Tips on taking off braids

I hate taking out braids myself; however I would rather do it myself than endure the pulling of hair at the salon.

This time I intentionally asked for big braids so taking them out wouldn’t be too much of a challenge for and I wouldn’t lose too many hours in the process.

After the braiding was done three weeks ago, the lady used moose to prevent the hair from looking untidy prematurely. Natural hair tends to stick of the Kankalon fiber after a few days, so moose helps keep my natural hair stiff in the braid. 

When undoing braids in the past I’ve lost hair in the process due to dry/stiff hair.  So this time I had to think of ways to reduce the amount of hair I could potentially lose.

I got the idea of oiling my hair from a youtube video but I thought it would be a better idea to wet or dampen the braids this would help loosen the moose. Then I added oil to give it some slip. The oil I put at the base of my scalp and sprayed on the braids too. 

The oil on the scalp helped a lot as the slip helped undo the knots that form at the base of the braid.

I would recommend this technique for taking off braids, the slip and dampness helps save time by allowing the fiber hair come off easily and undoing the knots too. The entire process took me an hour thirty minutes.

The tools I used include, rat tail comb, a wide tooth comb to comb my hair, scissors to cut the ends of the braids, spray bottle with oil and water, applicator bottle with palm kernel oil (the smelly one)  and a plastic bag to put the old hair in. 

Another advantage of this method is that in the process of taking off the braids I pre-pooed my hair with the palm kernel oil.

Next time you are taking off braids yourself, try this method.  

Pimples, breakouts and face mapping

A few days ago I had breakout on my chin; it had been a while since I broke out so severely. It had me thinking as to why I was breaking out in that area only. I usually have one or two pimples on my cheek but not as bad as this particular episode. I was very sure that there was a reason, so, google to the rescue. 

Dermatologists have what is called face mapping; a combination of  ancient Chinese practice  and modern day dermatological science used cure acne through identifying parts the face that are linked to other parts of the body. 

The face is mapped out into different zones; break out in different zones correspond to different problems. So, with this “map” as your guide, you can address the underlying causes of blemishes/break out and not only make the unsightly zits vanish but also treat a primary health problem in time.

Zone 1 & 2 indicates problems with Digestive System — recommendation is to -eat less processed or junk food, reduces the amount of fat in your diet, step up water intake and opt for cooling foods like cucumbers.

Zone 3 indicates problems with Liver — recommendation is to cut -out the alcohol, greasy food and dairy. This is the zone where food allergies also show up first, so take a look at your ingredients. Besides all this, do 30 minutes of light exercise every day and get adequate sleep so your liver can rest.

Zones 4 & 5 indicates problems with Kidneys — recommendation is to DRINK UP! Anything around the eyes (including dark circles) points to dehydration. ……Drink up!

Zone 6 indicates problems with the Heart — recommendation is to check your blood pressure and Vitamin B levels. Decrease the intake of spicy or pungent food, cut down on meat and get more fresh air. Besides this, look into ways to lower cholesterol, like replacing “bad fats” with “good fats” such as Omegas 3 and 6 found in nuts, avocados, fish and flax seed. Also, since this area is chock-full of dilated pores, check that your makeup is not past its expiry date or is skin-clogging.

Zone 7 & 8 (the other ear area) indicates problems with Kidneys — recommendation is, again, drink up! And cut down on aerated drinks, coffee and alcohol as these will cause further dehydration.

Zone 9 & 10 indicates problems with Respiratory system — Do you smoke? Have allergies? This is your problem area for both. If neither of these is the issue, don’t let your body overheat, eat more cooling foods, cut down on sugar and get more fresh air. Also keep the body more alkaline by avoiding foods that make the body acidic (meat, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, sugar) and adding more alkalizing foods like green veggies and wheat grass juice. Another thing that most of forget – dirty cell phones and pillow cases are two of the top acne culprits and this area is what they affect the most!

Zone 11 & 12 indicates problems with Hormones — This is the signature zone for stress and hormonal changes. And while both are sometimes unavoidable, you can decrease their effect by getting adequate sleep, drinking enough water, eating leafy veggies and keeping skin scrupulously clean. Another interesting point: breakouts in this area indicate when you are ovulating (and on which side).

Zone 13 indicates problems with Stomach — recommendation is to Step up the fibre intake, reduce the toxin overload and drink herbal teas to help with digestion.

Zone 14 indicates Illness — Zits here can be a sign that your body is fighting bacteria to avoid illness. Give it a break, take a yoga class, take a nap, and take time to breathe deeply, drink plenty of water and know that everything always works out!

I recently discovered the amazing power  tea tree oil; it works magic on breakout. Best part is it also helps reduce the appearance of spots. You can apply the diluted essential oil  all over your face or just on the pesty zits. 

Protective style

I've had my nappy hair in weave for over two months and I must say I have seen some improvement. Not only does my hair feel stronger I can see more volume as well. 

The Henna and Jessie treatments could be helping too but I think having my hair in plaits under a weave is protecting it from the elements and helping grow.

I make sure no heat is put in my hair when in the salon for a sew in, make sure I wash and treat at least every three weeks , also my hair has to be well moisturized before the weave is put in.

I am wearing weaves a lot because I moved to Lagos and my work hours are crazy; I have to be up at 5 am to get to the office at 7:30 am. Very different from my 8 am wake up in Abuja. Having to deal with my natural hair would have been an issue for me in the past few weeks. But it seems to be helping.