Tags
black hair, curly hair, going natural, hair, kinky hair, natural, natural hair, natural hair journey, relaxed to natural
So last night after my deep condition (which I hadn’t done in several months – smh), and co-wash, I tried my hand at my first low manipulation style. I wanted to see if I could even pull of the process of it. I mean, is it going to take a long time doing these styles? Am I going to get frustrated with the time it takes? Will I even be able to do the style? How would I even look, can I pull the look off? Plus I wanted to get a little taste of what my life is going to become. I plan to do mostly low manipulation styles because I can’t where weaves or braids because the tension on my scalp is no bueno around my front edges. I did try a weave once thinking it was going to be different from braids but I had the same problem, cause guess what? I needed braids for the weave! So then I just started wearing half wigs so I could keep my ends out (and of course just relax the front – bad idea). Anywhoo… I just wanted to get a feel for these low manipulation styles that I am going to need to know how to do. So for my very first one I did a bantu knot out.
So that was last night after I did 5 knots. I figured five was a good number. I didn’t need them to small because I still have a head full of relaxer. But I did want them small enough to show me what I look like with shorter hair. So in the morning this is what I ended up with.
Here is my first ever knot out
The first knot out
All the knots are out. Not diggin’ the middle part
So after pulling the knot outs apart and trying to fluff the parts away and blend the hair (to no success), the finished result. Warning: Sorry about the no make-up thing. I don’t like to wear it mostly because it is to time consuming and I like my face to breath. So I know I look bland but hey. Oh and I hate taking photos of myself so that’s why there is no smile.
Side shot. Need to work on blending and fluffing.
It’s so short!
More blending and fluffing to hide the gap from the part.
My Thoughts
The process wasn’t bad. However, I know it will be more time consuming as my new growth comes in. I am going to have to figure out how to tie up my hair at night. I have come up with a better and easier way than I have done in the past, but my satin scarves always still want to slide off? Hm, I wonder, does the satin stay better as our hair gets kinkier (less silky) or am I going to have the same problem in a few months from now? The knots did help it stay in place a little better, but by morning the scarf was all wonky.
Next time I am definitely trying a knot right in the front center of my head. The part has been driving me crazy all day.
My hair was still damp in the morning by the time I took it out (okay, maybe it was mid-day), but by the time I got dressed it had dried and wasn’t to frizzy. I do realize I am going to have to plan and figure out what products to use, if it should be wet or dry, etc. to do these low manipulation styles.
All in all, it wasn’t a bad process and the result, I have to say was not that bad for a first time. Of course there are things I am going to change next time. And it did take almost the day to get used to it. My dad and especially my mom loved the look on me. I wasn’t digging the look at first. It was just to short and to big for me. Most of my life my goal was to get my hair as straight, long, and flat to my head as possible. So for it to be short, curly, and slightly big (for me) was just weird. It grew on me by the end of the day. I like it. I can definitely rock this look. We shall see how I feel about it with some new growth. Next I will try braid outs.
Naturally Tiaja 