Hairstyle: Braid Out?? or Textured Afro??

So, this past Sunday, I washed my hair and then braided it---intending to do a braid out. Well, despite starting on my hair at 3:00 pm my hair still did not fully air dry. So, the next day while taking it down my hair was really damp all over. You know me, I just let it do what it do. And I still like it!

I decided to show some pics of my hair over last 3 days that I have been wearing this braid out/textured afro.

Day 1 - You can see that the back of the hair really has little to no wave definition. The hair displays my texture. I like how full it looks.
Please excuse the puckered lips. I was feeling my new lipstick. lol. This shot really shows the full shape of my hair.
This is my hair today, I am still feeling it. I will definitely be rocking this style to the end of this week or longer. We'll see...

I achieved this hairstyle by:
1. Washing the hair.
2. Applying conditioner to my entire head
3. I then put my hair into 21 braids
4. I took it down the next morning using my shea butter/EVOO mixture to seal the ends.
5. I did not really seperate the hair for a fuller look because it was not dry. It eventually air dryed to this full look.

Great Linkage: It's Time to Rethink that Afro

So, I have stated in the past that I adore wearing my afro. However, I have also admitted that the afro is not the best style for everyday. My reasoning was that I had too many tanges and that picking it out caused excess breakage.

Imagine my delight when I noticed that Jc of "The Natural Haven" discussed the disadvantages associated with wearing the afro consistently. I'm not saying you should completely eliminate the afro from your hairstyle. Yet, it is best to wear this style for a very limited time like 1-2 days.

Check out her detailed and historical advice concerning the afro HERE. She provided some very useful knowledge.

Also, Jc has a great blog! She provides information on natural hair from a scientific standpoint. Very informative!

Hair Today: High Afro Puff

Today was definitely a lazy hair day. I got home late last night and I simple did not feel like braiding my hair up for the night. So, all I did was cover my hair with a satin bonnet. I did not oil or moisturize my hair.

Despite this, my hair was still moisturized this morning and had a nice sheen--as you can see in the pics. Also, this morning I gently pulled at any smooshed hair and then tied my headscarf on it into a high puff. I must say I was pleased with the results. And it took no time at all!

**Tonight I will go back to my regimen. This includes co-washing my hair and then braiding it up.

Hairstyle: The Classic Afro

On my way to church...

A full view of my hair with my outfit...

After church, with an accessory in the Afro...


Yesterday, on Sunday, I decided to wear my Afro. I absolutely LOVE wearing the classic afro! First off, I feel as if it really accentuates my features. Also, I feel so beautiful and confident whenever I wear it. And at church, I received quite a few compliments on the hair.

However, as I continue to grow in my natural hair journey I continue to learn new things about my hair. The afro is definitely not a good protective hairstyle. Especially for my type 4 hair. I say this because the ends are not protected. When I wear the updos I don't experience the vast amount of tangles (fairy knots) that occur with the Afro. By the end of the night, when I was trying to braid my hair for the night there were so many tangles!!! In the past, when I wore the afro I thought that amount of tangles was normal. Yet, since I have been wearing the updos for about three weeks I can now notice the difference in my hair. I had plans to wear the Afro to work for the week, but as I was trying to braid my hair for the night I was getting frustrated with the detangling session that was going on. So, my sister helped me to put some twists in my hair so, I could wear a twist updo to work for the week.

Therefore, the Afro will now be limited to certain occasions. I don't think it will be a staple hairstyle as it has been in the past:-(

These are the steps to achieve the classic afro:
1. Braid/Cornrow the hair the night before(optional: oil/moisturize each section).
2. Take each braid down the next day and comb from the ends to the root with a wide tooth comb.
3. After each braid is taken down and combed out, shape the Afro. This can be done with an Afro pic and your hands.
4. You may pin it to one side--as I did--or you can rock it full, with a headband, etc.
5. And you're done!!

"But what are you going to do to your hair????"

This is the question that many people with modified (permed, pressed, relaxed, etc.) hair will ask. This question comes to the forefront when others feel a special event/occasion requires us to to do something spectacular to our hair. These kind of functions include weddings, balls, proms, dates, job interviews, etc. I am confused as to why people make such a big deal out of something that isn't a big deal at all.

My response is "I will wear my hair exactly as I usually wear it." If I was getting married I would have no problem wearing a full afro with a beautiful flower near my ear. I would wear my afro with a headband to an interview. I would wear my braid-out updo to an after-five event. I would wear a twist updo or braid updo to any occasion. What I am saying is natural hair can be as diverse as we want it to be or we can wear it as simple as we want to.

Below are some pictures from certain events I have attended and how I wore my hair:


This is a picture from a cocktail party that I attended in Atlanta, GA at the Buckhead Marriot. It is a simple afro with a bump in the front.


I was attending a pageant that my sister was participating in. Again, this is the simple afro with a bump in the front.


I was going to church in this picture. This is a twist-out that was pinned into an updo.


This is me at a typical day at work. The style is a braid-out updo.

In the end, it shouldn't be that hard to think of hairstyles to do for special occasions. I usually stick to my usual go to styles, which makes me feel elegant and timeless.