Tag Archives: braids

maximize opportunities

our world has changed.

so what do we do know?


at first it can seem overwhelming to be at home, have more time to ponder and be unsure of what is going on in the world. here are some tips that i’ve used to create a smooth transition to this new life.


• clean your space- i started staying at home last Thursday and have thus far left the house twice (three times if you include that i got things from the store, brought them home and then went back out to the store). the first thing i did was clean. i disinfected and washed everything. it made me feel better and left my home a lot cleaner. everyday i have time scheduled in to clean so it’s not overwhelming. yesterday i cleaned the kitchen. today i cleaned my closets. tomorrow i’ll organize the kitchen and my desk. a little cleaning each day has made me feel so much better
• create a routine- these last few days i have strictly done no work and just taken time for myself. now that i’m ready to start working, i need a plan. i used the time block method so i have a calendar stating what i will do at what time. i know i thrive on schedules and want to maximize my time.
• do what makes me happy- yoga, eating good food, meditation, doing my hair and interactions with my loved ones make me happy. so i have carved out time for my favorite things within my schedule. a yoga studio i was thinking about doing YTT (yoga teacher training) at is currently offering free classes via YouTube. I did one today, as well as my own personal practice and it felt so good!
• invest in a passion- i’ve decided that i’m going to publish my poetry book i started last year during this time. i also have been wanting to rebrand myself (connecting my blog more to IG and possibly expanding into YouTube). so i’ll be working on content creation!
• healthy habits- “I’m only going to eat 1 cookie today.” and then you actually only eat one cookie. take this time to create healthy habits- working out, drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day, or even doing yoga. these are things people say they want to do, but claim they don’t have time. i get it- i never work out either. but i’ve decided i have no reason to not work out and will be doing so. struggling with your natural hair? take this time to learn it! check out my blog post (https://lovemayah.com/2019/08/29/my-hair-routine/) for my hair care regimen!
• creating firm boundaries- mostly with yourself and others. the consumption of fake news is at an all time high. choosing to not engage may be for the best. other boundaries can be harder but more worthwhile- choosing to eat 1 cookie instead of 3 is a good example.
• get some sleep- last but not least! get some sleep! taking care of your body is so so important! this is a time to rest and recharge! take advantage of it!

protective styles

protective styles help your hair grow because they help you retain moisture and reduce manipulation. the biggest question is: how do i choose the right one? for me, I started with braids because I knew braids worked for my hair. as a little girl, I wore braids all the time and it grew my hair out. I always only used my natural hair, so i didn’t consider adding weave to my hair. while i do think weaves are beneficial, it’s just not for me. so I used to braid my hair often, until one of my friends twisted my hair. I barely shed at all and my hair lasted very well. Since then, twists have been my go to protective style. Here are some examples of how I do my hair!

These two pictures are my current hair style! I did three french braids after washing and deep conditioning. I then pinned them up and made it into a halo braid. I’m currently on day 2, and my hair is looking great!

This was my style last week! I washed, deep conditioned then flat twisted my hair. For work, I pinned the flat twists up, into a halo twist.

These last three are results from a flat twist out as well. I always flat twist to make sure my roots are moisturized and catch the curl.

I’ve found that picking a protective style that looks like your natural curl pattern makes the style last longer! I would say if your pattern is looser, try braids and if it’s tighter do twists!

feb 2018 hair care routine

*drumroll* IT’S TIME FOR AN UPDATED HAIR CARE ROUTINE!

Though not much has changed I just want to keep you all updated!

Prepoo-

  • Before I wash my hair I always add a generous amount of oil- normally either shea butter or avocado oil

Washing-

  • Prior to washing, I rinse my hair with warm water to get rid of the excess product and oil
  • I wash my hair once a week using Shea Moisture’s Jamaican Black Castor Oil Shampoo. I normally wash three times; I could probably do two washes and be fine but I like three.
  • Normally when I wash I try to massage my scalp for at least one of the washes. Scratching your scalp can leave your hair tangled, so I try to limit it.

I always use warm water to wash

Conditioning-

  • I always deep condition after EVERY wash. it’s essential to making my hair easy to maintain. I’m currently using Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment mask, but I also really like Eden Body Work’s Natural Deep Conditioner (they just didn’t have it at target when I needed deep conditioner).
  • I section my hair in four parts. I work one section at a time to add conditioner then comb out that part using my denman brush (which is a lifesaver- it defines your curls and makes detangling easier). Then I normally twist the section that I just added conditioner to or use a ponytail holder to secure it. After all sections are done I go over my hair once more with the denman brush
  • I either sit under the drier for 15 minutes (while wearing a clear shower cap) or use an old target bag over my shower cap for about 30 minutes. I like both methods but the bag is easier if you’re trying to do other things while deep conditioning.
  • I rinse out the deep conditioner with warm water then after it’s all out I use cold water to rinse my hair. It seals in the moisture and reduces frizz.
  • I then take a t-shirt and wrap it around my hair to dry it.

Styling-

protective styling is a must, especially in the winter. it helps you retain moisture plus it’s easier to maintain. I need something that’s going to be easy to maintain. Mostly because I’m a little lazy.

  • pick the right protective style- the two most popular styles are braid outs and twists outs. i used to do braid outs a lot until one of my friends twisted my hair and I saw how much less shedding I had. After that, I pretty much only do twists or twist outs.
  • Once a week I wash, deep condition and style my hair. I do twists of some sort. How I style the twists depends on if I’d like to wear it down or not- I’ll do flat twists if I want to wear it down. I like flat twists because the root is twisted so it’s easier to get through.
  • Normally i leave the flat twist in for a day or so then untwist it. I moisturize my hair every day.

Moisture-

Normally I do the LOC method, but I read that doing the LCO method reduces frizz so I plan on trying that out.

  • Liquid/Leave-In- I use water and peppermint oil first (they’re mixed in my spray bottle; Leave-In- I use Miss Jessie’s Leave In Condish
  • Cream- I use Cantu’s Coconut Creme and Camille Rose’s Curlaide
  • Oil- I use OGX coconut milk, shea butter and avocado oil.

my main tips-

  • wash and deep condition weekly
  • protective style
  • drink lots of water! at least half your body weight
  • use satin ponytail holders and bonnets
  • also use a satin pillow case
  • be gentle while combing your hair

this is the amount of shedding I had after eight days of no combing (i don’t comb my hair when it’s twisted, I had it in a twisted style for two days, then wore a turban for three (i put a bonnet on underneath to keep my hair protected from the turban), and then wore it different ponytail styles for three days.

make sure you’re following my blogging instagram- mayahn24

regime

Having a steady hair care regime is essential. Especially during times of the year like this- I have a two weeks of classes left and lots to still get done. So I’ve been protective styling this past week so that life is a little bit easier. Ill take you all through my last week to explain what happened, how it happened and the great news I have to share! 

  • Friday

Friday night I decided to wash my hair. It had been about a week since I co-washed, which considering I was styling my hair daily that’s really long for me. Normally if I’m braiding and unbraiding and styling my hair, I try to co-wash at least once in between my weekend washes, so that I don’t have too much product build up. I just didn’t have time that week, so I waited until Friday. I used Shea Moisture’s Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow and Restore shampoo (which removes build-up and balances hairs pH levels), OGX Biotin and Collagen Shampoo (it’s sulfate free and really makes my hair so moisturized) and Shea Moisture’s Coconut and Hibscicus Co-Wash. For the first time I used Shea Moisture’s Superfruit Complex 10 in 1 Renewal System as my deep conditioner (I did sit under the drier for like thirty minutes). I rinsed it out (with cold water), then did the LOC method (I’ll do an update LOC method post soon!), and braided my hair. 

  • Monday

Monday morning I unbraided my hair, after making sure I oiled and spritzed my hair every day. I also used Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Butter Complex Moisture Retention Conditioner (which can work as a leave in too) and Ecostyler Gel (Argan Oil). I use water, then the conditioner then the gel to slick my hair down. But on Monday I wore my hair up in two buns, so I undid my braids and sprayed the hair and added leave in before I combed it out. 


this is how much hair came out. I was shocked and very happy.

  • Monday evening

One of my friends twisted my hair Monday night. So I co-washed, and used a deep conditioner as a regular conditioner (meaning I had the shower cap on while i was in the shower but I didn’t sit under my drier). 

This is how much hair came out after washing. I was also very happy. 

  • Everyday process from Tuesday until now

Every day I spray my twists down and use a little oil. Every couple days I do the LOC method, and make sure that I sleep with a bonnet and a satin pillow case (luckily with my hair like this, my bonnet actually stays on). Today I will be taking my twists down and probably getting it braided tonight. 

My advice to all of you: when you’re busy protective style. It makes life so much easier when you don’t have to really worry about your hairs health. Yes you will still need to water your hair and add some oil and stuff but that’s not time consuming. Take care of your hair- especially when you’re busy! 

shea butter, hair care and braids 

Winter weather is harsher for hair. This is the most important time of the year to practice good hair care tips. Below I have a few personal stories and sale details!

  • Braids

As of right now my hair is in ten braids. My roommate braided it last Sunday and they’re honestly looking better than they ever have. I saw some post on instagram and this woman mentioned that she did her daughters braids two weeks before and since she did the LOC method prior to braiding, her daughters braids were still moisturized. And after I saw this I stumbled across the instagram page of (sosheargenius), a hair stylist who mentioned in one of her posts about how pre-weave installation she used Jamaican black castor oil to moisturize braids. So after I got my hair braided, I just continued to oil my scalp, not adding any water whatsoever. After I found out about the Jamaican black castor oil, I started using it daily. My hair has gotten so soft after use and it feels very moisturized. For nightly protection I use a wrap (to secure my ends), a scarf and then a bonnet (which is optional I just like my pink bonnet). After five days my braids still look brand new! I’m so happy about this. I have had to lay my edges down (which are naturally blond and curly so I’m used to having to do this) and I did have to add a little leave in conditioner (shea moisture leave in from their strength, grow and restore Jamaican black castor oil collection) and Camille Rose Curlaide Moisture Butter to my ends which are seeming a little frail (which is fine it’s probably just time for a trim). Remember that trims are good for your hair! They allow styles to last longer and for you to rep all the benefits of hair growth. My hair appointment with my hair stylist is the 22nd, so I’ll see what’s going on with them then! For now I’m just trying to give them a little extra love and using coconut oil (just a tad bit because it is said to dull your hair in the winter).


Monday (braids done on Sunday)


(Today)

  • Shea Moisture Sale

Until tomorrow, Shea Moisture is having a BOGO 50% off sale at Walgreens! This is huge! I love their Jamaican Black Castor Oil line (especially the leave in and shampoo (which is drying so watch out for that)). I also like their Coconut and Hibiscus Co-wash and curl enhancing smoothie. On their website they have an application that will tell you the best products for your hair type! You should take advantage of this! Also hair products make great holiday gifts!!

  • Hats and Bonnets

Lets face it hats are horrible for your ends. Whenever it snows you put a hat on and there is always that one piece in the back that gets wet (we’ve always been there). I saw something online about wearing a bonnet underneath a hat so I decided to try it. I put my bonnet on and made sure it was covered. To take it off I applied enough pressure where my bonnets edges were to get my bonnet and hat off at the same time. After I didn’t even have hat hair! I’m going to start doing this whenever I wear I hat! There is finally a solution for hat hair!

I hope these tips will help you on your hair journey. If you have any questions please feel free to comment below! I wish you all fabulous hair days and healthy hair!