Braids & Countdown to D-Day!

Hey guys! I am 2 weeks away from delivery of my little man and I can't wait! Nesting is in full effect and I think we finally got everything in place. Yesterday was unseasonably warm and I enjoyed sitting outside in the sun with the hubby. It's amazing how a little bit of sunshine can brighten your mood and lift your spirits. Spring is definitely on its way!

So on to the hair....

I finally got my hair braided and I am thrilled! Last weekend I remember thinking "I can't do this wash, condition, detangle, twist thing another time!" Luckily, on Saturday I had the pleasure of meeting a really nice young lady who was recommended to me by a co-worker to braid my hair. It took around 12 hours (gasp!) and about 10 pack of hair! I used Kenekelon hair in the color 1B. The price was super reasonable as compared to a braid shop I went to inquiring about prices. One lady took one look at my hair (in a poofy old stretched twist-out) and said "Is that all your hair? Yeah, we're looking at no less than $250." What?!?!?!?!?! Um, no thanks.

So here's how the process went:

Prepping the Hair: I washed and conditioned my hair, applied a creamy leave-in, then put in 10 large twists to dry overnight on Friday. Saturday morning, I got up and took each twist down. I added a little bit of coconut oil and I sprayed a heat protectant. I blew each twisted section out on medium heat. My hair was soft and fluffy and ready to be braided.

Halfway Done: We were about 3 or 4 hours in at this point. The extensions felt super heavy because they hair was really long, like waist-length. It made me think about all the gals out there with waist-length hair goals. I can't imagine having hair that long for real! I think my slightly below BSL is just fine for me!

The final look: So like 12 hours from beginning this was the final product. I was so tired from sitting (although I took many breaks for snacks, bathroom, and stretching). We boiled a pot of water to dip the ends in and that made them super straight and shiny. Now, they can stay loose without unraveling.

I'm not used to having this much hair on my head so I am warming up to the fullness of it. We cut them a few inches so the back is about BSL and the front is a little shorter than that.

I look so tired! But it was worth it :-)

Sleeping, Showering & The Next Day: I pulled the braids low with a large elastic- the regular ones were too small- and I slept on a satin pillow case. It was a little bit uncomfortable but I think it will loosen up over the next few days and sleeping will be easy breezy. Today before I showered, I used one large shower cap and tucked the ponytail under and inside the cap. I had to pull the cap low to cover the bulk of the ponytail so it left the top portion of my hair uncovered. I took a second large plastic cap and put it over the front. So yeah, I double bagged it. Worked just fine!

Sunday, I went to Target to pick up some household items and I grabbed a pack of mini clips in black, brown, and clear. I used a few to pull back the braids away from my face.

Overall, I am very pleased with how they look and feel and the price could not have been beat. I plan to keep them in for about 2 months but we'll see how they look overtime. I purchased two products to use on them in addition to some diluted shampoo for my scalp that I already have. The first product is Elasta QC Feels Like Silk Leave-In H2 Moisture Sealing Conditioner. The second is Fantasia IC Herbal/Vitamin Braid Sheen Spray. I will be using these after I wash weekly or bi-weekly, depending on how my scalp does, as my strengthener and moisturizer.

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So that's it! I'll try to post updates as they age, depending on how much little man let's me sneak away to the Mac!