The Hair Journey: Chunky Afro - Dry Twist Out Process

Hi Folks! As my hair grows, so does my exploration into various styles.  The choices seem to change with each 1/2 inch of growth.  It's been pretty fun to come up with different styles for each stage. One of the most maintenance free styles (meaning I can sleep on it an fluff it out the next day and still look cute)  is the chunky afro by way of the twist out.  My twist outs consist of two strand twisting my hair into various sizes based on the desired coil pattern.




For my chunky afro I prefer the dry twisting because it does not take as long to get big and sassy.  With wet twist outs, it make take a week, with water spritzing to get it to look the way I want. here is my process to get a sassy chunky afro using dry twists.

Step 1 - After wearing my hair in a Flo Fro for one day, I get some oil and begin to twist. 

 

 

Step 2 - Here are the completed twists. It took about 1.5 hours.   If I don't have to go out for professional events, I try to keep my hair twisted for a couple of days.  I DO NOT like wearing my hair like this with no coverings (hat, head wrap, etc.). I call them my Color Purple Miss Ceely twists.  Not cute.



 

 

Step 3 - After a day or more, I release the twists and let the spiral curls that result get acquainted with the environment. Take a look at the difference between Day#1 and Day#3.  I prefer the Day #3 look. 

 

 

 

Here is the back view.  See the coil/spiral pattern on each piece of hair on Day #1?  Day #3 is less defined and more sassy!  This is the look I love! I can wear my hair like this for a week, and it is still cute!!! Love it!  It's the "weathered" look.  I sometimes pull out the twists and do not cover my head while in the shower.  The extra droplets of water help the fro expand.

 

Are you a chunky fro fan?  Have one?? How did you achieve your favorite chunky fro look?

Peace and love!

The Hair Journey: Tress Update #10

Hi Folks! The end of 2013 is upon us and I wanted to share my last Tress Update for the year.  Today I wore what I call the Free Flo Fro.  Sounds fun right? Well I picked out my freshly washed hair and did not pat my curls into a smooth shape as per the regular Flo Fro.  I just let it  all hang out!

 My current hair regimen:
1. Wash with Dr. Bronner's Castille Tea Tree Oil Soap (LOVE IT)!
2. Condition with Beautiful Curls leave in conditioner (I partially wash it out)
3. Apply plain raw shea butter to hair while still damp to lock in the moisture (this softens my hair like you would not believe!)
4. Apply tea tree and rosemary oils (diluted with grapeseed oil) on my scalp (not pictured)
5. Style as desired. 
6. Depending on the flavor of the week (my hair style) I may wash it bi-weekly and co-wash once per week.

My curls are glorius!!!!!! I'm in LOVE with my naturally kinky curls!  Before I started this growing process I liked my hair.  Now I LOVE my hair.  I feel more in tune with what's necessary to have a healthy head of hair. I am educated on what my hair needs and that empowers me to make it happen! I also  LOVE the fact that most of the ingredients I'm using are simple and NATURAL. 

 

Recap of 2013:
In 2013 I've experimented with  a lot of styles and products.  Some products were good...and some...not so good! But that's a part of the journey.  Learning what works best for YOU.  YOU are your own hair guru.  No one should know your hair better than you.  See how my hair has grown this year??


What's next?  MORE HAIR!!!!! :)


Peace and blessings!

The Hair Journey: Your hair is so nappy!

I had an hour long conversation about hair today.  I could talk for hours about hair.  The topic of good vs. bad hair came up.  There is no such thing as bad hair color, bad texture, bad curl pattern, or bad level of kink.   All hair may not be healthy hair - and in my opinion THAT would equal bad hair.  Not the characteristics listed previously. 

Historically, in the black community, our hair identity has been traumatized.  We have been brainwashed to believe that kinky, nappy, curly hair is not good hair.  I must admit, in the last few years the mindset around natural hair has changed dramatically.  When I first converted to natural hair over ten years ago, I got a lot of slack for it.  There were hardly any hair care products on the market that were suitable and so I continued to use the same products I used when my hair was chemically treated.  Now there is a treasure trove of natural hair care products in the marketplace.  From big brands to grass root brands everybody has a piece of the natural hair pie.  For those of you who are already living the natural hair life:  ever experienced negative reactions about your hair?

Ladies, if you have the kinkiest hair on the block...you have the best hair for ANY style.  I'm talking  extreme versatility.  I assure you there are products that will enable you to unlock the potential of your natural tresses. 

My naps

Another question I have is:  why is hair so important to our identity?  Personally, when I am having a bad hair day I feel it in other areas of my day.  It does not matter what I am wearing. It could be a ball gown.   If my hair is not right...I feel weird. 

Hair is a mode of expression.  Whether it's straight, curly, nappy, blond, red, blue, pink, short, long, dreaded, braided, twisted, curled, or finger waved.  How we choose to style our hair expresses our inner being. 

I have to dig deeper into this love affair we have with our hair.  I'm on the prowl for all books/info out there.  If you know of any good information please pass it along!

Embrace your hair, no matter what texture it is!  :)

Peace and blessings!