Since the end of April, I had been wearing crochet braids as a protective style. I kept them in for about 4 weeks at a time, and I have installed them 4 times over the summer. It was an easy style to install and maintain, and I was happy to have a four-month break from my hair. However, it's really important to me that I know how to take care of my own hair and have it looking good. I took a few days off from the crochet braids and worked on my twistouts a few times. I also applied a demi permanent color between installations, which not only did a good job covering my grays, but also opened my cuticles to allow more moisture. I took them out last week, and I want to wear my natural hair for a while.
I'm still learning more about keeping my hair moist. I recently did the Cherry Lola treatment, which my hair loved. I also left in some conditioner, which has helped keep my hair moist for the past five days (a miracle for me). I'm not sure what good gel is doing to my hair, if any, so I've challenged myself not to use gel. In my most moisturized look, I didn't use any gel, just a curling cream.
Here is a little collage of my hair in between my crochet braids. I noted where I achieved the most moisture. This is also when I have the best curl definition.
I liked how my hair came out in each photo, but for different reasons: moisture, definition, how my hair falls, how thick and healthy it looks, how stretched it is. I would love to be able to roll them all into one, but I'm getting there!
I've been using some different products, so I'll be doing more product reviews in the near future. I just want to use them more consistently to have solid opinions.
