Hey Loves! I finally got a protective style installed as a full natural! after about 4 months! and yes you guessed right! braids! I would have loved to get a weave but!! I can't seen to find closures here, of course unless I order online, wasn't about to expose my 'leave-out' area so I just went for the trusty braids.
Protective styles can cause more harm than good to your hair if not taken care of properly, we tend to forget that our hair still needs care and we go for days without moisturizing and sealing...yes I'm guilty! you probably are too! lack of moisture leads to breakage, split ends, an itchy scalp and lots more, not sealing in that moisture just made you waste your time.
Maintenance
- As I have decided to keep them for a month and two weeks, approaching the fourth week at the moment, I intend to wash it once.
- Moisturize daily with a few sprays of distilled water for moisture and then seal with a mix of olive and coconut oil
- However I clean my scalp weekly with apple cider vinegar diluted in water, using a cotton ball/pad...when we were younger we would go to the salon to get our braids cleaned with methylated spirit, the alcohol is very harsh on both the scalp and hair but the apple cider vinegar is a safer alternative. What this does is rid the scalp of oils and minimally lifts buildup from the scalp. With this method you will prolong the life of the hair, as opposed to washing frequently which invites the *fuzzy halo'
- Apart from daily moisturizing and sealing, whenever I clean my scalp, I moisturize and seal almost immediately to replace lost moisture and the sebum which acts as a protective barrier that would have been lost. Sometimes I include a bit of my shea butter mix for added sealing, to make myself feel better. :)
- I try not to scratch my scalp while in the braids, because it can lead to serious breakage, being that my scalp is sensitive, especially to synthetic hair, my hand is almost always in my hair, and thats not good...*tea tree oil soothes an itchy sensitive scalp so I intend to get some.
- Lastly I sleep with a satin scarf nightly, to protect the individual braids from friction, and my edges, most times when the braids come in contact with my face I experience terrible breakouts so I just use the scarf to keep them awe from my face plus it keeps the braids looking brand new everyday, win win!
*tea tree oil - is an essential oil that should never be used on its own on the scalp, mix with a carrier oil like olive oil for best results.
* the fuzzy halo - hair that sticks out of the braids when, water comes in contact with hair or the braids are worn out.
Hope you found this one helpful! until next time, take care and God bless!
Here's a video for you, enjoy!
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