Hello Obssessed,
I currently employ the crown and glory methods to my hair regime since December, 2002. You or your hairdresser parts the hair in medium sized sections and applies single exstensions firmly (not tightly)to individual partings, leave them in for 1-2 months.
During the time braids are worn you must moisturise daily with African Pride braid sheen spray and strengthen them with a leave-in treatment called Infusium 23 Original for damaged/unmanageable hair.
Once a week, wash the hair twice with creme of nature shampoo, diluted in a large cup of warm water. After this wrap towel around braids to soak up extra water.
For conditioning, pour braid spray into plastic bowl, then dip the towel in and wrap it around and press it onto the braids to give the hair enough moisture, next spray infusium on scalp and hair.
After two months, carefully remove braids without damage to hair, your hair is supposed to have some moisturise, not dry/breaking.
To avoid unecessary tangling/breakage during the shampoo, place hair in four large braids/twists then wash with a my hair with clarifying shampoo (the recommended one is Sebastian Laminates Shampoo) to only remove build up (then switch back a week later to normal creme of nature).
Deep condition with the recommended Le kair cholesterol strengthening and conditioning creme for 40-60 minutes with plastic cap, hooded dryer etc, before you wash the conditioner out firstly, detangle each hair section and comb out gently, re-braid sections, finally, rinse out cond. Apply oils/moisturising products. Optionally you could use Robin's ends sealing technique if you ends are shedding, locks in moisture down to the cortex, to prevent furthur shedding/dyness.
Keep hair in protective styles, redoing them once a week for two months. I wear natural bantu knots, cornrows, twists and cover my hair satin scarves, before I go to sleep.
Continue washing and conditioning hair once week and moisturise daily with braid spray/infusium (I tend to use more heavier creamier moisturisers like breakfree).
After the two months your ready to apply exstensions, again.
And this is the whole technique from start to finish.......
Check out my hair results at
www.growafrohairlong.com/denise.html
Here is an email message sent to me, by Robin Woods I hope you find her suggestions helpful.
Hi Denise:
How often would you recommend i wash and deep condition my extended hair?
answer: Once a week. Apply the infusium23 to your scalp after you towel squeeze
the apply the braid spray to the scalp
But....don't add these two to your scalp daily or it will be too complicated to take your braids out.
Daly lightly spray the braid spray....lightly.
No deep conditioning because the conditioner may not come out of your braids because it is thicker than shampoo and adhere to the hair and it could dry it out.
These two products will be enough.
If you slightly wear your hair for two months it may become matted at the base and it may start and become dehydrated especially if you don't have the proper products to last.
If you do decide slightly longer than two months, make sure you shampoo weekly and have enough Infusium 23 and braids spray.
The braids above your ears and in the back (nape of neck area,) monitor them because this is where a lot of build up comes. So, redo them like every three weeks if you have to. This is the part that seems to be the problem area of taking out your extensions.
Good-luck
