Here is another one of my favorites that I wrote for Coco and Creme - Styling Your TWA (teenie weenie afro). Be sure to check out the YouTube video links at the end - there are some very cute styles that can be worn on TWAs as well as longer hair lengths :o)
I love the TWA stage. Although I never did a ‘big chop’, I’ve cut my hair several times and enjoyed wearing my TWA which always seemed to grow out very fast. But, I do understand that it seems like that there aren’t many style options especially when pictures of updos, puffs and big twist-outs on longer hair overflow the web.
So this is dedicated to TWA wearers who are seeking various style options. Again, there are styles that can be created with one or two inches of hair; the most simple, and probably obvious style is the wash-n-go.
Simply wash or wet your hair, depending on your hair’s texture you can add an oil or pomade, leave-in conditioner or an alcohol free styling gel, smooth the product through your wet hair to achieve texture and go. You have a textured TWA.
With a TWA you can also wear coils - finger coils or comb coils. Wash or wet your hair, start at the back and work your way up to create comb coils or finger coils. Depending on how long you plan to wear your coils and the weather, you may not have to add anything aside from a moisturizer. Coils are a very pretty style, that can be worn in the boardroom as well as the club.
My all time favorite are two-strand twists. All you need is one or two inches of hair to create two-strand twists. As soon as you can ‘grab’ hair between your fingers it can be twisted into two-strands.
You will have to make the two-strands tiny in order for them to stay twisted. And, again depending on your hair type, you may have to use an alcohol-free gel to help them stay twisted.
And of course, once you’ve put in your two-strand twists, you can also wear a twist-out. Put your two-strands in when your hair is wet (again you may have to add a little styling gel) then unravel them when they are completely dry to wear a twist-out.
Your twists can be worn for a week and then you can wear a twist-out the next, creating a two-in-one style.
You can also create flat twists with one or two inches of hair. You can create cute flat-twist updos with a combo of two-strand twists or even coils. You can even create flat twist-outs. You can flat twist wet hair, let them dry and unravel to create a textured flat twist-out. You can also do this with cornrows.
To get even more creative, you can add a few flat twists or cornrows to the front or side of your hair, secure them with some cute clips, barrettes or hair pins and wear the back out. Combining twists and/or cornrows to the front of your TWA as-is or textured are great unique combo-styles.
You can also put tiny box braids in your hair once it’s long enough to grab. Now this will require more patience because it takes a little longer and you will be working with three sections instead of simply twisting two, but box braids are also a cute style to wear during the TWA stage. You can also create Bantu knots with your box braids.
In most cases, box braids curl at the ends by themselves, or you can use a little alcohol-free styling gel to help them along, creating a pretty curly box braid style. Unbraid your box braids for a textured braid-out. And unravel your knots for a curly knot-out as well.
As you experiment with these different styles, and create your own, as well as accessorize along the way, your TWA phase will be over before you know it, so enjoy it while you can.
Check out the videos links below depicting creative TWA styles.
InTheTikiLounge
krzyshy
RimBlu4
Peace and Blessings...
March 28, 2011
March 21, 2011
The Benefits of Virgin Coconut Oil
There are several benefits to using coconut oil on your hair.
Virgin Coconut oil has antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasitic, properties that can help with many scalp problems such as dandruff. It can also aid in length retention, because it strengthens hair strands to keep them from breaking.
Virgin Coconut oil is a great oil to use to soften your hair and condition your scalp. Virgin Coconut Oil can also be used as a weekly scalp massage oil.
The fatty-acids in coconut oil are the exact ones contained in sebum, the natural oil that our scalp produces. They both contain medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) which can easily penetrate the hair strand to and reduce protein loss.
Virgin Coconut Oil also prevents destructive free-radical formation and provides protection against them. It can help to keep the skin from developing liver spots, and other blemishes caused by aging and over exposure to sunlight. It helps to keep connective tissues strong and supple so that the skin doesn't sag and wrinkle.
In some cases it might even restore damaged or diseased skin. The oil is absorbed into the skin and into the cell structure of the connective tissues, limiting the damage excessive sun exposure can cause.
Ayuredic Hair Recipes Using Coconut Oil
For an Itchy Scalp:
Add 1 teaspoon of camphor to half a cup of coconut oil and store it in glass container. Massage this oil into your scalp before bed.
For Dandruff:
1. Add 1 teaspoon of camphor to half a cup of coconut or neem oil. Store it in glass container. Massage this oil into the scalp before bed. Wash with warm water after three to four hours or leave overnight.
2. Mix 1 teaspoon of castor, mustard and coconut oil each and massage into the scalp. Wash with warm water after three to four hours or leave overnight.
3. Mix one part of lemon juice with two parts of coconut oil. Massage into the roots of the hair regularly.
Peace and Blessings...
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