How do you wash your weave?

[Fine 4s]

I washed mine for the first time in at least a month, on Saturday. It seems like either the tracks shifted or the braids got fatter. My hair was blowdried when I first installed. At first I didn't notice anything and sat under the dryer for 30mns or less. The hair was just as nice as when I first met it straight out the pack (Milky Way Saga Remy). In fact, I like the haircut better straight then when I curl it. Now I know for next time...

It wad SWANG! I tied it down and the next am erplexed It just doesn't lay the same way it did when I first had it installed but still swangin'. Some of the tracks were coming lose and had to be tightened. Which is fine since I prefer my hair loser anyway.....

Another student washed my hair and did the following:

1. Apply diluted poo in between braids.
2. Since she couldn't get to the scalp as easily as I could, I massaged as much as I could. Repeat. Still no lather
2. Rinse (we probably should have rinsed more but we were rushing.)
3. Apply DC which we immediately rinsed out b/c of lack of time
4. Rinse
5. Detangle hair and sit under dryer.


How do you wash your weave?
Does the hair 'shift'?

Tks ladies!

 

[bride91501]

When I had my last weave, my wash regimen was similar to yours. I applied diluted shampoo with a spray bottle between each row, gently massaged my scalp, then I rinsed.

If it was a DC day, I applied DC in the same manner, put on a plastic wrap, then a scarf, then I worked out for an hour or so. This created more than enough heat for the DC.

As the weave gets older, the braids and attached weave will begin to shift, but that's to be expected. I think it just means that your hair is growing (a good thing!), not that the washing is damaging the weave.

HTH!

 

[justicefighter1913]

Good question. I was wondering the same thing since I plan on getting an install soon.

Sent from my DROIDX using Long Hair Care Forum App

 

[Napp]

i dont

i dont like my tracks to slip.plus like you the hair just isnt right after a wash. i just leave it alone and lightly oil. i notice that my scalp doesn't funk up either when i don't constantly wet the hair underneath. so hey if its not broke.....

 

[ms.blue]

I perfer my braid base braided small b/c I the poof I get after the first wash. I use applicator bottle to hold my dilute shampoo and conditioner. I don't air dry b/c I find it leads into mildew smell on my braids underneath.

 

[ryanshope]

I had a weave in during the month of december, plan to install a new one in a week or two but here are some tips/advice from my experience(this varies a bit to if u have a long weave, straight hair versus curly and if you have a net installed).

1. Definitely dilute the shampoo. I also like to spray my scalp with Seabreeze like when you have cornrows to help with bacteria and smell. My goal is to keep my natural hair from getting too damp or manipulating it too much. What can happen is with too much water/scrubbing action, my hair can get matted and this is a bad thing..lol.

2. Spray leave-ins. I like to use Infusium 23 or something like that. Creamy leave-ins are fine for the weave, but it tends to create too much bulld up and it is a pain to cleanse the hair so I stick with setting lotion(foaming kind) for the weave and spray leave-ins for my hair.

3. I always sit under the dryer after I wash my weave to ensure my hair gets totally dry. I am a staunch air dryer normally(so my Pibbs gets no love really) but when I have a weave in, I suck it up and sit under that bad boy for 40-50 minutes(however long it takes to dry). I figure I am saving time not having to do my hair, the least I can do is get under the dryer so it won't be damp and mildew.

4. Some folx i know go get their weaves retightened---I don't know about it for me. I figure that means my hair is growing so I don't want to "tightened" the net/thread on my new growth---if that makes sense. I wear weaves for 4-6 weeks and get it reinstalled. I am getting curly hair for the first time in a LONG time(kinda nervous) but I am glad to put my hair away for a while. G

Good luck babe with ur weave--I remember you got a cute short cut!

 

[mEmYSELFaNDj]

When I get weaves I dont use shampoo I just cowash. I make sure that my natural hair is saturated with conditioner just like it would be if i were cowashing without a weave. I rinse it out as good as possible and air dry. I cowash about 2x/week alternating between a light protein conditioner and a moisturizing conditioner. I have never experienced any matting from wetting it so much and when I take my weave down(usually after 10-12wks) my hair is soft, moisturized, and I have retained all my length no breakage. I usually wear curly weave hair so cowashing that often doesnt effect my hair style. But when I wear it straight instead of cowashing that often I just do a weekly DC with heat.

FYIre hair journey, when I didnt know any better, when I used to wear weaves I would go for a month or more without washing my hair (as you stated) and when I would take my weave down my natural hair would be dry, brittle, and crunchy. So just make sure if you are going to wait that long in between washing that you are at least moisturizing your base braids with something.

Oh and like bride91501 said above shifting of the braids is normal because of new growth (yaay!) but also its inevitable the water is going to loosen the braids, So making sure your base is secure when you first get it done is very important.

Did you ever post pics of your install? I want to see how you fit all that beautiful thick hair under a weave

 

[Fine 4s]

LLLLLLLLLaaaaaadies,

Help!

The retightening on one track on the right side of my head (the already sensitive side) is a lilttle too tight. I want it OUT now.....I went to the school today to see if we could find the tight track but nope!

Ya'll, if I can't find it, I'm so ready to take it all off just for that one track. She didn't tighten but 3 areas! Since she's a classmate, I told her to just undo what she did (if she could remember.)

It's like a bobby pin poking me in one spot...allll day. It tooke 3 days for this discomfort to really manifest. UGH!

 

[mEmYSELFaNDj]

What I would do is co wash my hair and see if it loosens up. it should a little but since you just got it retightened it probably wont loosen that much.

 

[cinnespice]

I would put some braid spray or a little oil to see if the braid will expand or get the person to loosen the track and re-tighten but not to much.

 

[glamazon386]

You're natural right? Because your hair was blowdried before installing, when you washed it, it curled back up. That's why your braids feel thicker. They swelled from the water.

 

[beana]

Now that you mention it, i guess my braids do swell underneath, but i have never noticed a difference in the appearance of my weave at all. I actually think weeks 2-5 are my best weeks.

The sitting under the dryer part is key. i usually sit under for 45 mins and lightly blow dry (2 mins whole head) just to make sure im dry, then style.

 

[Fine 4s]

Thank you ladies...
I'm on my way to school and will apply some oil and have the person losen it as well...
if that doesn't work, no telling what I'll do next...this is so uncomfortable!

Thank you!

PS - Memyselfanddj,

I had a thread with pics, not sure if they're still up though.
If not I'll send you pics later this week. It's not all that but I enjoyed it much....

 

[itismehmmkay]

I wash in the shower and just lather shampoo and water in my hands and go over the actual hair itself. Then I use my nails to scratch under the tracks.

 

[Fine 4s]

Is it enough to put a growth mixture on the scalp such as the Bee Mine Growth Serum to soften/moisturize the base braids?

I forget what's in it, but I need to use it up STAT.

PS- The track is lose! yay!

 

[luckiestdestiny]

I had a weave in during the month of december, plan to install a new one in a week or two but here are some tips/advice from my experience(this varies a bit to if u have a long weave, straight hair versus curly and if you have a net installed).

1. Definitely dilute the shampoo. I also like to spray my scalp with Seabreeze like when you have cornrows to help with bacteria and smell. My goal is to keep my natural hair from getting too damp or manipulating it too much. What can happen is with too much water/scrubbing action, my hair can get matted and this is a bad thing..lol.

2. Spray leave-ins. I like to use Infusium 23 or something like that. Creamy leave-ins are fine for the weave, but it tends to create too much bulld up and it is a pain to cleanse the hair so I stick with setting lotion(foaming kind) for the weave and spray leave-ins for my hair.

3. I always sit under the dryer after I wash my weave to ensure my hair gets totally dry. I am a staunch air dryer normally(so my Pibbs gets no love really) but when I have a weave in, I suck it up and sit under that bad boy for 40-50 minutes(however long it takes to dry). I figure I am saving time not having to do my hair, the least I can do is get under the dryer so it won't be damp and mildew.

4. Some folx i know go get their weaves retightened---I don't know about it for me. I figure that means my hair is growing so I don't want to "tightened" the net/thread on my new growth---if that makes sense. I wear weaves for 4-6 weeks and get it reinstalled. I am getting curly hair for the first time in a LONG time(kinda nervous) but I am glad to put my hair away for a while. G

Good luck babe with ur weave--I remember you got a cute short cut!

Same for me. My hair length is in my siggy. I'm back in a weave (had one one time prior to this from Nov-Jan...but I've used them to grow out my hair before.)...I just never believed in tightening whenever I use a weave as a protective style. I'm sure there are others that can and do know how to do it without affecting the hair but I just leave it alone (and if it shifts it's because it's growing). As long as I don't look crazy and others don't notice, oh well (I realize we'll notice because hey it's on our head but in reality if it's not noticeable to others I kim)

I must credit my hairstylist too as she's able to braid my hair so it lies down flat despite the length so even though it shifts it's not too noticeable.

But I've had friends who "tighten" and their hair looks like it's been razored off in some places and/or it's very thin after weaving for a period of time on and off. I suspect that but they always have some other excuse as to why. I just wont risk it either way.

 

[luckiestdestiny]

Just finished reading the thread I'm glad you got that loosened. If tightenings working for you that's a good thing. I think it's about what works for each of us. I suspect tightening would not hold weight on my hair because I have tons of fine strands. My hair is dense but fine. SO I'm paranoid it would razor away with too much stress to hold it down (from growth). I just let it do what it do. I'm natural too...but I never get mine blow dried before braided. So my puffiness is never due to swelling I suspect. But I just leave it alone

Whatever works for you! I'm glad you're happy with your hair and it's feeling less tight now.

 

[Fine 4s]

Hey,

I never heard of tightening until this thread. What I meant was actually when my tracks slip out and it need to be re-sewn. For example I had 3 flaps poking out of my weave hair. Prolly because I had them braid and sew so losely.
So, I don't mean to give the impression that I get my tracks tightened because I don't.
Instead of using a bobby pin to hold the section that came off, (which irritated my scalp after some hours of a bobby pin on my scalp) I have someone sew it down.

I don't think I'd want to re-tighten either.
I love the thought that my hair is growing underneath

Tks ladies!

 

[luckiestdestiny]

^^^Okay so that's totally different. Yeah. I have friends who "tighten" theirs when they're loose (not when the track unravels so to speak) but just so that the track lays as flat as when it was first sewn and I'm like how is that a good thing? It just doesn't make sense in my head. BUT I figured your hair looks great so you must know something I don't. NOW that you tell me you don't "tighten" I'm a little relieve because really just re sewing the hair over and over, I just think that is NOT low manipulation because you're trying to force it to stay flat when it's swelling from growth. So you're using that thread to "HOLD" the hair down (repeatedly, not just once at install) so to speak (and that seems to me to put undo "stress" on the hair). But again it's just a theory of mine.

I've gotten to mbl before (but had to cut in NOV to shoulder because I had too many layers as you see from my siggy) and grew it back ((in my siggy my real hair) sometimes using braids/sometimes weave and I've never had the "tighten" thing NEVA! Okay I'm sure you get the point.

I am curious to see if anyone who has thick hair (not in strands but appearance density they could have fine, med, or thick strands but I'm talking density...or tons of strands) still (and long hair) has had the procedure done somwhere without getting see through hair as the end result. I am always willing to be wrong if someone has an idea that I don't (that works).

 

[luckiestdestiny]

Forgot to add to the original question I go as long as I can. IF I'm super sweaty it's every 2 wks, otherwise its' once a month because let's face it the less washing, the less buildup (I've found that to be true for me and IDK why perhaps the conditioner just stays and cakes in there). It seems nasty but there's less chance of matting the less I wash. And btw I kept my weave in last time almost 3 (2 months and 3 1/2 weeks) months (I used cowboy magic and it was all easy peasy to get it out with no matting. Put that on a matt or knot, leave it for a minute, and it's a goner with no cutting). This time I think I'm only leaving it in 2 months or a little over (like 2 months and 1 wk.) I have an idea about when I want to take it out). I used a nozzle with diluted shampoo. And also with diluted conditioner

(noticed it said fine 4s. My hair is fine it's just super dense, tons of hair)
Dollena