Humidity and Protective Style

[Quailbird]

So, I live in very humid place and I am a big protective/low manipulation styler because I don't really care for doing my hair everyday. I've worn twists and braids with my own hair predominantly this year and they've lasted about two weeks before frizzing and I had to redo. And that is with washing. Since I've moved back home, to a different state, my hair is only lasting a week before it looks awful. I am looking for suggestions for getting my style (lately it's been two strand twists) to last longer in the summer heat and humidity and/or a protective style that will last. I don't mind doing my hair every week if that's what I have to do, but I would love to be able to pull two weeks out like I used to be able to. This humidity is crazy. TIA for any and all help!

 

[NikkiQ]

What products are you using on your twists and braid/twist outs?

 

[Quailbird]

I use Giovanni direct leave in and aloe vera juice. I don't really want to add any products to the lineup because I'm not really into putting a lot of product in my hair.

 

[Sunshine_One]

I feel your pain...dealing with the same issue. I know you said you prefer minimal product but to counteract humidity, IMO product is KEY. I suggest you try adding a light weight gel on top of the Giovanni Direct to provide more hold. This will help to prolong your styles.

Two I currently have in rotation are:

LaBella Lot's of Curls (has natural ingredients)

IC Fantasia Olive Oil (has the lightest hold of the IC gels IMO)

HTH

 

[Quailbird]

Bump...I know somebody has some good style recommendations.

 

[Nonie]

How do you twist? I ask because when wearing twists, I tend to cowash more frequently which means my hair is wet a lot more often, kinda like it'd be if I were hanging out by a swamp. So humidity doesn't bother me at all.

These twists have been CW'd almost every day in order to be worn down:

The only time I don't CW is if I have my twists in some type of updo like here:

You can see a bit of fuzz^ but it doesn't bother me and every morning when I take off my plastic wrap, the fuzz is usually flattened from baggying so that pic is just a "later in the day" pic but IRL the hair looked fairly neat. I wore that for a whole week.

This is a close-up of 4 weeks of twists (8 washes) in the humid summer of 2008:

I ask how you twist because if you twirl each strand first before wrapping it around the other, I don't think humidity or moisture will make much difference to your twists, except just make them shrink and look thicker like here:

 

[Quailbird]

I was doing that and I think you may have a very valid point, Nonie. Totally dismissed that idea. Thanks!

 

[Quailbird]

I took your advice, Nonie. Hopefully my twists last longer because they definitely took longer to do. Here is a closeup of my twists. More pics are in my album.
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