Hello my lovers!
Oh beautiful people!! How is everyone doing on this Tuesday? Another short week, ei? It’s extremely hot in Bulawayo at the moment but I didn’t allow that to stop me from dressing up through my Easter holidays. With church and looking good for what I know best; photo shoots! I had to dress up and show up! I’m really lazy today and as I mentioned in a caption on the gram some time, my body refuses to adult in this weather especially after an extremely chilled long weekend but thank God I made it for work despite. I would still take summer over winter any day though. This was one of those public holidays where I can get to just chill (Only this time chilling meant eating Easter Eggs with the bae; and you know what I mean! Yes, this is just another of my shameless plugs to say he was here and I know it’s none of your business warra warra but I’ve told y’all anyway. Lol), catch up on other things in my life and suss up my blog, (Lol! Yes, I do read what I say from time to time. 🙈 I bask in my love and sunshine too!).
And now, lets talk hair and a little outfit detail. Shall we? Oh yes!
Braids are beautiful and easy to handle, and when I say braids I mean all the yarra yarra from the cornrows I’m rocking now to all sorts of twists and then box braids, you name it! They are great alternatives for protective styles and can maintain a great growth if you take care of them. I always take care of my natural hair even when I’m wearing extensions. This means that you can shampoo, condition and moisturize your hair as you normally would. (Only that now you can’t be using banana and avocado smoothies as you can do with your hair out.) If you do not wash or cleanse your hair regularly, dirt will build up in your pores and slow down hair growth. It is not just a case of putting in braids and leaving you hair for a couple weeks. You have to treat your hair the same way you would if they were out of protective styling.
Prepping and Installation
Before braiding, I always wash,deep condition and moisturize on the previous night. After washing, I put my hair in medium sized braids or African threading ‘mabuns’ to stretch it.
Whether you are going to do the braiding yourself of you are getting it done by someone; whilst braiding, make sure the braids are moderately loose at the roots and at the hairline so that the hair doesn’t pull off. This prevents breakage.
Cleansing
I put my shampoo in a spray bottle mixed with water and spritz the mixture on my scalp, gently massaging it with the palms of my fingers , don’t rub to avoid frizz. Afterwards I rinse it all out in the shower, repeat the same process using a rinse out conditioner, towel blot (I use an old t-shirt rather) and let the hair air dry. The reason I dilute my shampoo and conditioner in water before applying it on my braids is so that they are easy to rinse out and you avoid product build up.
When I’m too lazy to do the above, I use an applicator bottle to apply diluted ACV ( Apple Cider Vinegar) and run it through my hair and scalp, Keep in for about 20 minutes then rinse. ACV removes product build up and acts as a dandruff and itchy scalp reliever. Since edge control is my best friend (Hehe! Yes woo! I pay particular attention to my edges because once upon a time I burned out my edges with relaxers and it was not so appealing), cleansing my hair and edges to remove product build up is a necessity.
I tend to wash my hair once every two weeks contrasted to once every week when I’m wearing my hair out to avoid frizz. Different naturalistas have their methods of cleaning their hair while braided, and finding what is manageable for you is key.
Moisturizing
Moisturizing my hair and scalp has been the most important part of my hair care in and out protective styling. Dry hair will result in breakage especially when removing the braids. Whichever way I cleanse my hair, I seal in the moisture using coconut oil on my scalp and castor oil on my edges and my roots. I spritz daily, using a mixture of water, extra virgin olive oil and aloe-vera juice from my spray bottle making sure I’m misting the roots as well as the entire length of my own hair and then I massage my hair with a light touch of coconut oil. This helps to prevent dry scalp and flakes forming.
Night Time Routine
I cover the braids with a silk or satin scarf every night to keep them frizz free, smooth and looking neater.
Now a little detail on what I wore on Easter Monday; I wore my favorite denim shirt dress which is super chilled and so versatile. At first I wanted to wear this shirt dress with some black and white sneakers (Being a little of a sneaker head) which are a favorite too and which I had initially bought for my little brother and then he came back from boarding school way taller than I had imagined and they didn’t fit. So because it was too hot, I decided I didn’t want to burn my feet in sneakers and then I explored pairing the shirt dress with these lace up gladiator sandals from Mr Price and I loved how that came out so I went with it. I love the fit without a belt, it is super comfortable and light so it’s not too hot. I love the buttons that go all the way down, which means I can wear it with the buttons opened or closed as is. I completed the look with these feathery ear rings and my favorite set of bangles. (Talk about how everything is a favorite. Haha) I love color and immediately I felt my color palette was muted so I switched up my look by using this colorful printed scarf as an accessory for this side bag and a rubin lip stick and I was good to go. I like how the scarf brought my outfit from simple to chic.
And now for the more goofy shots; and Yes! tonned legs hunney. My legs are always under overalls at work so when I can I unapologetically show them off.
How do you take care of your hair while in braids? Do you play with your accessories like I do with mine? Share you techniques and tips with me in the comments section below.
Love and Sunshine
Miss Sam
Ink My Kinks 