My Protective Styling Challenge - Week 2

Hey everyone,

So, I guess this just lasted for 2 weeks for me. I'm going to try keeping my braids in that long from now on (or longer if possible). Truth is, midweek of my second week, I just didn't really care anymore so I let my hair frizz and do whatever it wanted to. Anyways, here's my week:

• I co-washed on Wednesday and Friday using the BeeMine BeeLovely Conditioner and Tresemme Naturals (silicone-free) Conditoner.
• After co-washing, I tied a scarf down on my hair till I need to head out for school.
• On Friday, I took down the braids and twists (entirely) and deep conditioned with Tresemme Naturals conditioner, BeeMine conditioner and Moisturiser. I kinda wish I had DCed with palm oil instead, but this was a last minute thing and I was tired so I just grabbed a handful of the Tresemme, worked it into my hair, donned on a shower cap (because I couldn't be bothered to tie a plastic bag on). Tied a couple of scarves of that to secure it in place and lock in heat and I slept.
• On Saturday, I washed out my hair with the Tresemme Naturals Silicone-Free Conditioner then some BeeMine Botanicals Shampoo (sulfate free) then condition with the BeeMine BeeLovely Conditioner.
• After washing, I got a tiny but of WonderCurl 'Butter than love pudding' onto my hair. Mum was calling me. I totally forgot to moisturise and do all the other stuff I do after a wash and my hair was mad at me for that.
• I braided my hair in two to stretch it.
• Unfortunately, I had to head out of the house before my hair was dry and OH. MY. DAYS. THE. SHRINKAGE. AND. TANGLES! My hair did look good, though. :) And I think I've figured out a wash and go hairstyle.
• Sunday night, I braided my hair in 8 cornrows and I'm keeping them in till Thursday 'cause I have to take my hair down for some event.

Next week, Sunday, I'll make more braids, smaller ones and try keeping them in for 2 weeks or more.
I believe this will help me retain more length and grow my hair out.

~Sam

p.s I'm considering doing crotchet braids sometime later this year. Maybe during the winter or fall (most probably winter). I'll just get my aunt to flat braid my hair for me then I'll try to do the rest or I'll get some friends together and we'll do it together. I just need to get crotchet needles (for the braids) for them.

My Protective Styling Challenge - Week 1

Hey,

So, I've decided that I'm going on a protective styling challenge to grow and retain as much hair as possible till the end of June.

I normally keep my hair in flat braids for 5 days a week, deep condition every Friday night till Saturday morning, wash on Saturday, rock a beautiful puff on Sunday and head back to flat braids by Sunday night. With this challenge, I am still deep conditioning on Fridays and washing on Saturdays however, my hair's staying in the flat braids (with the hair twisted from the point at which it lifts off my scalp. I haven't kept braids in my hair since my first few months going natural (transitioning) so this is new for me. However, I guess I'm doing a pretty good job with it. Here are some of the things I've done so far that are working pretty well (by the way, I started this challenge last Sunday):

• When the flyaways get a little too much, I get some BeeMine curly butter onto my hair and tie a scarf down onto it. That does the trick and lays all the flyaways down making my hair look as good as new. (This is what I do on week days).
• I co-wash between the week using the BeeMine BeeLovely Conditioner. (This means that I wash twice a week now, but the second wash is strictly a co-wash while the Saturday wash alternates between a sulfate-free shampoo wash and a co-wash).
• After co-washing, I tie a scarf over my hair till I need to leave the house (school).
• On Friday, I take down only the twisted bits of my hair then I deep condition with coconut oil, olive oil and honey. This is because they're easier to wash out that things like avocado (plus, I did an avocado deep conditioning treatment last weekend).
• On Saturday, I wash out my hair with the Tresemme Naturals Silicone-Free Conditioner then I search for build up. If I find any, I wash with my BeeMine Botanicals Shampoo (sulfate free) then condition with the BeeMine BeeLovely Conditioner.
• After washing, I get some WonderCurl 'Butter than love pudding' onto my hair (good stuff!) then a tad (teeny-weeny) bit of shea butter onto my hair especially the ends.
• I hold up the ends with an ouchless band then I tie a scarf bun-style on my hair and leave it on till my hair is fully dry.
• When my hair is fully dry (and I'm ready to take down the scarf), I redo the twists, but instead of each braid being twisted at the ends, I twist the ends of two braids together then hold them together and hide my ends using an ouchless band. 

My results: My hair looking as good as new with zero flyaways.


I just might be able to keep these braids in for 3 weeks :)

~Samantha :)
(haha! I used my full name for the first time on here)

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Do any of you want to join me in this challenge?

It like a growth challenge.

So, if you're interested, comment below and say something like, "I'm in" :)

My Dilemma x_X

*sigh*
This sucks.

Okay! so I needed to braid my hair because I didn't really like having to manipulate/touch/style it daily. So, because I couldn't go to the hair salon where I like getting my hair braided (there's a lady there that actually listens to me when I talk about how I comb my hair and so on), well, my mum had to braid my hair for me. I was going to wait till I could get to the salon, but like my dad was getting upset because I had to detangle my hair, comb it, when it's humid, it get's huge and he doesn't like me having a scarf on everyday. So, today, I combed my hair out then tied a scarf round my head and pushed it up so it was like a head band. My hair was alright, but then my mum was like, "I'm going to braid your hair," my dad was like, "yes," agreeing with her. Both of them don't know jack about hair! My parents think CG is gross, my dad called me a 'dirty girl' and some hurtful things because I went CG. My parents believe that deep conditioning is like feeding your hair, it's nonsense and there's no point to it (they also think it'll make your hair fall out. Another thing is, my parents don't believe in detangling your hair from the ends up to the roots.


Now, that's what I have to talk about. MY DILEMMA. My mum told me to shut up, smacked my hand with a comb and so on because I told her not to comb my hair from the roots down to the ends. That's not the only problem, my mum combed my hair with a rat tail comb! Yes! a rat tail comb! When she was getting my hair done, I gave her a comb, you know the kind with like three rat tail thingies at the end, a wide tooth side and a not so wide toothed other side. Okay! so she was like, "do you still have the blue comb (rat tail) that you lent your dad yesterday?" I said, "yes" and she was like, "can I have it." (not a question). I gave it to her and yup! you can guess what she did. She combed my big hair, not in sections, I might add with a rat tail comb and she combed it from the roots to the ends. I was in pain and she didn't care. She was like, "I warned you when you said you wanted to start this natural hair thing," and she was also like, "I can't believe I'm touching your hair. This hair that you don't wash!" I was like, "I wash it, but I only wash it with shampoo once a month." She did not care. She still called it gross. So...I managed to keep some of the hair lost before my mum was finished braiding a quarter of my hair. I'm going to take a pic and put it up here.*sigh* I hate having to go through this. I've lost so much hair. I'll add that I also do not like how she flat braided my hair. It's terrible, hideous, tight (and hurts, I can't move my head fully), who thinks of doing such a thing to someone's hair? *sigh*

(most of the straight bits here or the ones with like super tiny curls in them are relaxed hair (I have/had about a little less than an inch of relaxed hair at some of my ends)

*sigh*

If this has ever happened to you, just know, you are not alone. It still upsets me, how much hair I've lost. When mum was finally done, there was hair on the floor, hair on the pillow I was sitting on, hair all over my shirt (and some on my shorts), hair on the chair she was sitting on and well...the obvious...hair in the comb. x_X

And this is..... my dilemma.

:(

*heavy sigh*