Pros & Cons of The Blow Out/Braidout: Coily Hair Edition

Last week, I had this great revelation about how to get maximum stretch from my braidout, without sacrificing definition. I mapped out everything from technique to product. The picture on the right is what the outcome was, but this story has just begun. Those of you interested in achieving maximum length, high definition, with a long lasting braidout, then this post may be just for you.

WHAT I DID:

1. Cleansed hair and scalp with Amla Paste Wash.
2. Conditioned with Tresemme Naturals Conditioner.
3. Did an oil rinse, with a mix of Olive Oil & Sweet almond Oil (extremely beneficial).
4. Get rid of excess water with micro-fiber towel, and air drying.
5. Brush through heat protectant (Shea Moisture Brand)
6. Blow Dried (to about 90% dry, in sections), then braided up the dry sections (had about 6-8 braids when done). You don't want to get rid of ALL of the hair's texture. You will need some texture.

So now there I was with about 8 blow dried braids that had maximum length. Next, I would release a braid, and braid that into 2 separate braids. That means 8 braids turned into 16 braids (which laid even longer). The products that I placed on each section prior to braiding were strategically planned to provide strong hold, and high moisture (all without reverting the hair). That proved to be a tough task.

PRODUCTS USED

1. Loreal Eversleek smoothing system (boasts "humidity defying")
2. Giovanni Wicked Pomade (for hold)
3. Sweet Almond Oil (for shine and to lock in moisture)

THE OUTCOME:

Well, for about 1 hour, I had maximum length, really soft, great definition, nice shine, and great moisture. Then I went out to dinner with a bunch of friends to the Melting Pot. For those of you that don't know, the Melting Pot is the absolute test for true endurance of this technique and these products.

  It's a fondue restaurant, where you skewer your own food and place into a heated pot of steaming oil right in front of you. Needless to say, the steam was blowing right in my direction, while 3 of my friends watched it rise to a huge Afro. Side Note: My fellow sisters with naturally curly hair were sitting next to me, and they watched my hair rise with amused looks. Meanwhile, across the table from me, 3 blond haired women commented on how much bigger my hair had gotten, and how they loved it. Typically, I only concern myself with my opinion, but since I didn't have a mirror, I put my Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde hair into a side braid (bad idea). 

Lesson Learned: Don't go trying a new technique and a bunch of new products out when you have somewhere to go.

WHAT I DID LEARN ABOUT A BLOW DRY/BRAIDOUT:

You will be shocked to find this out (if you didn't already know). Don't be afraid to spritz water on blow dried hair when looking to do a defined texture! It's not easily reverted once it has been blow dried straight. The water is needed in order to "set" the texture (braidout/twistout).

So after that night's hair episode, the days following that, I decided to spritz my hair with water, and re-braid. The outcome was soft, well defined, moisturized braidout with lots of definition, shine, and length. Due to the stronger definition, a little bit of length was lost, but my hair still hung down the upper part of my back. I wish that I had taken pictures, but I was so busy that I forgot. I recall getting a lot of questions like "is that your hair?", and "I love your hair"...definitely wish that I had captured that on camera!

WOULD I CHOOSE TO BLOW DRY MY HAIR FOR A BRAIDOUT AGAIN?

Not really. The end result can be achieved without heat. Each day, a braidout can be lengthened by braiding on top of the previous textured hair (in smaller sections). This would provide a longer, high textured braidout. Usually, by day 4, the hair is stretched to the maximum.

Manually Stretched/Braidout

Blown Out/Braid Out

What's your favorite braidout style? Fluffy and Big, or Laid Down flat, and Long? I truly love the versatility of coily hair.