Hair Diary || Mini Twist Takedown AND Future Style

(Summer 2013) Loose twists on straightened hair.

After a little more than three weeks in mini twists (see previous post), I spent almost a week in the resulting twist-out before commencing to finger detangle.  I have to say that this is the EASIEST mini twist experience I have ever had, and I can only speculate why.

• For one, I only kept them in for three weeks and a few days.  In the past, I would wear them from 4-6 weeks.
• For two, I was big on deep protein conditioning (Aphogee 2-Minute) and lubricating my hair while in the twists.  In the past, I would just use my rinse-out conditioner and not as much lubricating.
• For three, I did slightly "stronger" twists (read this post to see what I mean) AND twisted (loosely though) all the way down to my ends.  In the past, my mini twists have been weaker and not twisted all the way down to the ends.

So I think those few things made my wear of mini twists easier this time.  The take-down (for a twist-out) was not bad at all and barely took a couple of hours.  The finger detangling did take time (I spread it across three days while catching up on "Dracula" and "Scandal") but was not all that difficult.  (I remember wearing mini twists for 6 weeks one time and having the most PAINFUL takedown AND finger detangling session ever ... so much so that I wanted to give up and just cut all my hair off.  I almost cried y'all.  However, that was not my experience this time.)  I soaked my hair in a mixture of coconut oil, olive oil, and shea butter beforehand.  I also took my sweet time so as to not rip through my hair.

I plan to wear my hair in plaits for a couple of days before washing and re-twisting.  I think I want to do loose twists on flat-ironed hair (again) for my next set.

'Til next time (and with more pics).

Hair Diary || Craving Mini Twists

So I've been really craving mini twists (which I have not worn for ages). Yesterday, I gathered up the energy to do them while catching up on "Scandal" and some youtube videos. The twisting session was actually kind of fun and therapeutic ... but when I finished the mini twists, I asked myself, "What have I gotten myself into?".   The un-twisting session (weeks from now) is going to be a beast, but hey.

Now for more hair pics:

After un-twisting my last set of twists and then finger separating/detangling.

After un-twisting my last set of twists and then finger separating/detangling.

After washing and air drying in a roller set.  I then did a quick chunky braid-out to get this look.

Starting the mini twists.  (As you can tell, they were getting slightly bigger and bigger.  I guess I got scared about having them too small.)

All done!

Hair Diary and Some || My Full Updated Hair + Body Care Regimens

Snapshot of the hair care changes (with links to "why"):
Finger detangle - no more comb detangling
Rollerset to airdry - no more big braids to airdry
Wash weekly - no more biweekly thru monthly
Incorporation of regular light protein deep conditioning (ORS Replenishing Conditioner)
3 weeks in twists + 1 week in resulting twist-out - no more ~4 weeks twists back to back

Official as of 10/2013:

HAIR (Stats: Natural, Type 4abcxyz, Mix of Medium (mostly) and Fine Strands, Normal/Low Porosity, Medium/High Density)

CURRENT REGIMEN:

Weekly: Prepoo with Extra Virgin Coconut Oil for >8hrs then wash with Desert Essence Lemon Tea Tree Shampoo diluted with water.  Condition with ORS Replenishing Conditioner for 45 minutes, when needed.  After rinsing, seal with my LATEST Shea Butter Mixture (recipe here).

~3 weeks: Undo my twists and finger separate thoroughly.  Prepoo overnight then wash as usual.  Coat each section with Tresemme Naturals (the old formula) OR my Avocado Detangling Mix (recipe here) and finger detangle.  Rinse then deep condition using ORS Replenishing Conditioner.  Rinse then airdry (70-90% of the way) in 12 jumbo rollers. Style my hair in twists.  For my twist routine, check this label.  

PREVIOUS REGIMEN (pre-2013, got me far in my journey):

Weekly/Biweekly: Prepoo with Extra Virgin Coconut Oil for >8hrs then wash with Desert Essence Lemon Tea Tree Shampoo diluted with water.  Condition with Suave Naturals Conditioner for 15 minutes.  After rinsing, seal with my Shea Butter Mixture (recipe here).

~4 weeks: Prepoo and wash as usual.  Then deep condition using Suave mixed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil or my Avocado Detangling Mix (recipe here).  Comb detangle on damp, conditioner-soaked hair.  Rinse then airdry (80-90% of the way) in 8 braids. Style my hair in twists.  For my twist routine, check this label.  (If my hair has been flat-ironed, I detangle on dry, lubricated hair prior to washing.)

BODY (Stats: family history of diabetes, stroke, etc.):

Supplements: I take One-A-Day Women's multivitamin daily.

Food: I eat a balanced diet consisting of mainly organic or natural ingredients.  I also largely eat whole wheat instead of whites and chicken/fish instead of red meat.  I aim to have each meal consist of 50% fruits/vegetables or more. I rarely eat fast food, junk food, fried foods, and canned foods.

Beverages: I mainly drink water, almond milk, and organic cranberry juice.  I refrain from 'fake' juice cocktails, sodas, and coffee.  Every other day, I drink a homemade smoothie (see my smoothie recipes here.)

Exercise: I work out (high intensity, 10-30 minutes) 3-4x a week.

Hair Diary || New Twists + Length Boredom

Apparently, I was too "rush rush" in doing these new set of twists, so they are aging fairly quickly ... faster than they usually do.  However, I'm sticking to them for the full three weeks and will have to manage.

In other news, I'm having "length boredom" at the moment.  My hair is in a shrunken state (whether 80% shrunken or 40% shrunken) almost 24-7, and for the most part I don't mind it ... I like the ability to switch up my "length" and style via shrinkage.  However, once in a while, I go through this phase where I want to wear my true length.  In the past couple of years, that usually meant flat ironing.  I'm contemplating doing that next month ... but the maintenance of keeping my hair straight while I exercise 3x a week will be a challenge ... and twists are just so much easier.  We'll see what next month brings.

In the meantime, here are some more pics!

After my last set of twists, I wore a twist-out for a few days.
This photo is the result of finger separating/detangling the twist-out.
Since I was too tired to wash, I wore this for another day or two.

Rollerset to stretch my hair for the next set of twists.  (This was done after a wash and deep condition.)
Within minutes, my hair reverts to more of a blow-out, but that is fine by me.

I initially wanted to do flat-twists into a twist-hawk, hence what you see here.
However, I decided that I didn't really want to commit to the look for 3 weeks.
The back was left this way and I did regular two-strands for the rest of my hair.

Stretched for twisting.  I *heart* roller setting.

Finito!

Hair Diary || More Highlights + Finalizing My Adjusted Regimen

So, I think I've mentioned this before, but I was a color freak during my relaxed days.  (And being a color freak during that time usually damaged my hair until I switched over to doing highlights as opposed to full-on dyeing.)

Fast forward to now ... the color freak is back.  She first emerged in late 2010 with the red highlights.  Then she re-appeared this summer with the ombre effect.  Quickly bored with the ombre, which didn't take too well (it looks more pronounced in photos), I decided to do blonde highlights.  Unfortunately, after 50 minutes, the result was a mere copper, but it's growing on me.  I foresee more highlighting in the near future.

As for finalizing my regimen?  I'm currently experimenting with an adjusted protective style routine.  If you've been following me for a while, you'll know that I spent the past few years wearing twists usually every 4 weeks back to back.  Now I'm toying with wearing twists for 3 weeks and an unseparated twist-out for 1 week.  This month is my second run in a row.

And now for more hair pics:

First day in new set of twists.  (Early September.)

Starting week #2.
Twists have shrunken and been washed (using the scalp method).

In the middle of week #2.
Prepping for highlights by undo-ing a few twists near my part.

Highlighted sections are covered with foil to separate from the rest of my hair.

Copper color after 50 minutes.  (Was going for blonde, but hey.
Maximum allowed time on the box was 45 minutes.  I didn't want to go too much over.)

The color I used: "7G, Lightest Blonde".  
I'm toying with using a bleach kit (more effective) in the future but I'm still researching the adverse effects of that.  Clairol Textures & Tones is actually one of the safest dyes when it comes to natural hair. 

My strand test turned blonde.  However, I looked at it after a couple of hours.  I'm not quite sure at exactly what point in time (definitely after 50 minutes though) that it turned this color.

Highlighted sections are twisted back up to blend in with the rest of my twists.

Highlighted sections are twisted back up to blend in with the rest of my twists.

Hair Diary || Updated Washing Frequency with New Exercise Routine

So for the past few months I have been working out more regularly than I usually do - at least 3x a week.  (Check out this previous post for details.)  That being said, I have come to terms with the reality that I have to up my washing frequency.  Previously I could go as much as two to four weeks between washes, but now?  Now, I'm going weekly at the maximum.  I just cannot deal with the idea of having a sweaty, bacteria-laden scalp for much longer than that.  I'm also not a fan of the witch hazel routine (though I kind of used to be) to keep washing at bay.

Anyway, with this new washing frequency, I cannot keep my twists in for longer than three weeks (or they'll lock up on me), but that's honestly okay and has worked out fine thus far.  (I wore twists for about two to four weeks -- usually four -- with my previous regimen.)

And now for more hair pics:

After washing twists. (8 days later.) Edges re-done after wash. 

Wrapping up week #2. (13 days later.)

Wrapping up week #2. (13 days later.)

Twist-out after about 3 weeks in twists.  (Worn for a few days.)

Finger detangled, washed, conditioned, sealed, and stretched (via rollers).  
Worn like this for a day or so, then re-twisted.

Re-twisting. Bigger sections.

Hair Diary || Incorporating a Protein Conditioner Into My Regimen

Time for a wash!

So a few "Hair Diary" entries ago, I talked about adjusting my regimen so that I can reach hip-length by late 2014.  In this same entry, I also discussed an experiment with a new detangling method.  (Here is that entry for those who missed it.)  So what is the update on that?  So far, so good.

Other than tweaking my detangling method, I also need to incorporate protein deep conditioning to help with length retention.  Why?  The ends of my hair are the oldest and thus most worn and susceptible to breakage.  During my first five years as a natural, I rarely (probably less than a handful of times) used protein conditioners, but that might have to change if I want to reach hip-length.  So that being said, I have been using ORS Replenishing Conditioner after the past few washes.  (This is separate from my detangling conditioner - Suave/Tresemme.)  I will report back with an update on that in the near future.

And now for some more hair pics:

Pre-shampoo treatment on the go.  Coconut-oil drenched hair in jumbo flat twists.

Mandatory shrinkage comparison.  (LEFT) Mostly shrunken wet hair.  My hair shrinks more than this once dry. (RIGHT) Stretching that same section of hair.

All done twisting.  I do not usually twist on wet hair, but I was on the go.
Planning to keep this in for 3-4 weeks.

Attempted back shot of the twist bun.

A new staple in my regimen.

Hair Diary || From Loose Twists to My Usual Twists + New Detangling Method

Doing a new set of twists.

I wore the loose twists for almost two weeks then undid them, washed, conditioned, and detangled.  After that, I air dried in rollers again and put in another set of loose twists.  I wasn't quite feeling them this go around, so after a couple days, I transitioned to my usual twists.  I'm in week #2 and plan to keep them in for a total of three weeks.

Now for my new detangling method.  As an effort to get to hip-length (HL) sometime late next year, I knew that something(s) in my regimen had to improve ... one being that I be more patient in my detangling method.  As my hair got longer, detangling sessions obviously became more tedious and opened the door to a bit of impatience on my part.  I did not notice the effects until I started monitoring my front hair over a couple of years.  (Check this earlier post for more details.)  Once I became more patient with that section (and gave myself a fresh trim), it flourished!  And here I thought my bangs had reached their terminal length.

For the remainder of this year, I want to try that theory on the rest of my hair.  I'm not going to lie ... for a while, I thought WSL was it ... was my terminal length, but I want to exhaust this option before making that conclusion.  So what is my new detangling method?  Well, I'm currently experimenting with a few different ones before I finalize on one.  Here is option #1 at the moment:

Finger separate on dry, lubricated hair + Finger detangle on damp, conditioner-soaked hair.
In all honesty, doing a full finger detangling on dry hair prior to washing just doesn't work for me and does my hair more harm than good.  However, finger detangling on damp, conditioner-soaked hair has been working really well so far.  The catch?  My hair cannot be too tangled beforehand.  That being said, I've haven't tried this on hair that has been twisted for the long-term, so the story could be different in that case.  Right now, my experiment is to thoroughly finger separate each twist after pre-pooing overnight with coconut oil, put my hair into 8 big braids, wash, then whip out the conditioner and do the full finger detangle.

I will keep you all posted and should have a final updated regimen before the end of the year.  Now for more hair pics:

From loose twists to my usual "traditional" twists.

Twisting.

Done.  Will wear for three weeks.

Hair Diary || Back to Protective Styling and A New Way of Air-drying

Bun on stretched wash-n-go or reverted twist-out. (I can't remember).

So after a few months of wash-n-gos, braid-outs, and twist-outs, I miss protective styling.  While those few months were enjoyable for the most part, the constant manipulation was 1) a daily high maintenance task for a low maintenance gal like me and 2) did not allow for me to retain growth ... which is no surprise.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, my focus was to play more with my hair at its current length even if it met not retaining length.

Well now that phase is over and I am back to my trusty length retention regimen - twists.  However, there will be a few adjustments since getting to waistlength is one thing but getting to hip-length is a whole other hurdle.  I will talk more about those adjustments in a future post.

As for my new way of air-drying?  Well, it is roller sets.  I like them because they are quick and easy to do, dry fully overnight, require less manipulation, and get my hair more stretched than twists or braids.  So that is one of the changes I am making to my regimen -- air-drying my hair via rollers instead of twists/braids.

And now for more hair photos:

Dried wash-n-go into a puff.

Stretched wash-n-go (via braids that I did not allow to dry all the way).

First blow out in years.  Wasn't impressed with the result (especially the shrunken ends and the minimal overall stretch).  Hence, I will stick to other options for stretching my hair.

Jumbo twists on semi-flat ironed hair (300 deg F).   I was attempting to try a modified version of the Mahoganycurls' twist out tutorial but the weather (i.e., humidity and rain) wouldn't allow for it.

Air drying in rollers to stretch my hair.

The result.

Close-up of the result.  I like.

Experimenting with loose twists for the first time (on a failed flat iron job).  Though a few youtubers have done this style before, I was inspired by MsTanish because her hair characteristics are closest to mine.

Loose twists in a bun.