Crown and Glory 2023!

[ItsMeLilLucky]

Taking these braids down, but I'm so hot and drained. Good thing I started in the back

 

[MzSwift]

OMG, I looked at the calendar today and realized that it's been 3 weeks already! So much has been going on that I didn't realize it.
Currently taking down and redoing the cornrows one-by-one. Loving the low manipulation and easy refresh style.

I was planning to do a fall blowout but I don't think I can be bothered right now w my hair. There's so much going on.
I'll still to these cornrows bc they are working for me and my hair laziness right now.
Doing pull tests and I'm still happy about my progress so far. I need to get more regular with my DCs. I can work on that while I"m in this style without too much of a setback bc my hair is braided away.
Can't wait to see what it looks like at the EOTY!

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

These are my braidssss, I am feeling myself

They're in a claw clip, ponytail or bun most of the time.

 

[Prettymetty]

Hello Ladies,

This year my goal is MBL. I am currently relaxed but I may be transitioning not sure yet. I want to wear braids for six weeks. Daily spraying with water, scurl or braid spray ( choose what works for you). Weekly I will sit down and thoroughly moisturize my hair personally I will be using several products I really like a water based moisturizer. I will seal with EVOO or grease. If you want to wash your hair in braids occasionally you can. I do. Then after six weeks I will take down shampoo, condition and deep condition with a product like CHOLESTEROL. I may splurge for Olaplex products! I will also occasionally do a Aphogee two step. I am also going to wear my own hair out for one week to ten days. Then I will repeat this process throughout the year. We can share pics when our hair is out of braids. I plan to be very consistent in 2023! Let me know if you would like to join! Please explain your plan. HHG!

Sounds amazing! I definitely would like to participate, but I have to find a braider I can trust first. My hair is still recovering from breakage in 2021. I got jumbo knotless braids. They were beautiful, but my hair broke off about 10-12 inches in some places. It could’ve been the tension on my fine strands or the molding process

 

[MzSwift]

@ItsMeLilLucky

OMG!! Yesss!! You have every reason to be feeling yourself!
Your braids are looking GREAT!

And that's exactly why I texlax bc shrinkage was not letting me enjoy the length of my braids.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

@MzSwift Aww thank you Swifty

 

[abioni]

These are my braidssss, I am feeling myself

They're in a claw clip, ponytail or bun most of the time.

It's very nice. How long did it take to put in? How long do you wear it? Does it get tangled from wearing and washing it? I'm worried about the take down since extensions are not added.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

It's very nice. How long did it take to put in? How long do you wear it? Does it get tangled from wearing and washing it? I'm worried about the take down since extensions are not added.

Thank you!
-It would take a normal person a few hours but in Lucky time they took a few days.
-I wear them until I get tired of them. Sometimes a month, sometimes two.
-no they don't get tangled because i don't install them tight, I actually braid kinda loose, plus my hair is lightly relaxed. That's actually how I stretched my relaxer for an entire year.

 

[MzSwift]

Finally finished rebraiding my cornrows yesterday.
Took them down and rebraided them one by one.
Finger detangled and desheded.

I think the smaller cornrows are the sweet spot for me and this hair laziness. They allow me stretch 3 weeks in between refreshening the style. I have been pretty much cornrowed since April and I'm loving it! I think this may be permanent for me. Just take down my hair to wear it out for a special occasion and then braid it back up.

Once it's longer, I'll throw in my trusty mini braids. They just haven't been making me happy while my hair is shorter than BSB. I think I'll pick them back up once I reach MBL again and alternate between cornrows and those.

 

[Prettyeyes]

Getting crochet braids tomorrow!

 

[Prettyeyes]

Tonight i am doing a hot oil treatment

 

[MzSwift]

Still rocking the cornrows. I did an informal check-in last week and I'm making pretty good progress. Can't wait to get back to MBL.
I should be hitting it next year and hopefully WL as well.

Cornrows, Ayurveda, MT and visualizing my way back to WL!

 

[Godsdaughter001]

So, unfortunately I had a set back with the faux locs. I should have kept the weave in! Instead of doing them myself, I let someone else do them "professionally". Now I remember why I don't like to let other people do my hair. So, the front of my hair used to reach in the middle of my chest. After taking down the faux locs, it's now at the bottom of my chin and looks like it's thinned. The back of my hair went from BSB to APL. I just took them down the last week of May. I was very bummed out and down about this. But, I'm back being optimistic. This is not the first set back I have had and I know what to do to get my hair health back.

So now I've had my hair out wearing wet buns and I will do that until the end of the month. I'll be back doing the C&G in July. I'll get some box braids and wet my hair daily and seal with rice bran/jojoba/wheatgerm oil.

Hi Ladies,
I'm back from my hiatus. I just got my large knotless braids in and will keep them in for about 6 weeks. I'm going to be spraying my hair daily with aloe vera juice and rice bran/jojoba/wheatgerm oil (I put the oil inside the spray bottle with the aloe vera juice).

Glad to be back! How is everyone?

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

@Godsdaughter001 Welcome back darling! Braids are beautiful, and life is life

I'm currently stressing myself out taking these braids out cause they're so tiny. I do this to myself every time. Guess I'm a glutton for punishment lol.

 

[MzSwift]

Hi Ladies,
I'm back from my hiatus. I just got my large knotless braids in and will keep them in for about 6 weeks. I'm going to be spraying my hair daily with aloe vera juice and rice bran/jojoba/wheatgerm oil (I put the oil inside the spray bottle with the aloe vera juice).

Glad to be back! How is everyone?

Sounds like a good plan! I hope you're recovering from your setback well.

I'm rolling along w these cornrows. I never thought I'd be this person but I am, lol, at least until my hair gets long enough for me to alternate in some minibraids. I started the year at SL and my goal was to reach BSB by the EOTY. I think I'm on track for that. GHEing my cornrows, I feel, has been key to me having some extra growth this year. And keeping my hair in cornrows is helping me to retain the extra growth. That's why I think your plan to water your hair daily is gonna be good for you too! Especially while in a PS.

 

[MzSwift]

@Godsdaughter001 Welcome back darling! Braids are beautiful, and life is life

I'm currently stressing myself out taking these braids out cause they're so tiny. I do this to myself every time. Guess I'm a glutton for punishment lol.

Lol! Ma'am, I hope you're only doing this for your upcoming birthday!

You've been seeing some good retention! Are you planning to go back to them after your birthday celebration?

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

Lol! Ma'am, I hope you're only doing this for your upcoming birthday!

You've been seeing some good retention! Are you planning to go back to them after your birthday celebration?

That's the only reason why I'm taking them out because of my birthday lol

You're so totally right, I have been seeing some good retention, it's so easy to braid and put away. It's helpful for whenever I get the sads and don't feel like doing my hair. I was thinking about going back to them, but I need to hype myself up to do them lol. I might do cornrows in the meantime until I feel like doing them.

 

[Napp]

I have been braided up since august. I got spring twists and kept them for 6 weeks then converted them to minibraids with no added hair. I keep them in two flat twists pinned up. Idc how they look. I have no time for my hair anymore with my new job. So far they are two weeks old and I’ve washed them once and heavily moisturize them daily so they look old and some have fallen out. I plan on redoing this set and keeping these parts until November until my bday. Then I will straighten and trim. After that I will keep it straight for a while and then put in passion twists to lead to next year. Braids and twist really have been working for me while I work on my career and live my life

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

@Napp Girl you better live your life! I love that for you

 

[MzSwift]

That's the only reason why I'm taking them out because of my birthday lol

You're so totally right, I have been seeing some good retention, it's so easy to braid and put away. It's helpful for whenever I get the sads and don't feel like doing my hair. I was thinking about going back to them, but I need to hype myself up to do them lol. I might do cornrows in the meantime until I feel like doing them.

I'm so late responding to this but ooh yes, do the cornrows! Then you can slowly convert them into mini braids when you're ready, row by row, using the same parts! That was my hair life for a few years, alternating between those two styles and throwing in a braidout here or there and I saw really good retention.

 

[MzSwift]

I have been braided up since august. I got spring twists and kept them for 6 weeks then converted them to minibraids with no added hair. I keep them in two flat twists pinned up. Idc how they look. I have no time for my hair anymore with my new job. So far they are two weeks old and I’ve washed them once and heavily moisturize them daily so they look old and some have fallen out. I plan on redoing this set and keeping these parts until November until my bday. Then I will straighten and trim. After that I will keep it straight for a while and then put in passion twists to lead to next year. Braids and twist really have been working for me while I work on my career and live my life

I'm so happy to hear that!
I don't remember why you stopped being a straight haired natural but it seemed to fit you so well when you were doing it. I used to love reading your posts and product recs bc I was considering using heat to stretch my relaxers. Did you suffer a setback?

Because I could totally see you rocking straight in the cool, dry weather and then Crown and Glory during cold and/or wet seasons!

 

[Napp]

I'm so happy to hear that!
I don't remember why you stopped being a straight haired natural but it seemed to fit you so well when you were doing it. I used to love reading your posts and product recs bc I was considering using heat to stretch my relaxers. Did you suffer a setback?

Because I could totally see you rocking straight in the cool, dry weather and then Crown and Glory during cold and/or wet seasons!

that’s what I’m thinking but I need to perfect my straight hair routine again! A lot of my favorites aren’t made anymore!

I ended up using a strong keratin treatment and it made my hair bone straight. But then I moved to Florida and NG came in and couldn’t do the flat ironed hair anymore. So I big chopped and it had been short for a while until I found hair Botox and I loved it but I ended up over processing my hair.

I now know if I left it alone my hair would have reverted back but I freaked out and went to a curly hair stylist. She didn’t know how to define keratin treated curls so she said my hair was damaged and cut all of it off. It was very thick and full though. The curls just needed to be defined with a brush vs raking and smoothing.

So I wore wash and goes for a while until it got too much and put another Botox in my hair. Which I loved again but I noticed I wasn’t really retaining length with all of the wash and goes so I decided to grow it out and go chemical free.

I might go back to the chemicals if I decide to stay a heat straightened though because it makes everything easier and I’ll still have enough texture for braids with my own hair in the summer. I wanted to do twists but my hair just doesn’t look good in twists and they tangle easier. They look best with added twist hair and I don’t need to be natural to add twist hair. I prefer braids on my own hair anyway.

I plan on going 2 years post keratin to see how my natural hair is before I decide to go back to the chemicals. I was planning on using the naked assuage or the hair cauterization which doesn’t break the bonds in the hair. The I will be wearing it straight most of the time except the summer.

Sorry for the long explanation but that’s pretty much what happened to my hair lol

 

[Fine 4s]

I'm here for some glueless wig recommendations! Need to correct this damage and broken hairs and braiding up until the summer hits.

 

[MzSwift]

I'm hear for some glueless wig recommendations! Need to correct this damage and broken hairs and braiding up until the summer hits.

This thread might have to some good recs!

Wig, Weave and Ponytail Challenge 2022-2024

Its officially wig season! I saw that there was no wig challenge for this year so I decided to make one. I also decided to include weaves and ponytails because they are similar protective styles. (a ponytail is just a small wig!) Join me and post your regimen and some wigs, weave or ponytail...

longhaircareforum.com

 

[Fine 4s]

Thanks Swift!

 

[MzSwift]

Doing C&G this whole year has impressed on me how important it is for the health of my hair to keep it braided up!

All year, I've alternated between cornrows and mini braid/twists. I haven't worn my hair out once. I started the year at SL and I'm ending the year very close to BSB. I will do an impromtpu pull down test at the EOTY while I'm transitioning this set of minis into cornrows to start the year.

 

[MzSwift]

So I ended up transitioning my mini braids to cornrows early instead of just refreshing them. They were in 4 weeks and 2 days. I loved them so much I couldn't keep my hands out of them, so they had to go. lol

I can't believe how relieved I feel to have my hair back in cornrows! What a weird hair phase I'm going thru. But I'm on a serious growth mission so anything that presents a set back (like playing in my hair too much) gets addressed quickly.

Still planning to do a quick pull down in a couple of weeks. I'll throw on my length check shirt and do a pull down as I'm refreshing my cornrows. Won't be official but it'll be enough to show my progress.

 

[BonBon]

I did the same - very strict on my regimen since Autumn 2022 and kept in flat twists back to back. I wash in slightly looser twists also, so I never let my hair fully shrink.

Went from BC with a thin patch on the crown to NL-SL, patch mostly filled in.

Planning to do the same next year.

 

[Tangles]

I have been so neglectful of my hair in this last set of braids I'll probably put in a new set at the end of December. It's so dry and brittle. I would like to say I'm going to do better but I never do. I've gained some length, but I'm scared to leave it out because it breaks so easily and I have serious HIH disease. I need some patience with my hair.

 

[MzSwift]

I did the same - very strict on my regimen since Autumn 2022 and kept in flat twists back to back. I wash in slightly looser twists also, so I never let my hair fully shrink.

Went from BC with a thin patch on the crown to NL-SL, patch mostly filled in.

Planning to do the same next year.

Wow, fantastic!
Congratulations! KUTGW!!