First of all, I LOVE wooden beads, but I don't have any! These beads are just regular plastic pony beads, but they are the BGP size! I really want some wooden beads that are even larger than these ponies but every time I see them in the store the inside looks so rough! I am thinking those wouldn't be good on the hair.
Second, these twists are TWO STRAND ROPE TWISTS. I have only played around with three strand twists once or twice, and I didn't think you could really see the difference between two and three strands so I have stuck with two strands. BUT I would be happy to play around with it and make a video some time on how to do three strand twists. If you want a demonstration on how to do the rope looking twists in yesterday's style check this video.
Third, I have been using a mixture of coconut oil and shea butter when I put in twists that I only plan to leave in for a few days. The butter does not really substitute well for a gel, so if I am putting in a style that I want to last I use Taliah Waajid gel. But for these twists I just gave them a good dose of my homemade hair butter.
Fourth, about the ends getting damaged. I do like to work extra amounts of hair butter into the ends of the hair, but that isn't really going to prevent damage that will be done by barrettes and rubber bands. I don't think there is anyway to get around that. I trim V's hair every 4 months or so myself. I just cut off the bit of damage from the ends and then she has healthier and easier to manage hair for a while! If you don't want to cause any damage to the ends, then I would avoid EVER putting any barrettes or bands on the ends. We all do things that cause some amount of damage to our hair for the sake of styling, we just want to be sure to way the good with the bad. I try to go back and forth between beaded and non beaded styles to give V's hair a break. But I can handle a bit of damage done to the ends every now and then. Even with the regular trims I give her, her hair is still getting longer all the time.
I think that answers all of your questions! Thank you for all of the nice comments. V said a lot of people told her that her hair was pretty yesterday! Stay tuned for pics of the new yarn braids I will be getting started first thing tomorrow morning!!!!!
Katie
I have a question for you...
ReplyDeleteI know that using beads, barettes and rubber bands can cause damage, but what if you take them out each night? The longest I leave beads in my daughters hair is usually 3 or 4 days. Do you think it's more damaging to keep her hair in a style, or to redo it every morning?
Oh, and I almost forgot! I have an idea for smooting out the inside of wooden beads.
ReplyDeleteI just get something small enough to fit through the bead (I use my metal rat tail comb) and wrap a small amount of sand paper around it. Then just keep turning the bead around! I've only had to do it once, but it worked.
@Danielle - I really don't see how taking them out at night is preventing any damage. From what I have always been told, and makes sense to me, the LESS that you manipulate the hair the better. So if you are putting the rubber bands on and off and on and off and on and off every day, I think it will cause MORE damage to the hair then to put them on and just leave them alone. I also don't think that leaving the beads and bands on for a week compared to two or three weeks, really makes much difference. What I like to do is, just very my styles so that the beads are in for about a month, and then the hair can rest the next month.
ReplyDelete@Danielle - That's a GREAT idea!
ReplyDelete