No More Wet Braidouts! STOP THE MADNESS

Late night workouts.
The 9:00pm Co-Wash.
After Hours Skinny Dip (I have yet to try--but it's still on my list).

Whatever the reason is, at some point, we've all had to deal with a damp/wet braidout in the morning. For me, I leave the gym at 9:30pm sometimes (why is this the only time out of the day that I can squeeze in time to take care of myself)?

So I jump in the shower by 10-10:15pm, and co-wash or just rinse my hair with water. Detangle as needed. 

Steps that I take in order to avoid having a wet or damp braidout in the morning:

1. Before I begin braiding, I leave my "naked hair" (no product whatsoever) open to air dry. Air drying will happen quicker if there isn't any product on the hair to seal the water in. That's why methods such as the LOC (Water or Water Based Leave-in, Oil, Creamy Conditioner or Butter--method of product application) work so effectively. They truly keep the hair moist. Well, that's not what we're trying to do at this point. We are trying to reach from point "A" (Wet Hair), to Point "B" (Dry Braidout in the Morning). For those of you who are not wanting to air dry your hair loose, section off approximately 5 or 6 portions of hair and loosely band the roots and maybe the ends. This will slow down the air dry portion of this process, but in time you will come to trust that coily hair will NOT KNOT up while drying loose.
2. I like to air dry while I'm getting dressed for bed. I don't really have too much time to air dry, so I'd say that I probably air dry for about 10 minutes. Next up, I start with a section of hair and take a soft t shirt and blot my hair from roots to ends. Holding the t shirt on the more "wet" portions of hair for about a minute. This will sop up excess water that didn't air dry.
3. So now I have "naked", damp hair. No dripping at this point. All of the excess water should be gone. It is important to do small sized braids (but since it's late, we don't have time for all of that). I usually make sure to do approximately 9 plaits. If I do big, chunky plaits, then the hair will probably not dry overnight. The smaller the plaits, the quicker they will dry overnight. 
4. I use MINIMAL products when I plait my hair for a braidout late at night. The more products used, the less likely the hair will get to dry overnight. Thicker products tend to seal in moisture. Again, that's not what we're going for. We need this to dry in the morning. I usually rely on the water to set my hair, and I may add a mid-light oil (like olive oil) to my hair after it was air dried and t-shirt dried. THAT'S IT. No butters, or anything thick--or the hair will not dry overnight.
5. Once my hair has been plait, I keep the plaits open and loose. No bonnets, no scarves. If I want to lay down my edges with a scarf, I tie the scarf only on the edges. I do not pin up my plaits. I don't tie them back either. If I pull the plaits together, then the hair will not dry overnight. They will keep each other wet if they're bunched together.
6. In the morning, if I feel a bit of dampness (which may or may not happen due to the weather being chilly), I will take out my blow dryer, and blow dry (on medium setting) from the root of the plait down to the mid shaft. The root is mostly where the dampness is found (if any). Doing this to 9 plaits takes me about 5-10 minutes. 
7.  Once I take down the braidout, I assess if any additional blow drying is needed. The video below shows exactly how I (sometimes) add the finishing touches to my resulting braidout. This process ensures a frizz resistant braidout that will do minimal "rising". This braidout will keep definition and will hang lower than a braidout that did not have an opportunity to dry fully.

HOW DO YOU GET YOUR LATE NIGHT PLAITS TO DRY FOR A MORNING BRAIDOUT?

Please Note: A major factor in the drying process is the hair's POROSITY. Low porosity hair usually has a problem drying in a timely manner. Moisture is difficult to impart into the hair shaft, and once it is--it takes a long time to dry. High porosity dries up really quick--a different kind of problem. Adjust your hair routine and products based on your hair's needs.

Defined JUICY Long Lasting Braidout: The FOUNDATION

BEHIND THE SCENES OF A LUSCIOUS BRAIDOUT:

So many juicy looking braidouts, so little time. I've seen Braidouts using butters, gels, oils, lots of different products have been tested successfully. 

What could be the cause of some braidout attempts being exactly what was intended, and others being a flop? Well, for one, it depends on what the "stylist" (usually myself) was going for. Was I looking for a braidout with fullness, a fluffy braidout, or maybe a well defined, sharp braidout. Did I want maximum length? Did I want waves or crimps? There are so many different ways that simply braiding ones hair can make the released braidout look.

Being able to control the outcome is when I consider that I've "mastered" my braidouts. I've played around with products and techniques with good results. I need to add one more requirement for braidout/twistout mastery: MOISTURE

I used to think that moisture was easily added by simply spreading product evenly onto the hair shaft in sections, prior to braiding my hair. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

For me, adding a moisturizing product to hair suffering from dryness will not always solve my moisture problem enough to ensure that I get the best results for my braidout. Wet hair can be added to the list of hair suffering from dryness. 

Let me give an example that I'm sure we all can relate to. Have you ever had dry, cracked lips that you kept licking in an effort to moisturize and fix the problem? All of the licking would be to no avail. Under those wet lips, still lies cracked, dry skin. Once the wetness evaporated, you were again left with dry, cracking lips. Sometimes it even took DAYS to put the proper moisture in order to get rid of that dry, cracked skin. Days of exfoliating, healing, and moisturizing. Well, this is exactly what is sometimes needed in order to get hair moisture to the proper levels in order to be successfully moisturized.


Self proclaimed product junkies may not be interested to hear this, but there is a way to determine which products or ingredients will give your hair shine, define, luster, and all of the highly sought after results! I've found that establishing a "baseline" enabled me to figure out what products work best for my hair, as well as what products I need to stay away from.

It doesn't hurt that I keep video journals of products that I've used in the past, and how my hair looked and felt after each product or ingredient was used. But that won't be necessary for you.

It's easy to establish a baseline for your hair care needs.

First, it's a great idea to check out the porosity of your hair. Hair's porosity explains how moisture (water) is absorbed/retained by the hair. It describes specifically the condition of the cuticle layer of the hair. I will link a great video on hair porosity below.

The next thing I did was to cleanse as needed. If I knew that I used synthetic products that were going to coat my hair strand (product buildup), then I would cleanse with either Apple Cider Vinegar Mix (1 tablespoon ACV to 2 ounces of water) or a clarifying shampoo. If I didn't have anything on my hair except oils, I would cleanse with Amla Paste. If I worked out a lot during the week and wanted to get the salt/sweat off, then I would either rinse with water---or co-wash with an all natural conditioner.

Then I did a deep conditioning treatment. One that would allow my hair to air dry without tangling. I love home-made treatments. They can provide a deep level of conditioning without (any or many) synthetic ingredients. The idea is creamy, oily, and add some form of heat--to open up the cuticles so that it will accept the moisture deep and infused.

Once I cleansed and deep conditioned (sometimes I deep condition and then cleanse--depending on what styling I will be doing), then I had a "clean palate" head of hair to do whatever I chose. THIS IS MY BASELINE. From there, I select 1 ingredient or product to try to achieve define, shine, long lasting braidout. I don't forget to seal with oil. 

Next up post....................CHOOSING 1 PRODUCT/INGREDIENT for maximum braidout results. Don't you want to save money? Cut down on the product junkie stash? Have a "for sure" guaranteed product that will work EVERY TIME..NO FAIL? 

Stay with us..

---tia

http://youtu.be/5pp_47W4y4g

Avoid Hair Breakage When Re-Braiding Your Braidout

 TIPS & TRICKS TO AVOIDING BREAKAGE WHILE STYLING & MAINTAINING

BRAIDOUT USING ONLY WATER AND OIL (DAY 5)

I am Low Manipulation Obsessed (LMO) --bet you didn't know LMO existed! It didn't, I think I just formed it. But it's been WORKING!! My recent braidouts have been 6-8 plaits, and I've been re-braiding them nightly. At first this irritated me, but I knew I was doing it for a great reason. When doing the oil & water only braidouts, it appears to be necessary to re-braid at night after you spritz water on each braid section. Using water DIRECTLY on the hair strands (without any kind of butters or thick stylers to block the moisture later) ensures that the braid will take form overnight. The water provides the "SET" by breaking the hair bonds temporarily, and drying into the new form (the braidout waves).

Nightly plaits require that I do everything possible to avoid breakage, so I will share with you what I do:

1) When washing for a braidout, section and detangle the hair before using your shampoo or mud wash. The shampoo and mud wash do not have any slip! Matter of fact, they're well known for "ceasing" up the hair and locking it into each other. Since I condition first, and then cleanse with Amla, It is IMPERATIVE that I section and detangle early in the process while I have my conditioner in!


2) While finger detangling, be sure to get as far into the roots as possible. If you find tangles or knots, use a "plucking" method by using your pointer finger and thumb to "pluck" apart the knots (starting at ends and working up to roots). All of this is done only with conditioner on the hair.


3) During Nightly Refresh, some sections will still be separated from the wash day, and some will be mixed together. Try to keep re-braiding the same sections. If you must locate a new section, your ends will probably be the tangle issue. I like to keep handy a little spray bottle with 2 tablespoons of my favorite conditioner with slip, 2 tablespoons of water, and 2 tablespoons of my favorite oil (or however it will come out like a thick milkshake). You will only need a small amount. You will only be spritzing this on the ends. This will ensure that the ends slip apart easily. Slowly pull the tangles apart with your fingers after spritzing a small amount of the mix. **

4) When spritzing the water at night for a re-braid, rub the water with your hands through your hair shaft (from root down to tip). This ensures even distribution and gives the water a minute to saturate. Being that you're just spritzing, you want to be sure that the light amount of water used is truly penetrating. Since it has no heavy product blockage, this shouldn't take long. You will feel that the water is on the section. THEN apply a small amount of your favorite oil (as needed). I don't put oil every night, only when I feel my hair is not separating easily.  And I focus on the ends. Remember, the oil is not like the heavy creams, butters, leave-ins. It will not give INSTANT Slippery slip. But if you apply it right, it will allow your hair to separate without breakage.

**this process also gets your braidout texture ready for styling! The small amount of the mix on the ends gives them some slip, and pliability. You can pretty much do whatever styling you want on this stretched texture.


I believe the use of oil and water for definition will work well on transitioning and relaxed hair alike. Transitioning hair typically curls the relaxed ends with rollers to ensure similar textures throughout.

• Does your braidout feel dry after a few days?

• Do you put extra product to moisturize?

• What products do you use on a dry braidout that is successful at moisturing?