Twist and Curl

I have been getting really bored with my hair lately.  Mixing it up between the wash and go and twist-out has not been cutting it.  So, I had to try something new.  I've been really curious about how my hair would turn out with a twist and curl style.  I've tried this style years ago when I was transitioning, but it always seemed to come out very dry with a weird shape.  Back then, I didn't know anything about the Curly Girl method.  I've come to realize that it may not have been my hair that was the problem.  It may have been the products I used.   I used to use Pantene shampoo and conditioner faithfully and I styled it with mousse as needed.  Those products seemed to work well when it came to my relaxed hair but I rarely got the results I wanted for my natural hair.  I could never understand why. 

Now years later, I thought it was worth giving it another a try as long as I didn't have anywhere to go.  Just in case it was another epic fail.  This time around I used the same exact method I normally use for my twist-out (click here to get the details on my twist-out regimen).  The only difference is that I put perm rods on the end of each twist, which turned out to be about 30 in all.  I made sure to strategically roll each rod to a place that would give me a desired shape.  I was going for a curl that cascaded downward from front to back.  The last professional trim I had over a year ago was a layered cut, so that also helped me get the shape I wanted.  I decided not to sit under the dryer because I have found that it really dries out my hair.  So, for this to work, I needed to have enough time for it to air dry. 

I did the style early on a Sunday and let it air dry while I cooked and cleaned.  I have to say the perm rods were slightly annoying to wear all day.  Of course my kids thought they were funny looking.  My husband wasn't a fan of my chosen look for the day.  Regardless, I was determined not to sit under the drier.  I had put too much time and effort into this just to have it fail again.

When I got up this morning I took my hair down.  I thought it was a success.  The weight from the rods on the ends stretched my hair just enough to give me more length without losing too much volume.  I also like the big fluffy curl I got with the rods as opposed to the tiny straw like curls I naturally have.  I think I will try the pineapple for bed tonight.  The Tresseme Naturals gave me a very light hold so I will be interested to see how long it lasts.  Overall, I really liked it and it was super easy.  I will definitely try it again.

Also, Curl Love is now on Instagram under the name curl_love.  Be sure to follow me!  See you there!

Until next time.....Curl Love Forever ;-)

Curling Sisterlocks

 

 

The first few months of my mom's hair journey, she was braiding or curling her sisterlocks over night to create a style for the next day.  It worked for a while, but it became very uncomfortable to sleep in rollers or braids.  It was actually giving her headaches at night.  Then, she tried using a curling iron on a small lock of her hair.  Mistake!! It actually singed and burned out the lock!  So, that was a real quick lesson.  Absolutely, DO NOT use any sort of high heat on sisterlocks. 

One morning back in November, I stopped by my mom's house.  She was wearing hair curlers.  I thought she had gone back to sleeping in rollers.  I should have known this wouldn't be that case.  My mom is a hair stylist, so she's always trying something new on her hair.  Instead of using regular rollers, these were warm curlers. Once they are placed in the plastic case (pictured above), they would become warm.  When you see the ready signal, you can put the curlers in your hair and leave them in for about twenty minutes. Your curl should last all day.  I actually remember using something like this on my relaxed hair some years back.  They were wonderful for giving me a light curl without damaging my hair.  So why not try them on sisterlocks?  I thought is was a great idea.

 

Of course I asked her to send me a few pictures of the outcome.  She sent me these pictures in December.  I know what you are thinking.  That was a while ago!  I know it took me forever to post these pictures.  Better late than never...right?  I just had to share this one because there may be someone out there that has the same issue.  I've seen similar types of curlers at lots of stores.  So they should be pretty easy to find.  This is a quick solution and it's a very clever way to get the style without having to deal with sleeping uncomfortably.  It turned out cute!  Her locks have really filled in and become full.  This was the reason she decided to get sisterlocks in the first place!  Goal accomplished.  Now, she's looking forward to more length. 

 

Stay tuned!  I will have another interview and length check posted soon!

Until then...Curl Love forever! ;-)

10 Twist-Out Tips

I first tried doing my own twist-outs about seven months ago.  From the very first day, I really fell in love with the look and the ease of maintenance.  Since then, I've been practicing them on my hair practically every week.  I've had a lot of trial and error.  Here are a few of my own personal twist out lessons.


My first set of twists
End of June 2012



1. Dampen your hair and pull out every curl before washing.  I especially start with this step if I am starting with an old twist-out because my curls tend to wrap around each other by day six or seven.  Once the water runs through my hair, any section that is the tiniest bit tangled will be very tangled by the end of cowashing.  This step takes a little time and my hair ends up in a huge afro when I'm finish.  However, it cuts down on detangling later.  I found that when I start with this step, I get less than half of the shedding I was normally getting.



June 2012

2. Deep conditioning makes a difference.  Deep conditioning adds much needed moisture to my hair and it lasts for days.  There were some weeks that I didn't feel like going through the trouble to deep condition my hair.  Boy did I pay for it!  My hair wasn't soft or shiny. Also, I didn't have the same level of definition.  Lesson learned!  Always deep condition!

3.  Don't split your hair into four sections to do the twists.  I have seen many tutorials on twist-outs or braid-outs.  Many times they will say split your hair into four parts.  It seems like it really worked for them.  I quickly learned that it wasn't for me.  Since my hair isn't as thick as others, the part straight down the middle doesn't go away after I untwist my hair.  It sticks out like a sore thumb and it really looks strange.  I have tried shaking my hair, pulling it out a little at the root and separating the curls to camouflage the area.  Every time it was an epic failure.  My solution was to stagger my parts so that they camouflage each other as soon as I take out the twists.  By starting with staggered parts, I don't have to touch my hair too much once I take down the twists.



My hair after I unraveled the twist.
June 2012

4. Lots of styling cream equals a longer dry time.  My styling cream (Tresemme Naturals) helps to set my hair in the twists and hold in the moisture.  However, too much could result in a longer dry time.  It's alright when I don't really have any place special to go, but there are times that I need to have my hair completely dry in the morning.  I use a t-shirt to help squeeze out the water and excess product.  If I still have wet hair in the morning, I sit under a cool drier. 

5.  Don't twist all the way to the ends.  I have often heard people say this.  However, I made this mistake on a few occasions on some of my own twists.  Needless to say, I was sorry I did.  My hair became tangled on the ends.  I had to add water and conditioner to the tangled sections to help them slip apart, which worked for the most part.  Other areas had to be clipped off.  Really, you should stop about an inch from the ends and twirl the rest around your finger to help set a nice coil on the ends. 



Jan. 2013

6.  Moisturize and pineapple at night.  I never really worried about moisturizing and pineappling at night when I was wearing wash-and-go styles.  Twist-outs stretch my hair, so my hair rubs against my clothes a lot more than it does with a wash-and go.  Also, in the winter, my hair tends to dry out easily.  I use oil and/or conditioner to keep my hair moisturized before I do my night time pineapple.

7.  Spray a mist of water to refresh your curls in the morning. Just like with a wash-and-go, water can refresh your twist-outs in the morning.  However, only spray a very light mist of water, like 1-2 sprays.  Too much water could result in frizz.

8.  Lubricate your fingers with the natural oil of your choice before unraveling.  I actually mentioned this in another post, but I thought I would mention it again because it works so well for unraveling twists.  They slip apart with ease.  It just makes the process go a lot faster,.

9.  Don't touch!  I say this often, but I have to admit I have a very hard time following this rule.  I find myself playing in my hair without even realizing.  It leads dryness, frizz and split ends.  I have cut down on touching, but I still make this mistake every so often.



Jan. 2013

10.  If you get any frizzy spots re-twist them.  I wet my fingers with water and smooth it on the section that I want to re-twist.  Then, I add a little more styling cream and re-twist the section.  It will be dry in a very short time as long as you don't use too much water and product.  It won't look like the first day however it will give you a few more days out of your style.












These are just a few of the most important lessons that I have learned about my twist-outs.  I probably could have named a few more and there are definitely more lessons to learn.  However, these few changes have helped me really love twist-outs.

What would you add to this list?

The Top Knot : High Bun

I've been checking out the newest trends in hairstyles and it seems like the high bun is the next big thing.  It's been called by a number of names So-Ho Bun, Top Knot, High Bun, Royal Bun, Messy High Bun and so on.  I think you get the picture.  I have been doing high buns for some time now.  The difference with these buns are that they are much higher and fuller than my normal high bun.  At first, I thought that I didn't have enough hair for this style.  However, I decided to go little out my comfort zone and give it a try anyway.  Whenever I try something new, I like to try it on strangers like when I'm running errands or something like that.  Just to see how it holds up and if I really like it after a few hours.  Also, I like to see if I get any strange looks or compliments because usually that determines the reactions I might get at my work place.

This particular day was perfect for some experimentation because it was a Saturday and I had a few errands to run.  I used a five day old twist-out because by that time my hair is really full and to the point where it's too frizzy to wear down.  I used water, olive oil and Eco Styler Gel on my edges.  I smoothed my edges with my hands. Then I used brush for the front and the nape of my neck before putting it into a high ponytail.  Instead of packing my hair tightly into the bun like I usually do, I used bobby pins to spread the bun out as much as wanted.  Finally, I tied down my edges for about 20 minutes to make sure to set my hair in place.  That was it! 


It was a pretty fast updo.  I did have a little trouble at first because I had to get used to having taller hair than normal. I hit my bun getting in and out of the car a few times. It didn't hurt but it was really funny! 

I think that the high bun is really great for keeping your ends protected and getting a few more days out of your twist-outs.  I definitely recommend using a nylon ponytail holder without any metal on it and not pulling you hair too tightly into the ponytail.  Dress it up and add the accessory of your choosing.  I loved it and I will surely be trying this style again.


Have you tried the Top Knot? What was your experience?

Experimenting with Flax Seed Gel for a Wash-and-Go

                                       


Happy  New Year to everyone!  I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season.  Mine has  been super busy.  I am really glad that things have slowed down and I'm back to my regular schedule.  Since I was so busy, I had no spare time to twist my hair at night.  I pretty much did wash-and-go styles for the entire month of December.  I decided to try flax seed gel because I heard lots of reviews about its awesome hold.  I thought I could use it to replace my Herbal Essences Gel because now that my hair is a but longer, it doesn't have much hold at all. 

Day 1
A little crunchy! Lol!

I watched a few YouTube videos on how to make the gel.  I think any of the recipes would have worked just fine but the one I really liked was by Hey Fran Hey.  In her video, the recipe called for 4 tablespoons of flax seed and 2 cups of water.  After removing it from the stove and straining off the seeds, she adds Jamaican Black Castor oil and some other oils.  I customized mine by adding a tablespoon of each coconut oil and vitamin E oil.  Honestly, I don't think that the kind oils that you add are really important.  The oils are supposed to promote the health and shine of your hair, so whatever oils work best for your hair should be used in the gel.  Some people say, you should add the oils when the gel is still warm and others say to wait until it is cooled.  Personally, I added my oils while the gel was warm because the oils mix with the gel better.  After I made the gel I had to be sure to refrigerate it because since it is organic it will spoil if left at room temperature too long.  In the fridge it will last for about ten days, so if you are not planning to use a lot, don't make a huge batch.

Day 2

I absolutely loved the flax seed gel!  I would definitely stop buying Herbal Essences for this stuff.   After I cowashed, deep conditioned and detangled my hair, I added a small amount of Tresemme Naturals as a leave-in conditioner and put my hair in four plats and went to bed.  In the morning, I dampened my hair and started to add the flax seed gel.  The very first time I used it, I didn't think that I would get that much hold from the gel, so I used a lot of it.  A few hours later after my hair dried, it was little on the crunchy side to say the least.  So, of course I thought I used too much.  I just went with the flow and pineappled my hair as close to the top of my head as I could get.  The next day the crunchiness was gone, but the hold was still there.  I was utterly impressed!  I was able to get several days wearing it down and a few in a puff or bun (approximately 7 days).  It was amazing!  Of course I tried it again and again and I got the same results. 

Day 3

Day 3

Well, there were some down sides to the gel.  My number one issue was the smell.  It literally felt like I was putting food on my hair.  I really like sesame seeds in my food so it reminded me a lot of them.  That part was a little weird, but I'm sure there is an essence oil that I could use for that part.   Also, the consistency was like slime.  I was expecting this because I saw the videos.  However, it didn't stop it from feeling sort of gross.   My solution was to put in a travel size squeeze bottle instead of sticking my fingers in the jar.  That way, I could squeeze it in the palm of my hand.  Plus, I think it's more sanitary if you are not contaminating the jar with your fingers.  Lastly, it wasn't enough hold for my edges.  They tend to frizz easily.  So, I will probably continue using Eco Styler gel on my edges. 

Day 4
It's beginning to get fuzzy.

Day 5
Day 6 was another puff and day 7 was a bun.

Overall, it is definitely a keeper.  People who see me on regular basis were asking me what I had done differently to my hair.  So, it was surely a big difference from Herbal Essences.  Why didn't I find this stuff sooner?!

 

Have you tried flaxseed gel? What are your thoughts and suggestions on how to use it?