Weave wearers... I need your advice!

[PrincessM]

I know it's important to keep a clean scalp, even when wearing a weave. When I get my weave done this weekend, I plan on washing every 3 weeks.

My question is, how does one wash hair with weave in it properly? I get sewn in weave, with the front of my natural hair left out in order to blend. I have washed my hair with weave in it previously and was never happy with the results. After I washed, my natural hair when dryed never blended in properly again. It's like the texture changed (it was kinda frizzy) and my natural hair was easy to spot.

Another concern I have is for the tracks. Does washing it loosen the braids? What about drying the tracks/cornrows... can they truly be dried properly with a blowdryer? And if not dried thoroughly, will it be bad for my hair?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Nonie]

I don't wear a weave so I can't help with the cleaning. But about whether the tracks not drying properly would be bad for your hair... Methinks, in itself, water wouldn't hurt your hair - esp distilled water. After all, it's lack of moisture that's our enemy; and many people do spritz their hair with water regularly, and then use oil to lock in that moisture.

What does everyone else think?

 

[sassygirl125]

Did you mean to say shampoo every three days? I've never had a weave, but every three weeks doesn't sound frequent enough. Once or twice a week sounds better, IMO.

From what I've read on this forum, the type of hair you buy has a lot to do with how long it looks good and matches your texture. I know someone with a good looking (GREAT looking!) weave and she orders her hair from adorablehair.com (they have a catalog).

 

[keylargo]

i have a weave and the front and sides of my hair is out and blended into the weave. it's a curly weave so the front is just slicked down with styling gel. i get lots of compliments on it. i was wearing the straight weave first but it was too hard to blend my hair in with it. i didn't want to rely on heat to keep it straight and i wanted to be able to wash my hair frequently. plus, i'm stretching my relaxer touchups out to at least 8 weeks.

the problem i had is that my relaxed hair that was covered with the weave was drying out. i was having it done once a month. i didn't feel that i was washing and conditioning it frequently enough this way. even though you can rinse your hair often, the conditioner can't get down into the hair ends as well. my hair by the way is cornrowed with the tracks sewn in.

well, my solution was to learn how to do the weave myself. now i redo it weekly. that way, i can take it completely out, and i can condition my hair properly each week. it takes me 3-4 hours to do this each week but it's worth it. my ends are breaking less and my hair feels thicker. now i'm just trying to find the best moisturizer that will penetrate the cornrows for daily use. i was using oils but my hair needs more moisture than oil i think.

i am not letting anything stop me from having healthy and LONG hair

 

[sassygirl125]

[ QUOTE ]
it's a curly weave so the front is just slicked down with styling gel. i get lots of compliments on it. i was wearing the straight weave first but it was too hard to blend my hair in with it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think this is the key. The bone straight ones are usually the ones that look really fake when you see them up close. My friend wears the wavy Ananda Lewis/Chili type hair.

 

[cutebajangirl]

I think the difficulty in blending back in the weave hair depends on how much skills you have with the surling iron. What I ended up doing when I wore weaves was wash and condition my hair weekly myself in the morning and go to the salon after class around four and get it bumped and blended with a curling iron for like $15.

 

[Karonica]

Hey keylargo, how do you sew yours in? And with tracks, I wanted to know when you sew them in, do you take the needle inside of the weft and around the cornrow, or do you loop the thread around the weft and around the cornrow as well?

 

[PrincessM]

I always get the straight weave and when I first get it, it blends in almost seamlessly. No one even knew it was weave at school until I told them. And I just don't think the wavy weave will suit me, so I'm gonna try to deal with the straight.

Problem is with going to a hair dresser to blend it, I'm away at school and don't have the convenience of coming home that often to my hairdresser (I only come home about every month if I can)

.

I'm just gonna have to get handy with my flatiron/curling iron.

Does anyone have a recommendation for what brand of straight weave to get that won't tangle, shed and look different after being washed?

Is there a proper way to wash then blow dry hair with weave in it? Anyone have a certain thing that they do?

 

[keylargo]

Karonica, I try to sew the thread into the weft and then loop it around the cornrow. everynow and then, i'm sure i stick the needle under the weft but i try not to. i think it holds better if you stick the needle threw the weft as oppose to underneath the weft.

 

[PrincessM]

anyone have any other advice?

 

[Karonica]

Thanks keylargo.

 

[Mufasa]

Now, I wash mine once per week. If I go,then I rinse it out that night. I guess my scalp gets way too irritated and dirty if I wait a long time. I choose hair with curls. There is no way I could wear straight hair

Something that I just found out yesterday is that Tee Tree Oil can really help with an itchy scalp. It feels as though it is being healed on the spot. Next time I do it, will follow one of the recipies though - straight Tee Tree oil (although it was healing my scalp) felt like it was burning

When I wash the tracks (or I focus more water/shampoo on the scalp using the shower massage). I, personally, have never used a blow dryer to dry the tracks or the regular hair. Even the one I have now, I think I remeber tyring to use a dryer on it once and it just straightened out - not bad, except that it started out very curly. I only air dry and don't use any type of heat at all. When taking the weave out, it tends to be really dry (unless I make sure it is conditioned before putting it up). I think that using a dryer make the hair a bit crispy. Mine has come out best whenever putting some type of moisturizer on the braided part (right now, use a combination of olive oil, filtered water, conditioner - Suave Tropicals or Pantene Hydrating Curls, Cocoa and Shay butter). Seems to be working OK. From what I have experienced, washing does loosen the braids - but - in order for it to grow, it has to be washed anyways ...

 

[keylargo]

mufasa, i just checked out your pictures and i must say, you have a full head of hair! it looks so healthy and soft

 

[PrincessM]

[ QUOTE ]
Now, I wash mine once per week. If I go,then I rinse it out that night. I guess my scalp gets way too irritated and dirty if I wait a long time. I choose hair with curls. There is no way I could wear straight hair

Something that I just found out yesterday is that Tee Tree Oil can really help with an itchy scalp. It feels as though it is being healed on the spot. Next time I do it, will follow one of the recipies though - straight Tee Tree oil (although it was healing my scalp) felt like it was burning

When I wash the tracks (or I focus more water/shampoo on the scalp using the shower massage). I, personally, have never used a blow dryer to dry the tracks or the regular hair. Even the one I have now, I think I remeber tyring to use a dryer on it once and it just straightened out - not bad, except that it started out very curly. I only air dry and don't use any type of heat at all. When taking the weave out, it tends to be really dry (unless I make sure it is conditioned before putting it up). I think that using a dryer make the hair a bit crispy. Mine has come out best whenever putting some type of moisturizer on the braided part (right now, use a combination of olive oil, filtered water, conditioner - Suave Tropicals or Pantene Hydrating Curls, Cocoa and Shay butter). Seems to be working OK. From what I have experienced, washing does loosen the braids - but - in order for it to grow, it has to be washed anyways ...


[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks Mufasa

I just got a new weave put in on Satuday and I've been misting the tracks with a mixture of distilled water, castor oil, olive oil, coconut oil, keracare essential oils, and African Pride leave-in every other day alternating with using Wild Growth Oil. I first planned on washing every 2 weeks but I'm thinking of doing it every week. I'm not sure if I should just do conditioner washes while the weave is in or do regular washing & conditioning. I guess doing that couldn't hurt.

I need advice on this regimen I have for washing hair with weave. To wash it, I plan on having a braid for each row of weave to minimize tangling. I have one spray bottle with distilled water & Creme of Nature and another with Motions Conditioner mixed with distilled water. I'll spray in between the tracks and on the hair that is open in the front, back and edges. Leave in for a 10 minutes, the rinse out gently, towel dry.

I haven't tried this, but my concerns are the braids getting dried properly (I'm guessing if they don't it can cause matting and mildrew

) and my own hair in the front and sides losing it's straightness and not meshing with the weave properly.

Any comments or suggestions on this?