Quick (overdue) update and a Q about twists?

[choconillaprincess]

hi everyone! long time no see!

just wanted to do a quick update its been 1yr and 3 months since bc#2


this is my bc pic from April 2011

this is from about a week ago

(excuse my lack of make up)

I'm full APL now
I quit dying and now use only henna and i don't use heat anymore


so about those twists...
i really am trying to keep them in for the week and re-do them on the weekends because it's convenient for my job (Army)

but i get the MAJOR itchies! and i desperately want to take them out but i've just sucked it up and kept them in for the sake of time consumption

so i wash them

but then they start to unravel! (you can see them coming loose in the pic)

please help me! i would just wear a bun but i worry about it leading to breakage and wearing it out all the time like i used to is not an option

 

[afrofaithful]

Hey! I'm air force! I have my twists in now. The one thing that really helps me is to apply tea tree oil to my scalp. I usually mix it with another oil just because the smell is really strong. Usually this eases the itching. Hope this helps

Also bunning really helped me retain a lot of length, you may want to revisit it. I know its taxing wearing it everyday but I find as long as its loose and I can salvage the bun for at least a few days without redoing it I can retain length and moisture.

Great growth by the way!

 

[alive]

Congratulations! your growth is jaw dropping! whatever you're doing is working for sure

 

[Iluvsmuhgrass]

Hey! I remember you! Love your hair in both pics!

Do you have to wash or could you just cleanse your scalp with witch hazel to lengthen the life of your twists? Do you think it's product build up or dry scalp?

 

[choconillaprincess]

afrofaithful 1. Hooah 2. oils and i don't mix very well 3. What kind of bun are you doing? sock bun? and how do you keep it through pt?

alive thanks! no heat or dye works wonders lol go figure

Iluvsmuhgrass i've never thought about the witch hazel thing! would a bit of ACV work as well because that's what i use for a toner? I'm not sure if it's dry scalp but i'm quite sure it's not product buildup...

I've been dealing with this my whole life! i always was the kid pulling my braids/twists out 2 days after they got put in! drove my ma nuts

 

[afrofaithful]

Sock bun. It's super quick I just soaked it in oil. Literally five minutes and I'm out the door. I hate that it's heavy for pt so I just take it out and have a weird ponytail. I put it back in though once I'm done to keep my ends stretched. I like the sock because its easier and always looks neat.

 

[choconillaprincess]

how do you stretch you hair around the sock bun thingy? my curls poke out everywhere and its so thick bleh! is you hair wet? do you use gel?

 

[Leslie_C]

You and your hair are pretty! You dont really need a sock for a bun, I dont think...

Just put it in a puff and fan it around the base of the puff and pin and tuck the ends around it in a circle. With your cute curls u can just make it a messy bun, doesnt have to be perfect and smooth IMO. Should work with a high or a low puff, but Im transitioning so I can only get my hair to stay put in a high one.

I get the itchies too! I cant even go a whole week without washing...drives my nuts. Def gonna try the witch hazel trick next time around.

 

[faithVA]

When you get ready to wash try grouping your twists together at the ends with a goody band or some type of tie (strips of panty hoses, bread ties , etc). You may need several sections. And then let them dry partially with the bands intact. Maybe that will keep them from unraveling. Also there was a post recently about putting liked edge control wax on the ends to hold them together. That also may help after the wash.

 

[afrofaithful]

Messy bun and my section chief don't mix...lol. I typically wet bun. This allows my curls to stretch out. If your curls are poking out you just need a smaller bun. I do use gel. I use the Eco styler Argan or olive oil. I didn't at first but with the summer, the humidity had my bun looking all kinds of frizzy. So I probably won't once the less humid months roll around. But I always baggy my bun with a moisturizer and oil at night around the sock to combat the moisture sucking of the sock. That's why you have to make sure to put an oil or moisturizer on the sock too. I also tie the base of my hair with a satin scarf so I don't have to reapply the gel everyday. Before I gel the base, I'll put on a moisturizer, oil, or butter. The only thing I will say is bunning has made me increase my wash frequency, but no biggie! Let me now if this works out!

 

[lamaria211]

Love your color you and your hair are very pretty and your retention is amazing I think we should be getting tips from you

 

[westNDNbeauty]

Love your hair color!

I used to have crazy itching too -- I couldn't go more than 3 days without wanting to wash. I started using Nizoral shampoo. After one bottle my itching and dry scalp was gone and have never returned almost 6 years later.

 

[choconillaprincess]

bah! so much good advice i dunno what to do with it!

Leslie_C i wish so much i could get away with a mess bun but the army don't play that lol

faithVA that is such a good idea about tying the twists together... i'ma try that one after my workout this afternoon... also what kind of edge control wax? i've never used any

afrofaithful that doesn't seem so bad... my hair doesn't really like oil so much though.... hmmm

lamaria211 hey thanks lol! i do a whole lotta nothing... and it works!

westNDNbeauty where do you buy that? i gotta check and see if it's vegan!

 

[westNDNbeauty]

choconillaprincess I bought it from walgreen or CVS at the time.