Mini Braid Challenge- Summer 2012

[nakialovesshoes]

So I ended up doing mini's in the back and cornrowing the front for now. It's cute though. But I do plan on finishing this set. The crazy weather has my hair EXTRA dry so I'm going to be baggying this set and paying LOTS of attention to my ends so that I'm retaining length.

NaeChail - guess we're hairtwins. That's how I'm wearing my hair now. My minis are a few days shy of being 4 weeks old & my cornrows are almost 2 weeks old. I will start my take down soon b/c I'm going out of town for the weekend. I wanted to do something different but I love this style so much I just don't know.

It was Skala conditioner and water. I liked the way it kept a creamy consistency even when diluted. I'm all out of my bandwagon stash so I added some Aussie Moist and more water. I'm cutting out cones eventually so I'm trying to use up the old stash of cheapie conditioners.

manter26 I gave away alot of Skala recently. I used to love it when I had chemicals but since I'm on a cone free mission as a natural it didn't fit into my routine. I had several jars of the Fruit Cocktail, Aloe & Ceramides DC mask left.

On another note, I recently purchased a liter of Oyin Honey hemp. Currently I'm mixing it w/my Giovanni LI just to use the Giovanni up. Once the Giovanni is finished, I will be using the Oyin exclusively (CWing, DCing & as a LI). Since I henna once a month when I do my take down, I'm just going to use Komaza's olive oil DC for my extra moisturizing DC.

I want to keep my products to a minimum if possible. I'm trying to stick to what works & not add much.

Just curious, but does anyone know what they're spending monthly on products?

 

[manter26]

^I don't buy much. I'm not a wasteful person. I have to finish stuff. In the past 3 months I think I bought 1 jar of LeKair for $1.93. I am however, about to go crazy at Sally's. I'm kinda scared to look at my cart. I have a gift certificate but I know I've spent over the $15 I have on it.

Only when I finish one product, will I buy another...and I have no need or urge to run out and get something. If I pass by something I've researched, I might pick it up.

 

[lamaria211]

NaeChail - guess we're hairtwins. That's how I'm wearing my hair now. My minis are a few days shy of being 4 weeks old & my cornrows are almost 2 weeks old. I will start my take down soon b/c I'm going out of town for the weekend. I wanted to do something different but I love this style so much I just don't know.

manter26 I gave away alot of Skala recently. I used to love it when I had chemicals but since I'm on a cone free mission as a natural it didn't fit into my routine. I had several jars of the Fruit Cocktail, Aloe & Ceramides DC mask left.

On another note, I recently purchased a liter of Oyin Honey hemp. Currently I'm mixing it w/my Giovanni LI just to use the Giovanni up. Once the Giovanni is finished, I will be using the Oyin exclusively (CWing, DCing & as a LI). Since I henna once a month when I do my take down, I'm just going to use Komaza's olive oil DC for my extra moisturizing DC.

I want to keep my products to a minimum if possible. I'm trying to stick to what works & not add much.

Just curious, but does anyone know what they're spending monthly on products?

What im spending . I could answer you but im to embarrassed
But I have not bought anything in a whole month and I will continue to not buy until ive used 75% of my stash

 

[NaeChail]

@NaeChail - guess we're hairtwins. That's how I'm wearing my hair now. My minis are a few days shy of being 4 weeks old & my cornrows are almost 2 weeks old. I will start my take down soon b/c I'm going out of town for the weekend. I wanted to do something different but I love this style so much I just don't know.



@manter26 I gave away alot of Skala recently. I used to love it when I had chemicals but since I'm on a cone free mission as a natural it didn't fit into my routine. I had several jars of the Fruit Cocktail, Aloe & Ceramides DC mask left.

On another note, I recently purchased a liter of Oyin Honey hemp. Currently I'm mixing it w/my Giovanni LI just to use the Giovanni up. Once the Giovanni is finished, I will be using the Oyin exclusively (CWing, DCing & as a LI). Since I henna once a month when I do my take down, I'm just going to use Komaza's olive oil DC for my extra moisturizing DC.

I want to keep my products to a minimum if possible. I'm trying to stick to what works & not add much.

Just curious, but does anyone know what they're spending monthly on products?

Hey twin lol!

And I'm not spending much of anything which is AMAZEBALLS for me lol . My lil broke self spends entirely too much on hair products. But since wearing my minis, I haven't bought anything. Using the products I already have.

 

[NaeChail]

Funny story about that too...so I usually do buy tons of products and have been known to run trhough BSS weave regularly lol. So I had my copy of the ebook and I hadn't printed it until 2 days ago (I'd peek at it on my ipad). My car was in the shop and I'd borrowed my bf's car and I had it with me and left it on the seat when I got out. So last night he pops in the room like "Aha!" I was like erplexed "whaaat?" He goes "That's what you been up to!" and holds up the printed copy of the book! He read it!!! I thought it was cute lol.

 

[yorkpatties]

Checking in:

My minis have done well my entire 2 week vacay from work. So glad they were in prior to my break! I kept is so simple; lots of rinsing/cowashing and sealing with oil, shaking and done. I am not using any growth aids, no hair supplements, but I was spraying my braids with a combination of chamomile tea and lemon juice before talking my daily walks to the promenade during my vacay. I didn't notice any color changes until I began to look at the braids I'd take down to re-braid. I was surprised at the lightened color because it's not too noticeable in the braids or with moist hair; I was rinsing two times a day in the shower and sealing with kinky curly's hair oil. The frequent rinsing and no stretching made my ends really curl up and most people thought I had twists in and a few thought I was in the process of locking my hair. My hair is neck length but the shrinkage from the rinsing made my braids look a lot shorter. I would just plop on a Sue Maesta headband, put on my hoops and bounce. Got a lot of compliments too, a lot. That surprised me I'm not trying to make my hair look like anything other than whatever the hell it wants to look like right now. Back to work now and the minis are working under my wig too. As much as I used to wear box braids and micros years ago I wish I had tried them with my natural hair back then. It would have saved me SO much money and stress!

 

[Lilmama1011]

Any relaxed ladies doing this and how do you keep your ends from unraveling and I'm talking bout without extensions

 

[manter26]

Any relaxed ladies doing this and how do you keep your ends from unraveling and I'm talking bout without extensions

pelohello is transitioning, I believe she has enough relaxed ends to qualify. She can chime in but she uses a product with wax in it on her ends.

I've also written an article on preventing unravelling ends on my blog here:
http://minibraidmethod.com/2012/06/how-to-help-my-braids-are-unraveling/

 

[nakialovesshoes]

I took my last 2 mini braids in the back out this morning. I had been taking them out since Monday night. I'm going to ask her to make them a little larger this time. They were way too small. It wasn't a problem where my hair is softer because most of them had unraveled about half way. But in the center where my hair is much more coarser, the braids were still braided to the end & it took forever to get them all out.

I'm going out of town this weekend & I don't know if I'm going to have time to get my hair redone before I leave. If not, I'll have to get it done Tuesday after I get back.

I'm thinking about going to the Oyin store while I'm in Maryland. I love their online vibe.

 

[lamaria211]

My minis are going on 3 weeks, im shooting for 5 then ill redo them. I cw this morning and sealed with coconut oil now theyre in a bun

 

[lucy]

I love this, but the ladies who arent self-braiding, where exactly are you getting them done? My hair is pretty short, but Id love to try this.

 

[nakialovesshoes]

I love this, but the ladies who arent self-braiding, where exactly are you getting them done? My hair is pretty short, but Id love to try this.

lucy
1st I was going to a girl I found on Craigslist. Then I found a girl in Marshall's. Her daughter's hair was braided so cute. I started talking to her & she agreed to do my hair.

 

[Nubenap22]

I love this, but the ladies who arent self-braiding, where exactly are you getting them done? My hair is pretty short, but Id love to try this.

I'm lucky to have a classmate that does it for me. We chill or study and get it done!
For the free or pay for her pedicure (20-30 dollars)

Only because I couldn't...and wouldn't do it myself!

 

[lamaria211]

Does anyone use twisting creams when doing their minis?

 

[BlackDiamond21]

Going to try this this weekend Will post pics if I successful!

 

[manter26]

I'm almost done undoing my braids. I want to go curly girl now. I just found out my precious LeKair Cholesterol is CG approved. Anything I have left with cones, I'll just use when flat ironing. My final decision was made when I read that the cones in conditioners are similar to caulking in bathrooms...

All that to say, I won't put any more braids in this summer. I'm wearing wng's and out styles to see if CG is the way to go.

 

[manter26]

Finished taking all my braids out. Took about 6 days, I think. Here's the run down with pics...

final update from my blog (this was a slow growing area <1" in 8 weeks)

twisted up loose sections as I worked

took all those twists out then finger detangled it all with a mix of conditioner + water

I clarified with suave shampoo then washed again with VO5 sulfate shampoo- I don't usually do a second shampoo but as I mentioned, I'd been using sulphur products and the smell clung to my hair.

I followed with bentonite clay

then i used giovanni nutrafix to balance out my hair. I rinsed completely. I used tresemme naturals as a styler and diffused to see how it would turn out. I liked it but it was kinda slimey feeling all day. I guess I used way too much.

That's it for my summer braids! I think I'll go mid-August to mid October but make them a little larger next time. How's everyone else doing?

source

 

[nakialovesshoes]

I took my mini braids out in the back last week. It took me a little over a day to take them all out. I ended up not having enough time to get them redone before I went out of town so I kept the cornrows in the front & sported a W&G in the back.

I took the cornrows out last night & am planning to get my entire head redone in the next couple of days. I truly miss my braids. It is so hard to keep my hair moisturized when it's all out. I don't know what I'm going to do when I finally reach my length goals.

 

[ladyscorpian14]

will they be a fall/winter challenge?

 

[manter26]

will they be a fall/winter challenge?

Perhaps, I'll have to see what the interest is like for a new challenge.

 

[Guinan]

I would luv a winter challenge. I should have enough new growth to participate.

 

[NaeChail]

I miss my hair OUT out. But I'm loving the ease of styling in the mini braids...not to mention when I think about how much they're going to help me retain I get excited. I'm torn....

 

[ladyscorpian14]

got my mini braids done today hoping they will last until September 1 i paid $80 took two our she a natural hair stylist the back turn out great but the front not so much I wonder if because of the different texture

 

[lamaria211]

Gonna redo my minis in about 2 weeks they look ROUGH!!! But I keep them under a wig so its ok

 

[NaturalfienD]

I would luv a winter challenge. I should have enough new growth to participate.

Co-sign … I want to join the challenge, too. I am planning on installing a set in two weeks. In the mean while I will continue stalking the thread and hope for a fall challenge.

 

[nakialovesshoes]

On my way to get my braids redone. I'm definitely in for a winter challenge. Heck, I'm also down for a 2013 challenge. Maybe we can do quarters like the the bootcamp challenges. Minibraiding my way to WL...

 

[lamaria211]

Washed n dcd my minis with Hair One and used Silk Elements leave in earlier today. Before I go to bed ill apply a lil more leave in and seal with EVOCO and WGO

 

[Nubenap22]

My min braids are still going strong....ill get 2 more weeks out of these....

 

[lamaria211]

I love love love my mins still. Im in the process of taking them out right now (its been 4weeks) only to redo them on the weekend after a good long DC. My hair grows so well using this method

 

[manter26]

Thanks for all your great feedback ladies! I'm also featuring people on the blog so if you want your pics shown or a little blurb or review, please thank this post or PM me. I would appreciate it very much!