Earlier this year I wrote a post about how scalp psoriasis led to a major hair setback last fall. I ended up losing a lot of hair due to all of the daily shampooing and detangling it took to keep my scalp under control. After a few months I was left with see through ends and breakage. It was disheartening because my hair was actually in really good shape before my scalp went out of control. As a result, I decided to give myself a trim and move forward with an updated healthy hair routine.
About 80% of the time I rock curly styles because of how time consuming it is to straighten my hair. When I finally do go straight, I like to go as a long as possible until I wash it again because I don’t want to waste all of that effort. Right after I straighten my hair it is very lightweight and flowy which I love. In my last post I discussed how to achieve those results. After about a week or so, my hair starts to feel heavy. That’s when I like to change things up a bit with a braid out for something different. Unfortunately, it took a long time for me to find what worked for a successful braid out on straight natural hair.
Continue reading “Tips for a Successful Braid Out on Straight Natural Hair”
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To prepare for the cold, my family and I quickly harvested our large, unripe tomatoes from our community garden plot. We hated to do it but we just didn’t want to risk losing them. While standing in the drizzling rain and feeling my fingers go numb, I decided it was time to start wearing braid outs. The style works for me during the colder weather because I don’t have to revive the look by rewetting my hair in the morning. Also, my hair will usually lay flat enough for me to wear a warm knit beanie hat over it. Braid outs for the win!
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| My High Puff I might be making a warm headband for when I wear this style during the winter |
I like to knit and crochet so I may possibly construct a new hat for myself. I might even look into making a warm head band for those days when I want to wear a puff or high bun. Another option would be to head over to Natural Born Hats and order a couple of their satin lined beanies. Either way, I’m not about that dripping wet hair life when it comes to the colder temps. Sure, we still may have a couple of sunny days coming up but as for me and my curls, it’s braid out season.
BE SURE TO FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM FOR A LOOK AT MY DAILY HAIR ROUTINE
Recently I was contacted by a company called Natural Born Hats LLC. When I saw that they
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| Finally a satin lined cap that’s stylish and fits over my natural hair |
offered satin lined hats at affordable prices, I jumped at the chance to do a review. Why is a satin lining so important you ask? Well, for starters, it can help minimize frizz and matting that can occur when wearing a hat without the added lining. The smooth satin is what comes in contact with your hair which means less friction which in turn minimizes breakage. That’s music to my ears because I’m always concerned about how my hair will fare when wearing a typical hat. With this I have no worries.
About Natural Born Hats LLC
If you head over to the website, you’ll find the story detailing the relationship between the two friends who started the company. They were both on a hair journey and using satin bonnets and scarves, as we all do, to protect their hair at night. They, like me, wanted another option that was stylish for wearing out but still had the protective satin inside.
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| Satin lining inside |
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| Military Cap Style |
What I like about their hats is the sound construction and the variety of styles that are available. I was sent a Military inspired cap but they also carry sun hats, fedoras and lots of fun knit beanies. The Military caps are produced using a cotton blend. This is a plus because I’m planning to wear mine when I go on my walks this summer. The other hats are constructed using materials such as straw plaiting, flax and polyester. Each comes with a polyester satin lining. The knit beanies are polyester throughout which makes them machine washable but no dryer. I like that because I’m planning on getting one for my very active 12 year old son.
I know my new hat will get a lot of use this summer. I’m favoring braid outs lately which means my braids are sometimes not completely dry in the morning. Now I can just throw on my satin lined cap and head out the door knowing my braids are still protected. I’ve tried this before with other hats but was having trouble getting all of the braids to fit. It even has room enough when my natural hair is in full swang.
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| A hat that fits over my braids YAY! |
If you’re interested in a comfy satin lined hat for yourself, be sure to head over to Natural Born Hats LLC and use Coupon Code: CURLYCO25 for an extra 25% off
NOTE: The code will be active for the next 2 weeks and must be entered using all caps.
Just thought I would share that my hair is making a turn around thanks to my new bestie Extra
Virgin Olive Oil. This stuff is amazing! I’m so glad because I was really beginning to worry about where my tresses would end up without some major TLC. One of the ways I have incorporated the oil is demonstrated in my video below. I’m learning how important a good pre-poo treatment is if I’m going to continue using shampoo.
I have used mild shampoos and sulfate free versions in the past. I noticed though that they didn’t always remove all of the product from my hair. Last summer, I was using shampoo all of the time because we were doing lots more swimming. It all caught up with me and resulted in dryness that my natural hair is not accustomed to. Also, the dryness that comes with the Colorado winter weather doesn’t exactly help either. So, I’m super excited that the olive oil is working for me.