From the category archives:
There aren’t a whole lot of celebs out there that really march to the beat of their own drummers, but I love her style. I can’t necessarily say I would wear this style, but I still think it’s too cute. Her romper is lovely too!
Check out the interview and more pictures here.
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I redid my plaits the other day. I thought about doing a different style, but ya know what? I’m just enjoying my plaits in an updo! Well, I did for a day or two…until I fell asleep after forgetting to wrap my hair (this never happens) and they got really frazzled looking.
So I pulled out two items that I’ve been wanting to try.
HairCoverings.com sent me a snood to try out (see my love for snoods here). Thanks so much to them! I’ve never had a long snood before so I was interested to see how I would like it.
Next I have a really cheapo wig that I bought from Sam’s Beauty. It’s from the Vanessa line and it’s called Armara. The color is 1B, I believe.
Please ignore my red eye. One of my contacts attacked me the other day 
I am enjoying the wig. It cost me about 16 dollars and the shipping was really fast.The back falls at about BSL on me. This wig sheds a lot. It’s also very shiny, so I had to put some cornstarch on it. I know it still looks shiny in the picture, but that’s mostly the flash.
Now, usually I put on a satin bonnet, followed a wig cap, and then the wig. As most of you know, wigs can be torture on your edges. I am trying to see if I can just moisturize and oil my hair before applying the wig cap as adding in the satin bonnet can make things pretty hot. As my hair is growing (ie getting bigger), it’s also making the application of the wig more difficult.
Wearing the wig also gave me my straight hair fix. I’d been feeling like flat ironing for the last week or so, but didn’t want to use heat just yet. Also, I have to go swimming this weekend and don’t want to spend all that time straightening just to go to the pool in a few days. So, after wearing that wig all day, I was ready to be done with straight hair…all without potential heat damage!
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Shedelle Holmes is a celebrity hair stylist in NYC specializing in weaving and blowouts. She has provided hairstyling to top models, actresses, and editorial work, including Naomi Campbell, Whitney of America’s Next Top Model Cycle 8, Bravo TV, New York Fashion Week, and many more.
She’s been kind enough to answer questions posed by you, my lovely readers. Visit her website here for more information! Or check out her Twitter or Facebook!
Q: I have very dry ends and thin edges, if I get a sew in will that worsen these things?
A: Your ends are most likely dry because they may need to be trimmed and you may not be moisturizing your hair enough. A trim of at least a centimeter every 6 weeks can go a long way (as we call it in the industry, “dusting” the ends). Have your stylist cut the dead ends and start off on a clean slate! If your edges are already thin, I’d advise you not to add any pressure to it by braiding it. For those who’s hair texture is already thin, weaving may not be the best option for you, as the weave may add pressure.
Q: I love getting braids and weaves to give myself a break from my hair and to switch up my look without changing my actual hair. My problem is how to take care of my hair when it is weaved up? With braids I can easily clean and oil my scalp and I know what areas I may have missed. But with weaves you can’t see anything because everything is sewed up and hidden. My question is how do you take care of hair (wash, condition, moisturize) when you can’t see what’s really going on under there???
A: I make sure to always apply a leave-in conditioner directly (in between the tracks) to my clients hair before placing her under a hooded drier (make sure your braids are completely dry). Once she is done drying I apply Top Brass directly to her scalp in between the braid using a applicator bottle. In this way her hair and scalp are moisturized!
Q: What is the best way to put in a weave to avoid damaging to my real tresses?
The braiding pattern in key for a healthy grow out! It determines how flat the weave will lay as well as the amount of tension you’ll feel. If the tension of your weave is overbearing then its definitely unhealthy for your scalp and hair.
A: How long is too long to keep weaving?
It varies by person and the texture/density of your hair. Some can weave for years and be fine. Others may find that their hair can no longer withstand weaving and its time to switch it up.
Q: How do I wear braids without causing breakage?
A: If you’re going to wear braids (i.e box braids) avoid pulling your hair back in a ponytail. This will definitely cause tension and could result in traction alopecia around the hair line and throughout the scalp. Avoid doing this type of service back to back. Give your hair and scalp a break.
Q: I exercise about 4 days a week and swim once a week. I’m currently transitioning and mostly wear sew-ins for about 4 weeks at time. I just took out my last sew-in and noticed lots of ‘matting’ near the back of my head – when removing my braids the hair was very thick and lead to some breakage in the area. What can be done to prevent this?? Should I wear the weave for less time or switch to braids?
A: For active individuals who swim its best to wear your weave 4 weeks at a time. You need to fully cleanse you hair and scalp of any chlorine build up. Make sure your stylist washes your hair with a gentle clarifying shampoo before using a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Make sure to use a detangling spray if you have any matting.
Q: How long should you keep a weave in? I hear a varierty of lengths. I’m currently wearing a sew-in while transitioning and have had mine in for about 6 weeks. Is that too long?
A: I recommend 6 weeks. 2 months max!
Q: Is there a best type of braid extension hair? Do kinky twists damage the cuticle? I would imagine the texture of the weave wears at the cuticle, causes splits etc.
A: Using human hair is always best!
Q: Do you know of braiding with wool or yarn? do you recommend either?
A: No I’ve never heard of it and I personally wouldn’t use it.
Q: What tips do you have for transitioning while weaving?
A: Maintenance is key and you will see the true potential of your hairs growth if you take the proper care of it while weaving. Always do a deep conditioning treatment on your hair in between weaves and trim your ends. Never leave your weave in longer than advised and make sure to consult with a professional stylist who is knowledgeable.
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It’s been great having these braids in the past month or so. I’ve rinsed them twice since putting them in.
I must admit: they would’ve lasted longer if I’d kept them tied up more when I slept. I still slept on a satin pillowcase, but they were still flopping around.
The take out was a bit rough, I won’t lie. It took more than an hour, I lost track after that. Here’s a tip for taking out braids: apply a little oil to the ends to help take them down. I remembered my oil after these babies popped up.
Knots!!
Yikes, very frustrating and not fun. After using a small dab of olive oil on each braid, they came apart much easier. I wore the braidout today and yesterday, but I know there’s a ton of shed hair to get out and detangling I need to do.
And I tried to take a belly picture but it didn’t do my belly justice. Believe me, it’s much bigger:
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After my failed braidout, which I really should’ve gotten pictures of, I decided to put in some small braids since my hair was already nice and stretched. I love my twists, but this is nice for a change. I hesistated to do these so small, as we all know that braids in general are the devil to remove compared to twists. I will report how the take down goes.
But…for now I am having lots ‘o fun! I did these with JC Nourish and Shine and Fleurtzy’s Hair Butter. Just so there’s not confusion, there is no added hair used in these braids. It took me about 6 or 7 hours to complete.
Whew! Took a long time to do, but well worth it!
Layers are present and accounted for!
Tied back with an ouchless band
Here's the front
Used my Tomoka's Twists
Tomoka's Twists...I really liked this look. The TT's really work well with braids.
I did a loose bun
Headband courtesy of the clearance table at Sally's!
Gotta love buns! No bobby pins used at all, just two ouchless bands.
In other news, I am now 17 weeks pregnant. I’ll be finding out the sex on July 15th! Yay! I’m starting to feel a little better but have been suffering from sciatic nerve pain and also occasional bouts of low blood pressure.
In other hair related news, you must read this post from the Natural Haven blog (if you want to know the science behind hair, this is the place to be!). JC, the author, shares her impression of the Essence live natural hair chat. I wasn’t able to view or join in on the chat, so I can’t comment personally. However, she eloquently expresses her concerns regarding the content of the chat. (Thanks to Sharifa for sending me an email about JC’s article)
Finally, thanks to OC_Swimmer, both a Newly Natural and Runninginafatsuit.com reader, for sharing her first triathlon race report with us! Read her story here and be inspired!
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Foreword: I’m copycatting Fleurtzy over at Texture Playground, she just did a beautiful braidout.
I got done swimming and didn’t feel like putting in twists. So, after a DC, I spritzed my hair with a homemade spritz, applied Afroveda Totally Twisted, and detangled each section with my Denman. I then braided largish sections, just fingerparting and grabbing. I sealed the braids with coconut oil. I let it air dry and then took it apart separating gently. I’m so happy that my hair is long enough that this looks ok now. When it was shorter, if I tried to do braids this large for a braid out, it wouldn’t have enough definition.
Braids:
Braidout:
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