner. This product is a 4c kinky girl's dream!!  Look forward to a product review on it soon!  This past Sunday I installed mini twists to give my hair and myself a break, and I expect I will be doing more protective styling as the Winter progresses.

The twists took about 3 hours to put in....

....and about 30 minutes to take down. 

Tomorrow marks the beginning of my Co-wash challenge. Hopefully all of my efforts will not be in vain and I can retain length this year. I'm praying that I don't get lazy, lose steam, and hang it all up by February. That's all for now. Happy New Year to all and Happy Hair Grooming and Growing!

Thoughts on Thursday: Protective Styling

Urban Twists courtesy of the Damn Salon.

     Protective Styling is pretty self explanatory: they are styles that protect your hair. Let's face it, our hair gets tired of us twisting it, stretching it, combing it, just as we get tired of dealing with it. Protective styling provides a win-win situation for both parties; you and your hair gets a break from constant manipulation. Protective styling is hair relationship therapy 101 and you betta believe it honey!
      Some of my favorite protective styles are Senegalese twists, Box braids, Havanna Marley twists, Kinky twists, and the list goes on. Quite simply, these styles put your hair away by braiding them or twisting them while adding extensions. They are great for switching up your look and creating versatile styles, especially when your Afro is on the shorter side. I experimented with Senegalese twists and a variation of Kinky twists this past year.

Senegalese twists for the summer.

     The Urban Twists done by the ladies at The Damn Salon are by far my favorite protective style, mostly because they look the most like your natural curl pattern. Not to mention the salon experience was amazing. You get an awesome consultation and a gourmet lunch. How do you say no to champagne in the salon? The only downside is that they are a little pricey, but they offer great specials throughout the year, AND they will style your hair for free on follow up visits. Seriously, you owe it to yourself to check them out.

After about 5 months of protective styling. Look at how big my hair is!

     Now for a word on Senegalese twists. Honestly, I liked this style but I didn't love it. If I had to do it all over again I would get them way bigger, which is what I initially asked for in the salon, but I guess they didn't hear me. Getting these twists was a totally impulsive decision, but I don't altogether regret it because they did in fact protect my hair and I didn't have to style it for about 2 months. The best advice I can give when it comes to protective styling is that you shouldn't leave any one style in for too long. You should switch up styles after about 3 months max. Personally, I wear protective styles for about 3-4 months of the year, usually during the summer or winter. Also, do not neglect your natural hair completely! It still needs to be washed and don't forget to apply a light oil or a leave in conditioner, or both! The point is to protect your hair, not neglect your hair!
     The only true con I can think of when it comes to these styles is the take-down process, especially if you have to do it yourself, it can be a bit overwhelming. Although, you could always recruit some friends to help you! The benefits of protective styling far outweigh the negatives. Just make sure that you are still nourishing your hair so that you promote the growth of your hair. When it is all said and done and the extensions are removed, you will be amazed at how much your hair has grown! So when you're sick and tired of twisting/braiding your hair every night, protective styling could be the difference between cutting your hair off or even worse, going back to the creamy crack! Just say no people!

Keep it nappy ya'll!

AphroKiKi