Crown and Glory 2023!

[MzSwift]

OK, I've been braided up from Jan to Dec! I've always favored braids so this wasn't a hard challenge for me at all. I alternated between mini braids/twists (no extensions) and straight back cornrows bunned. I surprised myself bc I ended up favoring the cornrows over the mini braids that have been my staple PS for at least a decade!

I didn't see the kind of retention that I'd hoped to see when I started the year. But I did get my usual yearly progress, which is still gonna get me toward my first goal (my avi hair). Maybe I'll get close to it by this December.

I really enjoy not having to think about my hair so I'm gonna keep this up for 2024. In fact, I'm planning to be more hardcore! I'm going to incorporate full PSs by actually covering my cornrows, which isn't something I did this year. I'm hopeful that's gonna get me over my retention hump. We'll see if I'm right, next December.

I hope another C&G challenge is started for next year (or this one gets extended). Otherwise, I'll just keep doing my own personal solo HYH challenge.

So here's my 2023 progress:

I attribute C&G along with Ayurveda for the overall improvement in the quality of my hair.

Dec 2022


Dec 2023

 

[Tangles]

OK, I've been braided up from Jan to Dec! I've always favored braids so this wasn't a hard challenge for me at all. I alternated between mini braids/twists (no extensions) and straight back cornrows bunned. I surprised myself bc I ended up favoring the cornrows over the mini braids that have been my staple PS for at least a decade!

I didn't see the kind of retention that I'd hoped to see when I started the year. But I did get my usual yearly progress, which is still gonna get me toward my first goal (my avi hair). Maybe I'll get close to it by this December.

I really enjoy not having to think about my hair so I'm gonna keep this up for 2024. In fact, I'm planning to be more hardcore! I'm going to incorporate full PSs by actually covering my cornrows, which isn't something I did this year. I'm hopeful that's gonna get me over my retention hump. We'll see if I'm right, next December.

I hope another C&G challenge is started for next year (or this one gets extended). Otherwise, I'll just keep doing my own personal solo HYH challenge.

So here's my 2023 progress:

I attribute C&G along with Ayurveda for the overall improvement in the quality of my hair.

Dec 2022
View attachment 493527

Dec 2023
View attachment 493529

Wow! It's beautiful! I hope to be at APL+ this time next year using this method.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

@MzSwift Okay, dangggg Swifty I see you girl!!!

 

[MzSwift]

Alright, all braided up for my wig!! Once my braids dry, I'll sew on my wig. I plan to wash and DC my braids in two weeks. If they look good, I'll keep them in for another two weeks. That would be the longest I've ever left in a set of cornrows!

 

[MzSwift]

Whohoo! OK, wig is secured. I ended up doing a pixie wig bc the curly ones are just too much for me right now. lol



It's not styled yet bc I'm getting ready to just put my satin scarf back over it. I'm staying in today. lol

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

@MzSwift This how I know I'm raggedy, I thought it looked cute already

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

You make me kinda want a pixie wig. Those braids look

 

[MzSwift]

You make me kinda want a pixie wig. Those braids look

I bought 4 of them off of Amazon. lol

 

[MzSwift]

Wow! It's beautiful! I hope to be at APL+ this time next year using this method.

Thank you!

You can do it!! Keep focused on your end goal and you'll get there - no problem!

 

[MzSwift]

OK, so I ended up taking off the wig after 5 days bc my scalp was screaming!! Apparently, I need to wet my scalp daily. I kept the weaving cap on so the braids were preserved and I just pinned on my wig when I needed to go out. At home, my hair stayed under a satin skull cap and scarf. I actually lasted 4 weeks!!! I'm so proud of myself! I realize, like the weave ladies said all along, reducing manipulation helps to preserve the braids. So I mixed my scalp oil half and half with water in a bottle with a pointed tip. I squirted that onto my scalp and then just used my bound hair to press it in to absorb into my scalp. My scalp was happy with that.

I also stuck with only washing biweekly AND I threw in a DC after each wash! I think that's gonna pay me some hair dividends and I'm excited!

As I expected, taking down my cornrows results in too many tangles bc I'm just not a good braider. lol. Also, my hair is getting longer so the ends tangle if I don't unravel it properly. I was gonna do plaits instead but I needed a style I could wear out and "Celie braids" are NOT it. So I am moving forward with rocking minibraids/twists (no extensions) as my "base" for C&G. I'm still doing a personal HYH. I will keep a weaving cap over the minibraids but I won't sew it down. I have at least 3 occasions this month where I will have to wear my hair out. I'll also be traveling and I am NOT rocking a wig through TSA so I need to be able to rock the mini braids out and look decent.

The only thing I'm worried about is that I will be increasing my use of a blow dryer. I wlll be blow drying my hair for each new install (once a quarter) and I'm hoping that doesn't create broken hairs. I trimmed/cut my hair at the beginning of the year so I hope that helps. Overall though, my hair seems to LOVE heat. It feels so happy and healthy after I blow dry. But that could also be bc I don't do it often...

For February,
I'm gonna keep up with the watered down scalp mix.
I'm gonna keep using the weaving cap to minimize manipulation
I'm gonna stick with biweekly wash, AND DC w heat after each wash.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

I don't blame you, I wouldn't be wearing a wig though TSA either lol

 

[MzSwift]

I installed minibraids on 1/30 and took them down on 2/28. So they were in for a month. That's good for me. Now that the big events are pretty much over, I wanted to go back to straight back cornrows but I'm trying to avoid the tangles. So I decided to try plait rows (?) where I put in lots of plaits and connected them going straight back in rows. I'm hoping that this will make take down a lot easier for me with less tangles. I hope to keep them in for 2-3 weeks. They are definitely tighter than my cornrows so I'm hoping that my roots are stretched pretty well to avoid matting and tangles. They're not cute but they work and I only had to do 4 rows! I could not get away with that with cornrows.

Halway done


Completed


So if this experiment works out, I'm gonna just refresh and rock these all year (except when I texlax). Hopefully this will be the C&G style that I can stick with.

I'm so happy to have my ends protected again!! And wow, my row tails are getting longer!! I had DH do a pull test and I'm back to BSB, woohoo!!
I look forward to getting some length back this year. I butchered my hair on Jan 1st when I pretty much did a 2-3 in cut instead of trim. lol.

 

[MzSwift]

Alright, I'm coming up on a week in the plait-rows. I've washed them about 3-4 times. I lost count, got a lot going on. They're in pretty good shape but ready to be redone. This is to be expected bc it's only 4 rows. They've held up 2x better than 4 cornrows would have and the take down is so much easier! no fuss! They definitely take longer to install though.

So now that I'm getting length back, every time my hair is out, DH comments on my hair. He says it's so pretty and he loves it when it's out. I was really hoping to go hardcore with the cornrows this year but he says he misses seeing my hair. Well gosh, I can't deny the man this pleasure (profusely batting my eyelashes)!! I've been debating between just installing more cornrows so that we both can be pleasantly surprised by my length when I take them down or putting in mini braids. I think I made up my mind just typing this all out. Thanks for being such good listeners, ladies.

I'm gonna install mini braids twists!! I usually do mini braids that are 50-80% twisted bc the braided roots last better but I want to try twists. My hair is texlaxed so it still has some texture. I'm hoping twists will make it easier to maintain and refresh them instead of braiding the roots. I also wonder if I'll have less build up at the roots

 

[MzSwift]

Day 5 in the twists and they look like they've been in for 2 months.



Going back to cornrows some time soon. I will need to just take my time and be even more careful when I take them down.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

Day 5 in the twists and they look like they've been in for 2 months.



Going back to cornrows some time soon. I will need to just take my time and be even more careful when I take them down.

Day 5? Man your hair did not waste any time
I have 3 cornrows I need to take down. I'm hoping I still have hair on my head at the end of it lol,
I need to do a hard protein treatment.

 

[MzSwift]

Day 5? Man your hair did not waste any time
I have 3 cornrows I need to take down. I'm hoping I still have hair on my head at the end of it lol,
I need to do a hard protein treatment.

Cuz... it's crazy.

I'm definitely going back into cornrows bc I just love lazy hair right now and anything loose or semi-loose is more work than I want to deal with!

And call me crazy but I feel like the tension from braids (cornrows or even braided roots twists) seems to calm me. I guess as long as my roots are restrained, then they can't tangle too much. That's why I don't like to accumulate a lot of new growth, too much room for my roots to try and marry. I need them to stay single!

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

@MzSwift I will not call you crazy cause I feel the same way My hair (and scalp) are the same way, but it's only cause my scalp LOVE air (when it's warm outside). Like an obsessive amount. It's crazy.

 

[MzSwift]

Janky cornrows are back!! (sorry, Babe)



I feel so relieved! Again, I used to love mini braids and twists but they cause me to play in my hair way too much and I'm on a serious growth effort now. Happy to have easy access to my scalp for cleansing and applying my tonics. I oiled and then rubber banded the ends of my tails together so it forms a "V" when hanging and I tuck that under and then fold again to make a neat little bun in the back. My tails are definitely APL!

I'm supposed to relax at the end of April but I'm so inclined to just leave my darn hair alone.

 

[Bette Davis Eyes]

Ive been doing this since November 2023 with Wigs. I'm about to switch to crochet braids. I plan on keeping them in for 6-8 weeks at a time


Current status of my hair .

 

[Bette Davis Eyes]

Crochet is in.

 

[MzSwift]

Crochet is in.

I love the color! It looks great on you!

 

[Bette Davis Eyes]

Thank you @MzSwift

 

[Bette Davis Eyes]

This hair is too soft to stay long. I don't anticipate it staying in longer than 3 weeks, if that. I'm going to try and hold out. I picked up the braiding hair instead of the crochet hair. I ordered some crochet hair from the same brand but they didnt have the same colors.


If I have to take the hair out , I wont have to take my braids down. Just remove the added hair and re-add the new hair.

 

[MzSwift]

Right! And 3 weeks is still a really good run anyway.

 

[MzSwift]

Last Thurs:


Freshly braided and scalp oiled

Last night, one week later:



Freshly washed and DC'd, scalp oiled.

ONE week!!
This is why I kept thinking last year that I was gonna have more growth than I did. lol. I can't even get a week out of my braids that stay under a satin skull cap and bandana all day, just about everyday!

I incorporated Fenugreek sprout rinses and I'm holding out before I credit the rinses with that. I did cleanse my hair 2-3 times, I didn't keep track, and that also usually causes my cornrows to look worn sooner. BUT this is what I wanted. When I reduced my cleansing to once a week or so, I barely saw any new growth. This style means nothing to me, give me the growth!!

And my cleanser is sooo, . My scalp tingles when I use it and my hair feels sooo good, unlike when I use shampoo.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

@MzSwift Oooh, what cleanser makes your scalp feel like it chewed 5 gum?

 

[MzSwift]

@MzSwift Oooh, what cleanser makes your scalp feel like it chewed 5 gum?

Oh sorry, cuz, I mix up my own cleanser in a used condish bottle.
Ayurveda cleansing powders + water and condish + Castile soap + lemon and peppermint EOs
Shikakai
Neem
Nettle
Horsetail
1-2 tsp of each powder
Fill 1/3 with very hot tap water (or boiled water)
Shake
Fill to about 80% with any cheapie MOISTURIZING condish.
Shake
Fill to about 99% with Castile soap (I use lavender and peppermint Castile soaps)
5-6 drops of lemon EO
10-20 drops of peppermint EO
turn upside down a few times but don't shake too much

I love to use it when it's freshly done and warm.

I could even see someone throwing in some rosemary EO but I stay away from that once I learned that it could raise blood pressure.

 

[Bette Davis Eyes]

getting my two week old crochet braids taken down and new hair installed.

not taking my cornrowed hair out though. I plan on taking my hair down in 4 weeks.

 

[ItsMeLilLucky]

I haven't had this crochet hairstyle up for a week and already I want to take it down and do my mini braids lol

Edit: Correction, it's been 9 days lol I finished it Resurrection Friday (March 29)

 

[MzSwift]

I haven't had this crochet hairstyle up for a week and already I want to take it down and do my mini braids lol

Edit: Correction, it's been 9 days lol I finished it Resurrection Friday (March 29)

I feel you!
Every time I think about installing a crochet style, I just end up rocking the cornrows. lol

I think late fall and leading up to the EOTY/holiday time is when I'm more likely to rock a crochet style.
The air is drier but not as dry as the winter so I won't feel the need to boost moisture as much so the crochet hair won't get all greasy looking.
Until then, I'mma stay in these cornrows and wet them everyday or every other day.