It's been a while since I've written
a hair care post. I've just been having so much fun recording YouTube videos
and planning out hairstyles for you all to try. I have been getting braids and
twists for years so I know a lot of the do's and don'ts. In this post I'll be
sharing with you how to take care of your protective style to keep them looking
fresh and gorgeous without hurting your actual hair.
Before You Get Braids: Like most things, you have to start with a preparation. You want your hair to be completely cleansed before you put in your braids. I like to do an ACV (apple cider vinegar) rinse and deep condition with a DIY homemade conditioner of my choice. Then, I moisturize my hair with Shea Butter (whipped with coconut oil).
Cleansing. Many people have the misconception that you shouldn't wash your hair with braids. I don't know who started but that it is not true. If you are one that washes their hair regularly, with braids you don't have to do that. I didn't do a full wash until about a month after I got my braids. Before that, I use a dry shampoo.
Conditioning. If I'm not cleansing, I am doing bi-weekly co-washes. I've been using my trusty Tresemme Naturals conditioner and it leaves my hair feeling soft.
Moisturizing. I have a few different ways that I like to moisturize my hair:
Before You Get Braids: Like most things, you have to start with a preparation. You want your hair to be completely cleansed before you put in your braids. I like to do an ACV (apple cider vinegar) rinse and deep condition with a DIY homemade conditioner of my choice. Then, I moisturize my hair with Shea Butter (whipped with coconut oil).
Cleansing. Many people have the misconception that you shouldn't wash your hair with braids. I don't know who started but that it is not true. If you are one that washes their hair regularly, with braids you don't have to do that. I didn't do a full wash until about a month after I got my braids. Before that, I use a dry shampoo.
Conditioning. If I'm not cleansing, I am doing bi-weekly co-washes. I've been using my trusty Tresemme Naturals conditioner and it leaves my hair feeling soft.
Moisturizing. I have a few different ways that I like to moisturize my hair:
1. Use a leave-in
conditioner alone or seal with a lightweight oil.
2. Use a
moisturizing spray like the Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Moisture Mist
3. Spray your hair
with water and seal with a heavy oil
Protecting. Yes, a protective style can actually hurt your hair if you're not careful. People tend to forget that when you add extensions it is hair grabbing onto your hair. So the more you pull your extensions the more it pulls on your hair and that increases the chance of bye-bye edges and hello patches.
1. You NEVER want to pull on your hair. So if you like updos,
you might want to take a break from those styles.
2. If your hair begins to wind together, untwist it. The longer
you keep them twisted together the more likely it becomes for your hair to loc
up.
Keeping Neat. After moisturizing your hair brush
it in it's natural direction with a soft bristle. You could also apply gel to
edges and flyaways before tying a satin scarf on for a few minutes to an hour.
After You Take Out Your Braids: Here's A Post: When to Take Out Your Braids. You definitely want to give your hair a break after you take out your braids. However long you've had them in, subtract it by 2 and that is how long you should give your hair a break. For example, I've had braids in for 4 months so I am giving my hair a minimum of two months before I decide if I want to put them back in.
