My Hair Diary

Up-do Pompadour Style

I absolutely love this style! Similar to my previously shared up-do involving one braid, I inversely braided two french braids from the nape of my neck to the top of my head. Before attempting this style, the braids were braided all the way to the ends for a couple of days and pinned down. (this made my hair curly when I was ready to unravel.)

To create this style:

I unbraided the two braid ends just to the middle of the top of my head.... looking at the pictures, I unbraided just before my ears. This was done the night before I wanted to wear the style.
I put hair pins at the new ends of each braid.
With the hair that is now free, I made 4 small french braids like I was making a bang. The hair was already curly, but I made sure to moisturize and add Olive Oil Eco Styler gel to insure curl definition.
I rolled pipe cleaners to the end of each braid to encourage more curl and to keep the braids from shrinking and matting down when wrapped.
I wrapped my hair for the night with a satin scarf.
In the morning, I removed the pipe cleaners and unbraided the 4 braids in the front of my head, ensuring to manipulate the curls as little as possible.
I added hair pins where ever necessary to help the hair keep the desired shape.

Pipe Cleaner Curls

I used pipe cleaners to tightly curl my mini twists. I got this idea from YouTube . This is an ingenious idea and I love the tight curls that the pipe cleaners created.

1 week old mini twists
Before pipe cleaners
Picture taken: Oct. 29, 2011

I rolled in the pipe cleaners after spraying my hair with my oil and water mix. I left the pipe cleaners in for 3 hours the first time and overnight every other day.

Pictures taken Oct. 29, 2011

Twists right after
pipe cleaners were removed
Picture taken Nov. 1, 2011

Finger combed twists after
pipe cleaners were removed
Picture taken Oct 29, 2011

Close up of curls

Mini Twists

This is my second time doing mini twists. I'm not sure if they are as small as typical mini twists, but they're certainly small enough for me... especially because it took me 4 hours to complete. I kept these twists in for 4 weeks. These are pictures from day one.

Pictures taken Oct. 22, 2011

I don't think that my hair is as volumous as I originially thought because my twists tend to look flat. Twists aren't my favorite protective style, but this time was different because it looked fuller than usual. That lasted until I slept on them that night...
I also need to find a way to keep my twists stretched.

Learn more from this Mini twist video

Protective Style

This is a protective style that I came up with when I was desperate to get my hair together.
I did an inverted french braid from the nape of my next to my forehead. Then I tucked the end of the braid under so that it wasn't hanging in my face. Some places in the middle had to be hair pinned down because my hair wasn't long enough to stay in place.

Pictures taken Oct. 18, 2011

Afro Lovin'

Just another fro check... I still haven't worn my fro out and about. Sometimes I think it's too out there and that's just not the statement I'm trying to make. Maybe some day.

Pictures taken Oct. 15, 2011

Shifting Styles

I started with one style and experienced a total of 4 styles over a 2 week period.

This is the style that I started with: Roll and Tuck Fro Hawk

Back View
Picture Taken Oct. 1, 2011

The Roll and Tuck evovled into this style with braids on both sides.

This allowed the style to last longer because my edges started to get frizzy.

Right Side View
Picture Taken Oct. 4, 2011

Left Side View
Picture Taken Oct. 4, 2011

The next evolution involved leaving in the braids on the sides, removing the fro hawk, and adding two strand twists.

Back View
Picture Taken Oct. 10, 2011

Back/Side View
Picture Taken Oct. 10, 2011

Side View
Picture Taken Oct. 10, 2011

Next was a twist out. I left the braids on the sides and untwisted the two strand twists.

Side View
Picture Taken Oct. 14, 2011

Back View
Close up of twist out definition
Picture Taken Oct. 14, 2011

Top View
I wasn't a fan of the way that
the top untwisted, but I
made it work.
Picture Taken Oct. 14, 2011

Homecoming: Roll and Tuck Fro Hawk

I wore this style insead of the Cinna-bun for my semi formal event. I was running for Homecoming Queen and had to represent the natural look right! I loved this up-do and it was quick to create and maintain. I was excited to try this style and that my hair was long enough to create it. If people only knew how versatile natural hair is!!