After posting yesterday about quick and simple protective styles, what do I go and do? I don’t know what’s up with me. I guess I’ve been bunning so much lately, I was ready for something different. I had planned on doing twists or a TnC this past weekend until Irene ruined those plans. So, guess I made up for it Thursday night. I had done those two braids and thought they looked nice and wondered what a full head would look like. Well, about two hours later, this is it. They are nice and shiny, but there’s lots of scalp and they are really gappy and thin when you see them from behind *sigh.* I spiral set them on the small red flexis using some DevaCurl Set It Free to rectify that. Curls should give them some “body” (I’ll post pics soon), though they’ll probably still look thin and end up in an updo.
As to the actual styling, my hair was stretched from the bun and wasn’t hard to braid. Making straight parts and even sections was the hardest and most time-consuming element of the style. At first, I applied a little ORS Twist and Lock gel to one section before starting to braid it, thinking it would help give a nice set and hold flyaways. But, I realized quickly, the wetness of the product actually made my hair more tangled and difficult to braid. I remember CurlyNikki saying the same thing about wetting her hair to twist and I’ve experienced this when trying to cornrow wet hair with leave-in conditioner. Instead, Nikki indicated that she applies the product after the twists are finished. I decided I would just use Carol’s Daughter Healthy Hair Butter to moisturize as I braided. It’s creamy and not too wet.
My ends are still feeling a little rough despite a 3 day pre-poo and overnight DC. I really think it was those two bad shampoo experiences and the Rugged Maniac in July (remember the unintentional mud hair “masque?”). It’s only feeling a little rough at the very ends. So, I think I might do a micro trim/dusting on the braids before removing them to wash. I’m hoping to get a week out of the braids. I won’t be washing my hair this weekend as I didn’t exercise (I know, shame on me … I also had cookies twice today and McDonald’s *hanging head in shame*), so no sweaty scalp/dirty hair to cleanse.
Anywho, I also think this will be a good style for the White Water Rafting trip that was rescheduled for this Saturday. I’ll probably bun it or put it into a single braid and tuck. I doubt that I’ll get a braid-out from the style as I think that it’ll be flat and too “zig zag” wavy for me. I like big curls. If my hair was thicker, denser and had a tighter curl pattern, I think that this type of braid would probably make for a nicely defined braid-out with longevity and the ability to get bigger and better as it got older! Alas, I don’t think that is meant to be for me.
Well here are a few more pics.
Have you tried box braids? If so, what products do you use to style? How many days/weeks do you get out of them? What are the challenges? Do you get a good braid-out when releasing this protective style?
hairscapades 
I haver tried box braids. It was never really my thing, mainly because it takes so long to do. Yours came out very neat.
I learned the same thing you did about applying setting products AFTER I twist my hair to prevent wetness. When my hair is freshly washed, I apply it before I twist it though.
My ends have been feeling bushy still. I refuse to believe that it’s damaged because I just Cur my hair. I noticed that about two twists don’t feel like that on the end and those twists are the ones that unravel at the ends and are always straight at the ends. They’re so straight at the ends that I kept trimming them thinking there was still some relaxed ends, but there’s not. All of that to say, I don’t know what to do about my ends.
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Ummmm… pardon the typos. I commented while I was on the bus. Now I’m on the computer and like *gasp* LOL
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I didn’t even notice the typos. Thanks Rece! I really think that these will hold up for a week and I won’t need to do much with them. I’ll post an update with a couple styles today.
Anywho, as to your non-curling ends, I have the same thing, as you’ve seen. My left side, top layer doesn’t curl, it waves. I used to think it was heat damage, then eventually accepted that the hair on that section doesn’t curl. As to the bushy ends, you did use scissors for only hair, right? I’m pretty sure you did, but figured I’d ask just in case. As to the bushiness … I just don’t see it when I see your hair in twists. Do the ends feel dry or just bushy? Have you tried heavily saturating them in Kimmaytube leave-in? I assume you’ve done that too, but just trying to figure out what it could be as it doesn’t sound like damage. May have to post this for the “Got Skills?” question to see if anyone else has suggestions/feedback. Take a close-up pic to show us and e-mail it to me so I can post it with the question!! Hope that you see this:)!
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I’m working from home today. Yah! Hence, I can sit on the computer and chat it up LOL>
Box braids come out scalpy on most people with long hair unless your hair is so tight that it’s wound like wool. Even then, the parts show. My sister puts box braids in my nephews hair and he’s got some tight stuff and his scalp still shows. OH well.
you are sooo right about the parting. It takes forever. I always ask my husband, “Is this straight?”
So, do you have SM styling and conditioning milk? Maybe try that on your twists/braids while doing it. I did it last night and it’s not wet at all. This morning I woke up and my hair feels great. This is a definite keeper.
@Rece, I have the same problem. The ends don’t curl. Have you tried cutting small pieces of straw and rolling the ends on them and pinning with a bobby pin? It helps.
So, I know i said I would be bunning and I will but think I am going to do smaller twists with this Murray’s beeswax cream and see if I can make box twists that I throw in a bun. Will see. Funny thing is I got a feeling that my TnC is going to come out really nice. I’ll take pix and put in my fotki if it does.
Shelli, have fun tomorrow 🙂
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I haven’t tried the straw method, actually. I’ve just been pinning the end of those two twists so they don’t unravel.
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@Michelle it takes me forever as well. I already have to do my daughter’s hair in braids so I can’t imagine spending another 3 hrs putting them into my hair.
@Rece If I put braids my ends don’t curl up. However, if I put twist they do. Go figure. Have you tried any new products lately? It might be a product you are using that is making your ends straight. That happen to me before. Whatever you do put the scissors down and slowly back away!
@Shelli, I will pray for you this weekend, it is suppose to be another storm coming. Be safe and have fun!
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I haven’t tried any new products. I’m beginning to think that’s just the curl pattern on that side. The left side of my head is naturally straighter than the right side. Maybe I sleep on the left side. I dunno. I don’t cut it anymore, but when I initially did my BC, I cut that piece a little more than the others because I just KNEW it still had some relaxer on the ends. Turns out it didn’t, but now that piece is slightly shorter than the others.
Speaking of new products, I will be trying some new products now that CurlMart sent me a 20% off coupon code. They know how to trap me. I feel like I haven’t tried any new products in a few weeks anyway. I guess it’s time. LOL
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Miche’al, no blog?
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Well dang Miche’al, pray for me? You make me think I was taking my life into my own hands;-)! LOL!!! It was fine:). We had a good time, though I really just wanted to sleep in Saturday morning. It was a rough week with too many late nights. Rafting was fun, we had a really nice day and everyone but me fell out of our raft or into the water … some twice!! LMBO!! My mom, mom’s best friend and aunt came with us for the first time and that was an experience. My mom’s best friend was so anxious and panicking that she talked the whole time and just couldn’t seem to understand the words coming out of our mouths!!! My youngest sister fell out of the raft backwards and my mom’s friend grabbed her ankle and wouldn’t let go despite us all screaming over and over again to “LET GO OF HER ANKLE!!!” LOL!! Fortunately, we all survived! LOL!!
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LOL! I was talking about the weather!! I’m glad you guys had a great time! I always wanted to go white water rafting but you see I’m one of those people if I can’t see the bottom of the water i’m not getting in. That is why I love tropical places, there wate is sooooo beautiful.
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@Rece I do have a blog but it is not related to hair, it is related to education, since I am an educator. I got that same coupon plus one from Wonder Curl too. So many choices, what is a girl to do?????? LOL
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LOL. That’s easy… get them all! =)
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